At the moment, July 14, I purchased Magic: The Gathering playing cards for the very first time. Wizards of the Coast and Sega’s new Sonic collaboration set went up for pre-order on Magic’s “Secret Lair” website and it looks like, by some means, I could have lower the road. My brother was additionally within the queue and was keen to ship me the playing cards I wished from the set, so moderately than wait the estimated 42 minutes, I closed out my web page within the pre-order queue and went about my enterprise. About 20 minutes later, I re-opened the web page to examine one thing on the positioning, and all of the sudden my wait time was lower than a minute. I checked out with my “Mates & Foes” pack with minimal battle. How? Beats the hell out of me! In the meantime, a number of individuals are nonetheless ready in keeping with estimated occasions for as much as an hour, even after urgent the “add to cart” button inside seconds of the sale going reside.
I don’t go right here, however I wanted that card of Shadow the Hedgehog racing by way of Radical Freeway from Sonic Journey 2. I’ve gathered, nonetheless, that immediately’s difficulties are nothing new, and that Secret Lair drops are all the time a ache within the ass for Magic followers. These units are often themed, whether or not or not it’s based mostly on a crossover, a vacation, or another form of property or occasion, and, at one level, they had been made to order, moderately than restricted editions that promote out and get scalped. Now that Wizards of the Coast has modified its enterprise mannequin, getting Secret Lair playing cards has turn out to be a rat race just like the pursuit of another uncommon buying and selling card. For the Sonic playing cards, Wizards restricted the variety of packs you can purchase which, in idea, might need prevented resellers from shopping for up all of the inventory. Nevertheless, individuals are nonetheless having hassle truly trying out.
As I’m penning this, the Sonic playing cards have been up for pre-order for about an hour, and followers are reporting they’re nonetheless getting hour-plus wait occasions after they attempt to add any of the units to their cart. Even individuals who had been within the pre-queue, which you’ll entry by including one thing to your cart earlier than the sale goes reside and going to take a look at to be “within the entrance of the road” are reporting that their estimated wait occasions are nonetheless an hour or longer.
Even those that had been proper on time are being met with warning messages to not refresh or shut their webpage regardless of the “longer than regular” wait occasions. And it appears this type of wait is changing into par for the course with Secret Lair.
“I really like that almost all of Secret Lairs we now get the ‘wait occasions are presently longer than regular’ like this has turn out to be the norm,” MetalHeadSolid wrote on Reddit.
Although the wait is irritating, some argue that if the longer queues imply that fewer resellers are shopping for the inventory in bulk, then this can be a momentary frustration that ends in a long-term enchancment.
“Gradual is okay if the scalpers don’t get every little thing and the system works,” FreeMasonKnight wrote in the identical Reddit thread.
For the time being, individuals are nonetheless in a position so as to add the Sonic playing cards to their cart, so even in the event you’re ready, they might not be offered out simply but. For those who’re in line, keep in line. Sonic wouldn’t need you to surrender.
