An open letter about the early 2012 Grand Prix schedule

To whoever it may interest: My disappointment on the announcement

For those of you who don't know me, (and I will be happy if you don't because it means I'm reaching new readers and audiences now that I will write something more serious) my name is Tiago Chan from Portugal. I used to be a Magic Pro Player between 2005 and 2008 and I even reached Level 8 on the Pro Tour Player's club which helped me play Pro Tours wherever the DCI would host them and Grand Prixs all over the world. I played events all over Europe and North America, several countries of Asia and Australia.

I love Magic, but as much as I love it, I believe the persons who make decisions about Magic, either rules, design, development, organized play, marketing, love it more than I do. I usually trust and try to accept every change they make to the game, and truth is most of the times their actions prove to be right, and when don't they keep on changing.

I am however extremely disappointed with the teaser preview revealing the calendar for the early 2012.

I'm disappointed with what was done. I'm disappointed with what was not done and could've been.

8 Grand Prixs in the USA, 1 in Japan, 1 in Malaysia, 1 in Australia, 1 in Mexico, 3 in Europe.

Looking back in time, I was sad when they decided to cut the number of Pro Tours and Grand Prixs even tough attendance was rising and rising to absurd numbers. I was obviously happy when earlier they announced they would be largely increasing the number of Grand Prixs.
So, what's wrong with the early 2012 calendar?

1 a) It is USA centered
1 b) It's an answer to the SCG Open Series

One country has more events than the rest of the World combined.

The SCG Open series proved to be the most sucessful tournament circuit outside the Pro Tour and Grand Prix circuit. It grew to a whole US National level, and from here it is very well possible it's globalization, there is already an SCG Qualifier in Germany. It took advantage of the many free weekends caused by the reduction of events, created a realiable tournament system, already made some stars, showed that in the US there is enough demand for week after week high level events across the country. It helped cause the boom of Legacy and eternal formats. If SCG dared to host an Open Event on the same date of a Grand Prix, there would be players opting for the SCG.

As a costumer I feel Wotc / DCI main motives aren't improving the overall experience at competitive events, but instead to reclaim the US tournament scene which they gradually lost over the years to independent TO's, due to Wotc own negligence. But while doing so, atractting the US players will raise concerns on the rest of the World.

And how are they going to award points to the POY race? Under the new calendar the old Pro Points distribution will not make for a fair competition. Other than Shuuhei, Saito, Martin Juza and PV I don't think any non US-player has a chance to be POY in 2012. But I'm confident that new announcements will come, either the extinction of the POY Title, or making a Pro Tour POY and a Grand Prix POY, or just a never thought before method of awarding points, whatever it is, without changes there isn't a fair POY competition.

2 - The Grand Prixs in the rest of the world have all been done before.

I had high expectation when they announced the high increase of GP numbers, I tought they could go back to, or explore new GP locations, but even when I ignore the USA GP's and focus on the rest of the world, I'm unexcited. Try to understand, months earlier I was excited with the hype created about upcoming chances, and when a teaser shows up, it reveals nothing new, nothing to be excited, nothing to get us wondering on the rest of the calendar.

Japan - every year hosts multiple GP's.

Malaysia - every year there's a GP in Southeast Asia, in between Thailand, Phillipines, Malaysia or Singapore.

Australia - same as above.

Mexico City - Hosted Grand Prixs before, but this was the one who excited me the most.

It's even worse in Europe. GP's in Spain, France and Italy? I mean, that's a given, no matter if there are 6 or 10 Grand Prixs in Europe they will host in those countries. After hearing of Grand Prixs in Spain, Italy, and France, and calculating that the Grand Prixs in Europe will be increased to 10, here is my speculation for the remaining European ones.

UK (tip don't do it in London duting the Olympics)
Germany
Belgium
Netherlands
Scandinavia
Poland or Czech Republic
Austria or Switzerland

Because every single year is like that.

But imagine what would happen, the hype that would be created if there was a GP in for example Turkey, or Russia, Greece, or a country east of Austria, a country never visited or visited so long ago. But by announcing Spain, France and Italy in the teaser-trailer of the calendar, the reaction is: There are major changes in the USA, but everything remains as it is in the rest of the World.

3- Honolulu as a Pro Tour location is starting to get worned out.

I admit it the first one was nice and received nice feedback from the players. The second one lost some of the magic, and the third one I feel it's totally deja-vu, it doesn't create excitement. But Wizards seems to think that by announcing Pro Tour Honolulu #3 everyone will jump from his chair and high 5 the closest person.

Newsflash. When you see all those facebook status updates like "DING Q'd for Honolulu", "Won a PTQ for Honolulu" with 87 likes below, or "Yes Honolulu here I come", replace Honolulu with any other Pro Tour location. People are just excited that they Qualified for the Pro Tour.

Give the following Poll at Pro Tour Philadelphia to every competitor: You can only choose to attend one: PT Honolulu or PT Japan. (and note how frequent are PT's in Japan). I would be more excited with PT NY than PT Honolulu.

So if Wotc thinks that announcing PT Honolulu was a trump card, I hope they have a better one. Honolulu as nice as it may be, and while appreciated by the players, it didn't made any player anywhere in the World thrilled with excitement. But what about, if in the teaser release of the early 2012 calendar, the first revealed Pro Tour was Rio de Janeiro?

An entire continent would explode in excitement in particular Brazil of course. The regular Gravy trainers who actually enjoy to sightsee would probably be more excited going to Rio than Honolulu. And it would pass a clear message: There are new things happening in 2012 Stay tuned!

Maybe it was just my expectations were too high, but I feel unfair the disproportion between USA and the rest of the World feels the upgrades were made because of and for the USA scene, and I'm unexcited with the rest of the world locations revealed because there's nothing that can make me curious of what will happen, but rather more of the same.

If you like me are disappointed or unsatisfied or unexcited with the announcement or feel it's unfair, or just liked what I wrote, please help me pass the message. Share this link, I would like to have as many players and Wotc employees reading it.

Thank you

Tiago Chan