Darin Batten of All Star Comics and Games in Mishawaka, Indiana responded to WizKids recent changes in its Approved Play Program (see 'WizKids Shifts Tournament Play'):
As a concerned retailer, Venue, and Envoy, I would like to take this opportunity to express my continued disillusionment with WizKids, especially with the recently posted changes to the Approved Play Program. As many retailers may or may not be aware of, the new changes in the Approved Play Program will have significant impact in the retailer marketplace. Even in the absence of a retailer not being a WizKids Approved Play Venue (hereafter, Venue), these changes effectively punish the retailer for being a 'Full-Line supporter' of WizKids products.
For those of you not aware of the changes, beginning with the release of Mage Knight: Dark Riders, '...[A]ll Mage Knight sets released prior to Minions (Dungeons, Lancers, Rebellion (Alpha and Beta releases), Sinister, Unlimited, and Whirlwind) will be retired from regular tournament play. We will continue to retire older sets as new products release. The goal for Mage Knight - and eventually for MechWarrior and HeroClix - is to reach a point in which sets used in regular tournament play include the most recent 'base' set and the last three expansions.'
In stark contrast to the assertion from WizKids that 'This does not mean that your older figures will become unplayable,' what it does mean is that the retail sales potential of retired sets will be diminished into oblivion. In absence of strong support of unrestricted events, these sets will become idle plastic collecting dust, or even worse, becoming the next ecological contaminant in our landfills.
WizKids gives some reasons for these changes. The weakest argument is the '...[R]epeated feedback from new players that many WizKids games are difficult to enter because figures are too rare or expensive to allow them access to competitive play.' To quote Col. Henry Potter from M.A.S.H, 'Horsehockey!' What a bunch of nancy-boys! Progressive sets of WizKids products have introduced truly interesting figures. It has been progressive! To suggest that a person playing a Rebellion only team has a competitive advantage over someone playing newer sets is simply ludicrous and is an insult to our collective intelligence. The same is true with MechWarrior and HeroClix. Again the bottom line is that sales are slumping for WizKids releases and this is a way to force the player and retailer alike to buy and promote the newer sets. I would not have a problem with this policy if it were made to us in an honest fashion but this sneaky and underhanded deployment strategy has just backfired with this retailer!
However, as retailers, we need to be mindful of our personal preferences versus marketplace sensibility. I am not asking retailers to chop off their noses to spite their faces. But at some point we need to say enough is enough and be willing to vote with our feet to express our displeasure with companies that we do business with that are effectively hurting our sales of their product.
