Subject: Is M:TG Dead?
Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 09:52:16 CST6CDT
From: "Dequan A. Watson" <gccwatsd@wagic.tstc.edu>
To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com

Ok, for starters, i would like to say that it is not dead here in
Texas.  We are still in full swing.  Let me give you the breakdown
around the major play areas of the state...

Dallas

Things have always been great for magic here.  They have several
places in the area that hold weekly tournies and Games Galore is
always a haven of players for testing with the Texas Guildmages and
Team Reaper.  Sales seem to be decent there.  The Game Chest in
Richland Mall no longer sanctioned tournaments, but as I understand
it, they brought that on themselves, by letting a good judge slip
away (props to Tim Stoltzfus) and by screwing up paper work.  Even
then, they still have unsanctioned tournies on occasion.

Austin

In 1997 Austin was a great place to play Magic.  In 1998 they didn't
fair so well.  For starters, the best shop they had in town closed
up.  Not necessarily for sales, but because there were other problems
with the owner and and landlord or whatever.  This event kept a lot
of people in Austin to just playing in large tornies such as PTQs and
whatnot.  Just this past summer though a judge decided to start
having tournaments a few minutes outside of Austin in Round Rock.
Things look to be on their way up in Austin again.  I guess i will
mention the AustiKnights here.  They seem to be struggling, but they
are hangin' in there.

Houston

I hadn't thought of Houston as being a large 'Magic Metropolitan' or
anything, but hey, whatever works.  The H-town guys seem to have come
a long way and a large part of that has to be contributed to The Book
Browser game shop.  They have tournies all weekend in a variety of
formats.  When we go to H-town for PTQ's we can usually stop in on a
friday night and play a tourney or two there the night before.  also,
in addition, Team Houston ( I don't believe they have an 'official'
name yet), gets full sponsorship from The Browser.  Not a bad deal.
I would gladly hang with the guys.  I have to admit, I personally do
notbelieve that ALL the people in the purple shirts deserve that type
of sponsorship.  I won't mention any names, but as a whole they are a
solid group of guys (and gals) that likes to have fun.  (Props here
go out to Jeff Clark and Leland Simmons )

San Antonio

I don't know too much about the gaming atmosphere in SA myself.  I
have only played there a couple of times.  i do know however that
when they got their first PTQ earlier this year, it opened a few
peoples yes to the game a bit.  Also, afew more judges have emerged
in the San antonio area to my understanding. This alone will do
wonders for Magic in that area.   Team Fruity@$$  is still alive to
my understand, but are lacking membership, so you S.A. players hunt
them down and they will hoook you up, they are a pretty good group of
people.

Ft. Hood Area (Killeen,Temple, Copperras Cove)

Ok, this is Sketchy, and just to get started, I want to get started
by giving HUGE props to the one they call CHIEF.  Chief puts his
heart and soul into his shop and Magic and puts up with a lot of the
locals crap and he is finally getting respect.  He has been bouncing
all around the area to host tournaments in various shops.  One shop
that just opened in Temple, made a mistake in the stopping chief from
having tournies there.  People in Temple were just getting turned on
to the idea of Magic.  HE wasn't getting huge sales right off the bat
and got turned off to the idea.  Oh well, his loss for no patience.
Chief's shop in Copperas Cove, House of Cards, is a nice little
place.  He has sanctioned tournies every weekend, friday through
sunday.  The Horseman from the area are totally afraid of our guys
from Waco.  Get your game together and beat us will ya!  These guys
have taken two to three tournies from us since like april.

Waco

Ok I will give you a second to get your Branch Dividian jokes out of
your system now ..................................... OK.  there are
two shops in Waco that deal in Magic the Gathering. One I will fail
to mention, cause they are overpriced and underknowledged in the game
of Magic.  The other is The Game Closet.  Owned by Billy Geer.  Magic
seemed to be sliding off a bit about this time last year, but things
have come up a lot.  Billy, the owner, is making record sales now and
is odering mroe product than ever.  In addition, Hope Geer, has
recieved her judged ceritfication and Billy is getting cleared to
hold sanctioned tournies.  I too have played a lrge part in this by
taking time to pull a team together and organize trips to PTQs and
the like.

My bottom line, is Magic is not dead. It just goes in cycles.  Things
will come back to normal for about 7-8 months and then drop off.
Magic is just that way.

Thanx for readin'

DeQuan Watson
Team Captain Waco Flatliners
DragnPowr or PowrDragn on IRC

And then DeQuan step forth......hrm....still no reaction :(