Magic Online Cube: Holiday 2012

[berkumps]

So I had no idea this product was coming out (as I don't play much MtGO), however the posts about the new Black Lotus artwork piqued my curiosity. At first glance, I thought, wicked, the Power is finally coming to MtGO! So I read the WotC News article:

http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/a ... /11272012d

Here's the pertinent information I gathered about the Magic Online Cube: Holiday 2012 Draft Queues

DURATION: Wednesday, December 19, 2012, until the downtime on Wednesday, January 2, 2013.

Hmm, only available for two weeks, I better get on it.

ENTRY OPTION(S): 8 Event Tickets OR 2 Event Tickets and 10 Cube Tickets.

Ok, so you can't actually buy cube boosters and then not use them for the event. Guess I'll have to draft to get the P9, or wait until the drafts are over and then just buy them separately if I want them.

PRODUCT: Magic Online will provide 3 Phantom Magic Online Cube: Holiday 2012 booster packs for this event. Cards that players draft and play with in a Phantom event are NOT added to those players' collections.

UMM, WHAT!?! So I have zero chance to get any of the P9? What the hell is the point then?

PRIZES: Booster pack prizes for Holiday Cube draft events...will be from Urza Block...[and]...Masques Block.

This is bogus man!

[caquaa]

UMM, WHAT!?! So I have zero chance to get any of the P9? What the hell is the point then?

uhm.... duh? I take it you've never cubed before. Its purely for the enjoyment of drafting such powerful cards together just like a real cube. I'm not going to go out and gather up all the cards to make a cube and let people take off with it, just like on MTGO, lol.

[berkumps]

I have played cube, but I don't pay the cube owner to "temporarily" use their cards, nor do I expect to keep their cards that I've drafted. If these are phantom cards, make it like other phantom events that are free to join with no prize support.

[caquaa]

I have played cube, but I don't pay the cube owner to "temporarily" use their cards, nor do I expect to keep their cards that I've drafted. If these are phantom cards, make it like other phantom events that are free to join with no prize support.

Kinda defeats the purpose of mtgo, to make money. Beyond that, playing for a prize forces more competitive play. When my cube would get drafted I'd have people quit after losing one match and it just made it less fun. The only thing I see wrong with this is that there hasn't been a powered cube from the beginning. Also, the cost to enter/pay out structure tend to favor wotc a little more than the players. They want less tix and more of certain sets in circulation. I don't like winning old packs/cube tix, thats my biggest concern.

To the best of my knowledge the only free/no prize phantom events are the noobie 4 man drafts? MOCS use phantom events but most certainly are not free to enter and have quite the prize pay out.... for first. Phantom events are also ran live (or used to be) at things like worlds where you would get to play free once a day and winner got a pack or something of that nature.

[mystical_tutor]

Am I missing something here or are we talking about paying real money to use something that doesn't exist and will be removed later?

Just asking.

Gary

[kalimno]

Well, what you would really be paying for would be the experience.

Just like trying to hit a target in amusement park. If you succeed, you get a prize and if you don't, you walk away with the fun memory.