I'll post some ideas that maybe Wizards should try to implement, as well as addressing some thoughts already floating in the community.

Wizards has to make a product that people will buy, and continue playing. Plus, being a company, they are required to show parent company Hasbro that they are making a profit off of this venture. So they have to charge money.

The thing I find funny is that the biggest plus that they've shown is being shadowed by anger at the pricing. The are willing to give away cards after you've completed sets. So, when people say that they'd rather invest in cardboard cards; the Magic online virtual cards can become real cards! Where did that idea get lost?

Charging $3.29 per booster is steep. But again, they've introduced the"real cards" reward. With that out, they cannot make it too easy to obtain cards.

Repeat: They cannot make it too easy to obtain cards.

If they charge even $0.20 per booster.... That means a booster box is purchased for $ 0.20 x 36, or $7.20. So, for a large set, let's say five booster boxes will easily assure a full set. 5 x $7.20 is $36. $36 for a full set of Odyssey. Then, you turn around and sell it over eBay for... $120-150? So that's $36 = $150 or a lot of cards, and... Hmm...

So, let's say they up the price to $1.00 a pack. $36 per box. 5 boxes is $180. You'll have a full set, so can start redeeming cards.

So, according to the way I understand the"redeeming" feature, that means that you can get 180 Rares for $180, directly from Wizards of the Coast! With them being approximately the same ratio as buying booster boxes! (On the other hand, if they did up it to a buck a pack, they obviously wouldn't have the redeem-a-card feature - The Ferrett)

With those options available, would you ever pay $3.29, or whatever your discounted price from buying in bulk/non-retail price store is? I don't think so. And without Pack sales, stores would go out of business because they can't sell packs. So they don't hold tournaments because they're not there... Which defeats the purpose of having all"real" cards.

Up the price to $2 a pack. $72 per box. That's about what you pay from places such as Starcitygames.com. Fairly reasonable, I'd say.

So, maybe $3.29 is a bit expensive. Maybe we should be lobbying to have the prices around the rate of $2.00 -$2.50. Anyone have a problem with that? Try to think from a business' sense, and answer.

$6 for an online draft, with enforced rules. What, three, four, maybe even five hours of fun on a Saturday evening? Akin to the price of some movie tickets. Would you spend that? Really, think of your favourite pastimes. What do they cost, for the ones that do cost?

Now, another thought.

Staying Power. There has to be something to keep people coming back for more. Why not introduce Pro Tournaments online. Or PTQs online? For the Pro Tours, maybe set aside a number of invitations for online winners. There were talks of online rankings. Implement them.

Then set aside maybe four to six weekends for Online PTQs for each, or at least some Pro Tour stops.. Say that it's open to anyone with an online ranking of 1700+. Ask a price of $0.50 or $1 per entrant, and give away prize money and an invitation to the winner.

Think about it. Would you invest big time if you knew that you could qualify for the Pro Tour with this product?

Also, by charging to attend big online tournaments, they can justify lower costs for some things, and use extra money to keep servers running and upgrade things.

You own Magic online. You see information about an online PTQ for Pro Tour: Whatever. Cost is $1.00 to enter. You can win $500.00 and an invitation. Would you enter? Would 400 other people? It's likely; maybe more people would show. It'd be harder to win, maybe, but how do you think people would look saying you came first in a six-hundred person PTQ? Also, let's say six hundred people play. $600 to Wizards, and they've got a person on the Pro Tour that might not otherwise have been able to play.

Now, would a non-Magic player be enticed by this?

Would a person that lives five hours from the closest PTQ holder be interested in this?

Would this get more people competitive?

Would this give you a reason to own four virtual Call of the Herds?

Distribution: We know comic stores will carry the CDs. But how else can you get the game? Downloads on some sites. What sites is Wizards planning? That could play a key part here.

Put the ad on sites that non-Magic players are likely to visit, ones that generate high traffic. Expensive, but hopefully it pays off. How many people play fantasy games online? If we could tap into that market...

Aaron Porath