http://www.pojo.biz/board/showthread.php?t=1029359In the previous thread, which can be read and picked through here, a whopping 36 pages of discussion were compiled of the players of the Pojo community discussing and debating the issues with the game. On one side of the argument, I myself felt that Konami was receiving an unfair hate from the players for their business decisions. On the other end, many were upset with the way the game was being treated. At the time of creating and managing that thread, I was very hopeful that Konami could or would see that they were leading their TCG down a bad road. With a bit of insight from those who actually played the game, I hoped that they may work together with the people who loved to play their game and actually change things for the better. Sadly, things were not to be.
Things looked very hopeful. At the time, we had started a poll here on Pojo asking the player base what their biggest issue with the game currently was. That poll can be viewed here. The idea was to gather a large voice and actually use it to show Konami that the players felt it needed to change. But, for the cliff note version, the player base voted that the biggest issue was receiving packs of cards that were filled with useless cards. ORCS was released shortly after and we saw a LOT more desirable cards in the pack at much lower rarities, generally making ORCS one of the better pack releases in quite some time. On top of that, a few weeks later, we receive news about the Battle Pack: Epic Dawn, marking one of two things: 1. An attempt to formulate Sealed Play in the YuGiOh! TCG, and 2. Mass releasing a LOT of hard to get cards and a lot of desirable cards into one easy-to-get, very affordable pack, (Such as Tour Guide.) These were both steps in the right direction, and things looked like they were beginning to change for the better.
After the release of ORCS, it was painfully obvious that the decks to beat were going to be Inzektors, Wind-Ups, and Dino Rabbits. All three decks were extremely overpowered, had insane combo plays, and basically decimated anything that they played against. Many players called for hits on all three decks to curb their power, the Inzektors being able to utilize a possible +4 combo EVERY TURN, the Wind-Ups being able to hit their dreaded loop, which would make the opponent discard 3 cards BEFORE THEY COULD EVEN TAKE A TURN, and the Dino Rabbits, which could turn out powerhouse Xyz Monsters that could Solemn for free, or negate a monster effect for free. All three decks were incredibly unbalanced and needed to be addressed. Luckily for us, the banlist was going to be released in just under a month. That should fix the issues, right?
As many of you are probably aware, the newest Official Forbidden/Limited list has been released, and it is ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE. Never in Konami's history of operating this game have they released a new list that blatantly screamed "Give us all your money or suck at competitive play." Konami made absolutely NO ATTEMPT to try and curb the power of the three problem decks from the last format, alongside killing any remaining decks that could possibly compete by banning the cards that made up the plant engine, Trishula, and semi limiting Tengu, and it is obvious as the reason why. ORCS is selling really well, TOO WELL in fact. Why would Konami want to hinder those sales by balancing the decks that are in the pack? Not only is ORCS selling well, but PHSW is still generating tons of revenue too. Why kill off all that income? When it comes to something along the lines of MONEY, Konami decided to fore go Customer Satisfaction and maintaining a healthy, balanced game, and instead decided to opt to make AS MUCH MONEY AS POSSIBLE. What this means for those who need it spelled out more clearly is that Konami cares more about taking your money then making sure that their card game is fair and balanced.
To put it into hindsight for you all, let's take the most expensive format in the history of this card game: TeleDaD. Back in the days of this deck's infamy, the deck itself could and DID reach prices of $1200+ for cards such as Dark Armed Dragon, Destiny Draw, Destiny Hero - Malicious, Goyo Guardian, and Emergency Teleport, depending on the specific cards in both the regular Deck and Extra Deck. Synchros were new, very expensive, and abused in every deck that hit the top tables.
Now, let's compare the big deck of this format: Dino Rabbit. For the deck to be at maximum efficiency, you will need to have:
3x Tour Guide From the Underworld (Currently priced at $130 about each.)
3x Rescue Rabbit (Currently priced at about $70 each.)
3x Maxx "C" (Currently priced at about $120 each.)
2x Wind-Up Zenmaines (Currently priced at about $100 each.)
2x Evolzar Laggia (Currently priced at about $20 each.)
2x Evolzar Dolkka (Currently priced at about $40 each.)
2x Leviair the Sea Dragon (Currently priced at about $20 each.)
THIS ALONE equals out to roughly $1100. THESE 17 CARDS ALMOST PRICE THE EXACT SAME AS TELEDAD DID WHEN IT WAS REIGNING SUPREME. Not only is this an outrage, but this isn't even the entire deck list, AND you still need to finish your EXTRA DECK! Also notably, this is still the BEGINNING of the format. The deck hasn't even done anything yet under the new list, and it is already exceeding 1k in price for JUST THESE 17 CARDS.
This is just Dino Rabbit. The Wind-Ups aren't nearly as harsh on our wallets, but a lot of the cards in the deck have begun to skyrocket. Wind-Up Rabbits have recently broken the $100 mark. Wind-Up Carriers are breaking $30-40 a copy. Sharks, Kittens, and Rats are also shooting up in price. Also, Inzektor Hornets are also on the rise, all because of the new list.
I for one have had enough. I have been a faithful and loyal customer of the YuGiOh! TCG for quite a long time. I have had my legitimate concerns. I have seen good formats and bad ones. I have played in formats that were extremely expensive, but I never DREAMED that they would once again return. I was once even sitting on the opposite end of the spectrum, ready to defend Konami to the grave for being a smart business, making as much profit as possible. However, a business isn't just about providing a service; it is also about keeping your customers happy.
So what are we to do of this? If anything, now is the time to act. We need to voice our frustrations and we need to voice them LOUDLY. Our actions need to speak volumes. Quitting does nothing in little numbers, but in large quantities, Konami may actually wake up and realize that their money-mongering is destroying this game. If you feel the same way, I strongly urge you to join in the cause to let Konami know just how we feel. I urge you to help by voicing your opinions. I strongly urge a boycott, a dismissal of purchase of ALL YuGiOh! related product, including tournament attendance. Never before did I ever imagine that I would be actually recommending something as extreme as these measures, but if Konami continues to ignore our concerns, we have no choice. Me, of all people, who in my last thread argued the EXACT OPPOSITE of what I am proposing now, am now at the breaking point, and I am sure that I am not alone.
So, let us collaborate. How can we make Konami listen? The original idea was mass emails, but if that is the route we wish to take, then help me draft a message that is short, straight, and direct to the point.
Any other ideas are strongly encouraged. If you wish to add anything, please do so here. Let's make Konami see the errors that they have made and do our best to prevent any more from being made.