The prerelease weekend for The Hobbit, the next Universes Beyond expansion for Magic: The Gathering has wrapped up and, according to a recent poll put out by Wizards of the Coast things went well.
In the poll, which was distributed to Wizards Play Network game stores, 73 percent of respondents say the experience was “very positive.” Beyond that, another 20 percent said it was a “positive” experience.
Sean Johnson of Brute Force Games in North Park, Calif., says his store "sold out all time slots with a pretty deep waitlist” as they had a “banner weekend.”
"Sales are strong, everything is either sold out or nearing sold out," he added. "Hopefully restocks are already on their way.“
Comments like Johnson’s could be found at stores across the country, including Matchstick Games in Mount Sterling, Ken. Says the store’s co-owner, John Hollifield, “Naturally LOTR gonna be banger. Now that we are virtually sold out of our highly allocated product.”
Let’s Play Café in Monroe, Wash., saw similar success, though with a similar issue with product allocations.
“Best prerelease we have had for a universes beyond set,” says store owner David Shoemaker. “Unfortunately due to low allocation I am now effectively out of product.”
Many stores echoed the product allocation concerns of Hollifield and Shoemaker – enough that it appears to be a problem nationwide with The Hobbit sealed product in general.
Hannah Wines, Event Coordinator for The Dragon’s Lair Comics and Fantasy in San Antonio, Tex, says Magic: The Gathering supply problems have become a serious concern as they’re affecting both business and their player base.
“I cannot imagine that there was any surprise on WOTC's end that enthusiasm would be so high and product delays with that much foresight are rather inexcusable for a company of this size and that much lead time,” she says. “The delays are getting old. The players don't yell at you, they constantly yell at us [then] go online to buy.”
And it’s not just Wines’ store seeing allocation problems affecting business and operations.
“Allocations are killing us,” says Ian Struckhoff of The Fourth Place, a local gaming store in Hanover, N.H. “We had to fight to get enough to cover just our preorders. Single digits of everything but play [booster] displays and prereleases.”
Despite product allocation issues, though, only seven percent of the poll’s respondents reported The Hobbit prerelease as “neutral” or worse.
