To begin with, we don't know the true financial state of WK. I've heard rumors to the effect that it had a net loss of $3 million (US) last year. If true, that isn't a good sign. With spacing out their expansions over longer time periods, and the large investment into SportsClix, their income and reserves could be pretty low right now. Please keep that in mind as you read on...

I am a fan of baseball. I have been for my entire life. I don't normally have any interest in buying sports games (outside of an occasional baseball video game), but this game has my attention.

From the previews figures I've seen at a few venues, to the rules info I've read, it looks to be a fun game which can be engaging at the casual or hard-core levels. In short, it looks like fun, and I can build a decent collection for less than the price of a major league baseball ticket in Chicago.

There's a reason that Topps acquired WizKids. SportsClix is probably a big portion of that. Though WK may not explicitly need the sheltering umbrella of a Topps corporation, it gives them a lot more room to maneuver. They have room to innovate and overcome some mistakes (Creepy Freaks, Shadowrun, etc). They're also much more able to tap into a vastly larger collectibles market through Topps distribution channels and the secondary sports memorabilia market.

All that said, it is in the best interests of the players of the remainder of WizKids lines to support WizKids in their new ventures. SportsClix is going to happen, and though it may not be up to us to make it a success (we're not the target audience), we can at the very least support WizKids as a good company.

Though we may not all agree with their decisions, using that disagreement to drive away potential customers of their other lines is foolish. We should all be actively encouraging the sports fans (specifically collectors) that we know to give this product a look, or at the very least keeping our mouths shut about it. If you feel the need to publicly bash it, please realize that if it fails, it could take your beloved MW with it down the drain.

I'm not saying you should run out and buy the game for yourself. All I'm saying is don't poison the minds of their potential customers by bad-mouthing it in stores and other public places (message boards). As players of WizKids games, we are all representatives for their products. Just let their potential customers for this product judge it without negative influences from us.

What we DO know is that Topps has said that their less than expected 2003 earnings were due to the losses of their newly acquired subsidiary - WizKids. Do a search on Topps Fianacial Reports and you'll find it. I think it was a Dunn and Bradstreet (D&B) report.

yep it was due to wizkids.....however creapy freaks was mostly to blame its failure combined with its large marketing campaign were a real killer.

I wouldn't shy people away but, lets consider why not .....if topps sells there subsidiary to an actually decent corp maybe we get better treatment.

Or, maybe they don't sell Wk at all. They simply parse out the WK licenses and patents to other companies and take a giant tax write-off. That could be the end of MW forever.

[Or, maybe they don't sell Wk at all. They simply parse out the WK licenses and patents to other companies and take a giant tax write-off. That could be the end of MW forever.]

Yep, that's the American way.

Sad isn't it?

I would buy WizKids for $1 Million.
Of course it would take about $15 million to run it each year.
Then it would only make about $1 million a year after profits, assuming it was run correctly. ;)

Dave

The point of what I said was to get people to focus more on helping instead of hindering the overall situation. Helping to make SportsClix unsuccessful is purely spiteful and will come back to bite us on the...

Laocain is right, if Sportclix is unsuccessful WK might do something really stupid like start retiring sets.....O.....too late :p

maybe they should sell MW to wizards :P

LaoCain.

I agree with you. Personally I think Sports Clix will be interesting, and very fun. My kids are asking me about it right now. I've been trying to explain it to them, but untill we get into it, I'm not sure.

As for Creepyfreaks and shadowrun, both are great games. (I speak for myself, my kids, and all the kids in the neighborhood). But the problem seems CF is a knockoff of garbage pail kids. They should have tied it into garbage pail kids liscence, or they should have marketed it better. It's fun, fast, and like a wierd gross out version of checkers.

I believe many people are now going to "boycott" anything from wizkids, and will try to make others feel the same way. It's too bad because the games are still fun. I for one cannot wait to get my approval to be an "umpire" for sports clix.

I'm not boycotting anything just to grind someone elses axe. I don't understand the desire of some to want revenge for some company simply trying to stay afloat financially. There current losses prove that they need to do something.

I'm a small business owner with about 100 employees. I have to make tough decisions from time to time. Quite often, they're not popular with either my customers or my employees. It's a fine line you have to walk sometimes.

My point is that we've been in business since 1961 (my father started the business). We wouldn't still be here without making those tough choices. I'm sure WK would like to still be doing business in 40 years too.

Thus spake LaoCain:

But then the question arises, "make it successful for whom?"

I'm sure Wizkids is making a sound business decision, and while I agree on one point, i.e. it may make getting into "tournament" play a bit easier for new players. I also find myself agreeing with those who have spent quite a few bucks in getting their current collections together only to find out that in a year or so, they may become worthless. I myself, along with my son, are reluctant to pursue getting back into the game due to this change.

While I don't wish any unfortunate circumstances on Wizkids with regards to "sportsclix", how do I make it "successful" for them, buy a product I don't want at the expense of one I do? Tout how good and fun sportclix is, (not a sports fan of any great measure myself), to increase a player base while my favorite game could be dying on the vine? Where is the sense in that?:ermm:

In closing, one thing that should be noted with regards to why MTG may have done what it did with Type 1 and 2 formats, (correct me if I'm wrong), is offer 7 figure prizes at some of their biggest type 2 tourneys.

And if WizKids know how to/ or learns how to cut their losses, I'm certian they will. Unfortunantly for many, I feel those losses may include Creepy Freaks, Shadow Run, and Crimson Skies. Its sad, really; they are exellent games. But no-ones interested in them.

I appreciate your points, but what I'm saying here has absolutely nothing to do with the impending changes to approved play. I agree with your points on approved play, but I'm adopting a "wait and see" attitude, while enjoying the environment as it stands today.

As for your comments on SportsClix, let me clarify my position. I believe that there is a definite "reactionary" segment among the users of this board. At times, they border on xenophobic. SportsClix is new, and not something they're interested in, so they trash it before it goes out the door. They fear (wrongfully so) that the development of SportsClix has negatively impacted the quality of their chosen product line, and will do so even more if SportsClix is a success. There is also a segment who would rather see a WK product fail as some imagined "revenge" for changing the way their chosen line is administered.

These people will do far more harm to everything WizKids if they go off half-cocked, and blither about how SportsClix sucks, without ever taking the time to look at it objectively. All I'm asking is for these people to keep quiet about the product unless they're willing to give it an honest chance. If they choose to investigate the product, and find they don't much like it, then they have every right to express their dislike of it.

Basically, I'm asking them to have an informed opinion, or just shut up.

Way too much optimism here. MLB isn't going to do well. WOTC is already taking a huge bite out of the cmg market. You don't have to go far around my city to see that. With star wars coming out WKs better pull something out of their *** real quick. But maybe they don't see WOTC as a threat and pulled this stunt.

Good luck. WOTC is going to eat WK for breakfast of WKs doesn't do something GOOD for the public for once this year.