In October 2007, the Witch Creek Fire broke out in California and quickly turned into a catastrophic wildfire. The fire, which originated in Witch Creek, a small community in San Diego County, quickly spread across the region, engulfing thousands of acres of land and destroying numerous homes and buildings. This catastrophic wildfire was a result of a combination of factors, including strong Santa Ana winds, dry conditions, and an abundance of fuel in the form of drought-stricken vegetation. The gusty winds, which reached speeds of up to 70 miles per hour, fanned the flames and caused the fire to spread rapidly, making it extremely difficult for firefighters to contain. As a result of the Witch Creek Fire, over 1,000 homes were destroyed, displacing thousands of residents and leaving them homeless. The fire also had a devastating impact on the environment, causing the loss of valuable wildlife habitat and destroying large areas of pristine wilderness.
Magic the Gathering has done a lot of crossover sets this year, and even one with Warhammer 40k. However, it should come as no surprise that it would be beneficial for those people actually to stick around for more than just that one release.
Then, the other part of the equation, according to Bank of America, is that Hasbro should expand the player base instead of just trying to get as much money from the current player base as possible. Haas adds in the report that other decisions that contribute to the larger problem are the Magic 30th Anniversary Edition proxy cards unnerving collectors and product fatigue.
The fire also had a devastating impact on the environment, causing the loss of valuable wildlife habitat and destroying large areas of pristine wilderness. Efforts to contain the fire were hindered by the challenging terrain, as well as the sheer magnitude of the blaze. Firefighters worked tirelessly to battle the flames, using helicopters, bulldozers, and other equipment to try and extinguish the fire.
Bank of America report on Hasbro sparks fears about Magic: The Gathering’s long-term future
Player concerns become the center of widespread conversation.
Image via Christopher Rush/Wizards of the CoastWizards of the Coast’s parent company Hasbro came under the microscope this week when a Bank of America analysis report dropped on CNBC outlining concerns with the company’s stock in the future with a particular focus on how several issues within Magic: The Gathering could lead to the degradation of the brand.
Analyst Jason Haas went into how Hasbro is “killing its golden goose.”
This is being done by the rapidly increased production of Magic products hurting the long-term value of the brand as a whole.
While Hasbro has touted its astronomical successes, spearheaded by Wizards of the Coast, its stock was downgraded by Haas to “underperform” for the future. Haas adds in the report that other decisions that contribute to the larger problem are the Magic 30th Anniversary Edition proxy cards unnerving collectors and product fatigue.
This is creating an environment where it could be players will be pushed hard enough that the brand will be damaged as a result, weakening the viability of investing.
The report sparked a conversation that rippled throughout the Magic community and renewed discussion on longstanding concerns about the current product output by Wizards of the Coast. While the report isn’t necessarily from the point of view of players but financial analysts with an eye on Hasbro as an investment vehicle, many of the topics outlined are typical issues cited in online discussions surrounding Magic.
Compared to other trading card games on the market, Magic has a busy release schedule filled with somewhat essential products that are relevant to various products. This is often cited as fans being tired of perpetual preview season. With the rapid-fire release schedule, there’s generally always another preview around the corner.
This year Magic has released 11 standalone tabletop products with only three not being full draftable booster sets.
Those are the Commnader Collection: Black, Universes Beyond: Warhammer 40K Commander decks, and Jumpstart 2022, a sealed product meant to be a self-contained play experience.
The full booster sets released this year are:
- Innistrad: Double Feature
- Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
- Streets of New Capenna
- Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate
- Double Masters 2022
- Dominaria United
- Unfinity
- The Brothers’ War
This list does not include the Secret Lair drops and Arena releases that consistently happen throughout the year. It’s been a steady hike since the current Magic boom that could be marked with the release of Dominaria in 2018. Since then, the Wizards of the Coast has been at the forefront of Hasbro’s financial calls, bringing in over a billion dollars of revenue between both Magic and Dungeons and Dragons.
The report also comes off the back of a conversation started by game designer Aaron Forsythe asking why Standard has basically died at the local game store level. Since the release of Magic Arena, Standard has been on a steady decline as a tabletop format and largely exists through digital play on Arena and to a lesser extent Magic Online.
Many fans blamed a variety of reasons why Standard is on the downswing on the tabletop. Some players credit the exorbitant price of Standard decks, which regularly sit around $300 to $400.
According to the Standard metagame page on MTGGoldfish, of the top five lists in the most recent Standard Magic Online league, only two decks are under $300, if they were purchased in paper. Standard decks being expensive is an issue because set rotation renders the deck inevitably obsolete and Magic Arena has made it easy to play for free or with little cost.
The expense of buying into other eternal formats is a notable concern with a focus on Modern, where decks regularly blow past the $1000 mark powered by infrequently reprinted cards and the newer powerhouses printed in Modern Horizons 2. However, eternal formats like Pioneer, Modern, and Legacy will never rotate and the metagames shift significantly slower compared to Standard.
Players that buy into these MTG formats are much more likely to have a deck that’s viable for years with only a few upgrades being necessary every few months.
While this has been an issue for the entire lifetime of Standard, the cost of Magic, in general, has gone up as Daniel Crabtree points out when replying to Forsythe. That cost increase combined with the pandemic hurting local game stores were common replies to why Standard has fallen out of favor.
With the report, many of the issues surrounding Magic have entered the conversation again and brought the community together to talk about what could be fixed.
Wizards of the Coast will likely not change anything in 2023 with its release calendar already established with more Universes Beyond, Secret Lair, and Standard Expansions coming down the pipeline.
About the author Xavier JohnsonMy name is Xavier Johnson and I'm a freelance writer who covers Magic: The Gathering. I love control decks and my favorite card is Teferi, Hero of Dominaria.
The oversupply of Magic cards means "card prices are falling, game stores are losing money, collectors are liquidating, and large retailers are cutting orders," Bank of America explained.
The blaze ultimately took more than a week to fully contain. The Witch Creek Fire serves as a reminder of the destructive power of wildfires and the importance of fire prevention and preparedness. It highlights the need for communities to have emergency plans in place and for individuals to take steps to protect their homes and properties from potential wildfires. In the aftermath of the fire, communities came together to support one another, providing assistance to those who had lost their homes and working to rebuild the affected areas. The Witch Creek Fire also led to increased awareness and discussion about wildfire prevention and the importance of sustainable land management practices. Overall, the Witch Creek Fire was a catastrophic event that had a profound impact on the affected communities and the environment. It serves as a reminder of the need for ongoing efforts to prevent and mitigate the destructive effects of wildfires, as well as the resilience and unity of communities in the face of such disasters..
Reviews for "The Role of Technology in Detecting and Controlling Wildfires: Lessons from the Witch Creek Wildfire"
1. John Smith - 1 star
I found "Catastrophic wildfire in witch creek" to be a highly disappointing read. The book lacked depth and failed to provide any new insights into the subject matter. The author's writing style was dry and unengaging, making it difficult for me to stay interested in the story. Furthermore, I felt that the book lacked proper organization and structure, which made it confusing and disjointed. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a comprehensive and engaging read about wildfires.
2. Emma Thompson - 2 stars
I had high hopes for "Catastrophic wildfire in witch creek" as a captivating exploration of wildfires and their impact. However, I was thoroughly disappointed by the lack of proper research and accuracy in this book. The author made numerous factual errors and made sweeping generalizations without providing any evidence or sources to support their claims. Additionally, the writing style was dull and lacked the necessary descriptive language to truly bring the subject matter to life. Overall, this book did not meet my expectations and left me feeling thoroughly let down.
3. David Johnson - 2 stars
"Catastrophic wildfire in witch creek" missed the mark for me as a reader. The book lacked depth and failed to provide a comprehensive analysis of the subject matter. The author seemed more focused on personal anecdotes and stories than on providing factual information and analysis. The writing style was also quite repetitive, with the same information being rehashed multiple times throughout the book. I was hoping for a more informative and engaging read, but unfortunately, this book did not deliver.