Pulse Con 2022 reveals

[griffin]

Hasbro in America have sent out to selected Americans another giant promo box of free goodies... this time for Magic the Gathering - the new set of cards that includes Transformers cards (as seen at the Pulse Con last month).

Even though we already saw the Transformers game cards (linked here in an earlier post), we get some extra information (or confirmation if this was already known), about just how to obtain the Transformers cards.

I had mistakenly thought that the Transformers cards were being released in packs by themselves for people to then buy lots of packs to get all of the set, but it is actually a lot more difficult and expensive than that.
The Transformers cards are only being found in random packs of a series called "Brothers War"... and not even one in each pack, but one in every 10 packs on average!
Doing the math, statistically you would then have to buy about 300 packs of cards just to collect the set of 30 Transformers cards (and that's only if none are rarities)... and the reviewer who got this promo box had 30 booster packs in it and ended up with just 4 Transformers cards. Say that they are $5 per pack, that's $150 just for 4 Transformers cards (or less if you are unlucky enough to only get packs that don't have Transformers cards in them).

That's a very expensive and frustrating concept, and makes no sense why Hasbro/WOTC would do that. It's not like there is a lot of overlap of Transformers fans with MTG fans. You probably have 95% of MTG fans who will see the Transformers cards as wasted cards in the packs, while 95% of fans interested in the Transformers cards would have no interest in the MTG cards... and not even bother to try collecting them.

[JJJ]

That's a very expensive and frustrating concept, and makes no sense why Hasbro/WOTC would do that. It's not like there is a lot of overlap of Transformers fans with MTG fans. You probably have 95% of MTG fans who will see the Transformers cards as wasted cards in the packs, while 95% of fans interested in the Transformers cards would have no interest in the MTG cards... and not even bother to try collecting them.

It does make sense, though, at least from their perspective. That's their (MTG) standard business model, and what their (MTG) customers are accustomed to. I don't believe there is any intention for these cards to be aimed at you (a Transformers fan) - they are aimed at their existing market, as just another rarity to chase (and if the person who ends up with one is a Transformers fan as well, then that's a bonus). And yes, while many MTG players will see them as a waste taking up a valuable slot in a pack, there will at least be a window of time during which you can flog them for real money to the segment (of MTG players) that does wish to collect them.

That this ends up looking like a deliberate tease and callous insult to the general Transformers fan market probably never even occurred to anyone involved.

[MayzaPrime]

That's a very expensive and frustrating concept, and makes no sense why Hasbro/WOTC would do that. It's not like there is a lot of overlap of Transformers fans with MTG fans. You probably have 95% of MTG fans who will see the Transformers cards as wasted cards in the packs, while 95% of fans interested in the Transformers cards would have no interest in the MTG cards... and not even bother to try collecting them.

I am one of these people that play MTG and collect Transformers... The group I play MTG with regularly all want these cards as they are very playable in most MTG formats. So while TF fans might not be interested, the majority of MTG players that I know (which is a lot) want these cards.

[KELPIE]

That's a very expensive and frustrating concept, and makes no sense why Hasbro/WOTC would do that.

Welcome to MtG :P

Basically THE property that kept the boardgaming industry alive through the 90's and early 00's.

[griffin]

More promo packs have been sent out to American fansites, with more Transformers themed WOTC/MTG items.
This time, it looks like they are producing what looks like a small number of existing MTG cards with Transformers artwork on them.
There are three special packs, of varying prices, that were sent to the fansites in a special lunchbox, with several other promo items (none of which are being sold with these special card packs).
The packs are on sale from tomorrow in America... so I don't know if they are available to non-Americans - https://secretlair.wizards.com/us
.

[griffin]

Last week the first wave of Legacy Evolution Deluxes were found at retail in The Philippines, and this week the first wave of Voyagers were found in Hong Kong.
These weren't supposed to be out until February, but with the early release of the of January Studio Series last month, it is strange to then see Earthspark toys being released a month late.