I recently responded to this in another thread that had absolutely nothing to do with the game "dying." I'm not rying to attack anyone, but this kind of negativity should really stop infecting the forums. This is a site for VS players to come together and discuss VS System type stuff, not for people that are saying the game is dying repeatedly yet still surf VS forums.


Here is my response which also could be found in the "Modern Spider-Friends" thread:

The game is only dying because of negative people. If everybody would just keep an optimistic mind and continue to support the game it won't die. If people keep showing the same support they showed prior to the "big announcement" things would be fine. Everybody just heard "$100,000 payout for PC Indy, No more PCQ's etc." and just freaked. Keep in mind they were most likely losing money off PCQ's and I'm sure they were losing a lot of money off the pro circuit. Any business owner will tell you, if something isn't profitable or is losing money, get rid of it. To keep this game alive we need to show support for it. Which means getting off the computer and playing some games, setting up tournaments, teaching new players etc. Go spend some money on it. Its not THAT expensive. (If you don't have money to spend get a job...what ae you doing on the internet anyway?) Its all up to us now. If UDE sees that we love this game and are willing to make it worth it to keep printing it and coming up with innovative monthly formats month after month they will continue and the game wont die.

I predict:

- This thread will go four pages long.

- Erick and Stu will fight.

- Eyes will bleed.

- This thread will be nearly indistinguishable for 40% of the threads in GD.

Is it really necessary to start another "Support the game" thread? Couldn't you have kept your personal arguement on another thread?

Seriously...no one really even talks about the game dying anymore. By 'bringing positivity' you are in fact opening a channel for more negativity, you dig?

Seriously... it's like Communist Russia... Lenin is out there to get us! Support the game?

Will Monica Lewinsky ever really be "dead" as long as there are history books? I think not.

And dont forget cheap cuban cigars!

People base their optimism on incentives. Why should I keep an optimistic mind about the game if UDE is not providing the correct incentives for me? They took away the incentives that appealed to me, and added incentives that dont appeal to me. The game isnt going to die in the near future, but it is now locked as a fringe game IMO. I dont want to ride the bandwagon of a fringe game (such as Pokemon, L5R, etc). A fringe game's projected future progression trickles up and down with a slight negative trend. I would rather ride the steady Magic bandwagon or the "???" bandwagon of WoW than drudge on with Versus until the end.

If UDE isnt going to provide the correct incentives for me, it is impossible for me to remain optimistic. Being optimistic about something is done unconsciously based on your state of being. You cant consciously decide to be optimistic, just as you cant consciously decide to be happy. You can put on a smiley face and pretend you are happy when you talk to others, but that doesnt actually make you any happier on the inside. I am just blatant when I tell people I am no longer optimistic about the game; the others that feel the same way as me no longer post here, so you never hear their opinion.

A couple of thoughts. First I'll say up-front that I'm a new player to VS, that I love the game and that I hope that it continues for many years.

That said, I wouldn't get too bent out of shape about negative comments on this forum (or any other dedicated to the game). It seems to me that anyone willing to spend the time to lurk and post here must have a strong interest in the game's success. If UDE (or Marvel, DC or Konami) is falling short in some way I think the fans have a right and a responsibility to discuss it. I only hope the companies are paying attention and try to adjust their business model based on what's said.

In addition to providing honest feedback I also absolutely agree that the fans should rally behind the game as the first poster stated (buy cards, organize game nights and tournaments, teach new players how to play, etc). At the same time there are a number of things UDE can do to improve the game's exposure and remove the barriers that new players face. If the game is to survive the casual player base needs to expand. More advertising, better beginner products (playable 60-card starter decks with each expansion, a 'core set' with simplified cards), an improved corporate website and revised online game are all desperately needed.

As a new player I've had to do a lot of homework and spend about $120.00 to really get into this game (2 booster boxes). I think this is a fairly daunting barrier to some. In contrast, a new player to MtG can spend $12.00 for a starter deck or spend $10.00 to register an online account and have access to an international 24-hour player base of varying skill levels.

The MTCG online has great potential but is currently falling far short. The large number of card bugs, the substantial system requirements to play the PC version, the news that a software patch will be eventually be available for the PC but not for the PSP which will render the systems incompatible, limiting the online game to Marvel-only, etc...all of these limit the exposure and success of the game. UDE and Konami need to add DC cards, fix the bugs, push a software patch for the PSP at the same time that they push the PC patch, and offer a PC option that is less graphics-intensive to make this thing competitive.

IMHO, initiatives like those I've mentioned could really result in a surge of popularity and a better future for the VS System.

Long rant...just my 2 cents.

Everyone knows where I stand on this subject.:cool: :cool: Remember spread the VS LOVE Please.:cool: :cool:

Cithindril, I am also a newish player, and your post is the best thing i've read on these boards yet.

I appreciate the nice comment Westender. One thing I failed to mention above is that a robust casual fan base feeds the tournament system (this has been the source of MtG's success for years). UDE needs card sales and the associated revenue to offer the incentives that the competitive players crave. The problem is that the competitive players by themselves don't buy enough cards to keep the system afloat. This is the reason that UDE has had to cut back. As the casual base grows, so will the incentives once again. The key now is player activisim in promoting and teaching the game and UDE making some adjustments to make it easier for the 12-year old kid who wants to play at his kitchen table and the 20-40 somethings who just want to have fun at the local store or online without spending an arm and a leg.

PEACE!

It is very possible to change your state of being through conscious decisions. You can make yourself happy on the inside no matter what incentives are offered by consumer society on the outside. There are thousands of methods and disciplines that teach this, and they have been around as long as people have been writing. Many meditation methods, theories of positive thinking, self-help books, and therapy groups will help you learn to be optimistic on your own... without depending on external stimuli to achieve a satisfying life. Not just you personally, but people in general. Really, you can consciously decide to be optimistic. Many people do it every day.

Of COURSE he's an art teacher. ;)

Nice rebuttal. I agree in some part; Yes, I can make myself optimistic in the inside through other means, but when UDE does not provide incentives for me to be optimistic about Versus, it is impossible for me to be optimistic about Versus. Versus System itself is a external stimuli; to be optimistic about it would mean that I am depending on Versus to cause me to be optimistic about Versus, and so on. I can provide incentives for myself via meditation, a change of lifestyle, etc that cause me to be more optimistic in a general state of mind, but I cannot force myself to be optimistic about a external stimuli if it is (relatively) impossible for me to change that external stimuli such as Versus. By being external, I cannot by definition create the change, and thus I cant create the change of optimism about Versus.

I am optimistic about card games. I still love playing Magic and WoW, and ive even dabbled in The Spoils a little bit (I dont really enjoy Spoils, but I enjoy the competitive fix it provides), but I no longer have the same optimism or vigor about Versus since their announcement of the poorly scheduled future tournament structure that I have no control over.

i really dont want tim batow to be the smartest person i know, and i tried meditating/tricking myself into thinking that i was really smart, but the fact remains that tim batow is the smartest person i know. I had such high hopes for myself too

You can replace Tim/smart with stu/stupid if you want

People will play what they want, for whatever reason they deem reasonable.

Some will play because they like the game, some may play because thats the only game others play around them (Ex. Apparently Warlord has a decent following, but my store doesn't even carry the damn thing, so I'll never play it), some will play because they like the comics.

Within these reasons are tollerence levels. It ranges from whining because a set comes out a week late, to loving anything with a VS logo on it be it feces in shrink wrap or worse, The Man Of Steel set.

The game isn't dying because people are being negative. The only reason the game would be dying is because of the REASONS people are negative, at least the legit reasons, and people refusing to acknowledge any flaws in the game because apparently, in order to love a game, you must hold it in the highest of praises at all times.

If thats the definition of "Loving this game" then I don't love it, simply like it. Or perhaps we can be considered "Friends with benefits".

No one ever said that. Ever.

Message boards tend to bring out extreme expressions of opposing ideas, and that one is a gross exaggeration. No one ever said that.

We did say that Vs. System would be better served by a more positive attitude on the forums, and it seems to be bearing fruit. The no-money events are alive and kicking. We still have a vibrant community to share our ideas with here in the Realms. The game carries on, and the ship is sailing fast... not sinking at all.

The boards have been much nicer for the past month or so. It might sell more cards or it might not. Either way, it's much more pleasant. We appreciate it.