We'll start the week out with the Big News

This Friday will be the last Casual Friday on VsSystem.com.

In fact, most of the regular articles you see on VsSystem.com every week will disappear after a week or so. Because the focus of the game has become more casual, UDE has decided to restructure VsSystem.com. In doing so, they've decided to cut all but one of the current columns (and if I understand it correctly, that column's theme is going to be re-worked).

Fear not - the site is far from shutting down! There will still be the aforementioned weekly column, along with all the regular previews and Vs. O.P. updates. It just won't contain something new every day.

How do I feel about this?

As a writer, I feel 50% sad and 50% relieved. I liked writing for the Mothership. And it was cool to get so many great emails from Vs. fans all over the world responding to my columns. But even on an every-other-week schedule, it's hard to pump out 1,500-2,500 words on a regular basis (especially with a daily blog and a daily baby to take care of too).

As a player, I'm kinda bummed. It was nice to be able to go to VsSystem.com every day and read something new. And heck, Yapjoco had just gotten his foot in the pool!

Now, I think most of you will take this news as it was meant to be taken - as another sign that Vs. System is moving into the casual realm. But I think some people might see this as fuel for yet another "the sky is falling" campaign (similar to the ones we've been seeing for 2 years now). Let me tell you that the sky is only going to fall if the next set fails to sell. And let me also say that I'd much rather see the daily columns go away than see Hobby League disappear or City Champs go away. If the belt has to be tightened, then this is (sadly) the way to do it.

Who knows - maybe some day the weekly columns will come back. But until then, we've got some great blogs to read for our daily fix. I'll be be adding a bunch of Vs. blogs to my sidebar over the next few weeks to help you remember them all.

OK - I've got my Build-A-Legend event tonight, so I'd better go sleeve some cards. I'll leave you with a rhetorical question:

Does anyone else find it ironic that "Casual Friday" is being cut because the game has become more casual? ;)

Comments

[gdaybloke]

I find it really quite sad. I'm not on board with the whole Sky Is Falling mentality, but once again UDE is scaling back support for VS, despite the current resurgence in interest.

How much of a resurgence is it going to take before UDE reciprocates?

[Steve Garrett]

I'm with Miguel on this. I'm going to miss this soooooo hard, but at the same time, there will be a lot of pressure off. My wife does not enjoy all the time that goes in to writing, that's for sure. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep going over at VSRealms as well as my own little interwebs corner.

I don't believe the sky is falling, but the timing sucks, when you consider the recent City Champ prize support was announced with no mat or t-shirt, you can see how some people would see it this way.

Hell, if only they'd start putting Vs news on the emails!!!!

[Rian Fike]

It's depressing, that's what it is. Even though I still get to do a weekly digest of the bloggers and message boards, I still have had a lump in my throat all week.

Sad day.

I guess it's just a test for my unicorn powers of positive thinking, but I do not like it one bit.

I hate money, and all the bad stuff it does to good things. I hate it so hard.

[Pi_3.14159...]

I enjoyed some of the columns on VsSystem.com, and while I disliked others, it is sad for me to see them go. The sky is not falling. It is merely getting darker with more clouds int he sky. Clouds could just blow away, or could rain down heavily, or anywhere in between. Anyway, that's my metaphor and I'm sticking to it.

[billy z]

this sucks. sorry guys.

[kansashoops]

Very sad news. :(

[Paul Sung]

WTF this is such horseshit! Dude, I think you were the best writer featured writer there - although LMS has been really good as of late.

Any chance, you'll start diverting all those pimp ass articles to your blog

It's petition time...

[Carlos]

Thanks Paul - and to all of you for your comments. It seems Steve and I really are on the same page. We love our column, but we love our families too. And it was tough missing a Sunday afternoon with the little one when I had a column due.

I will pump up content around here a little bit. Probably nothing "Casual Friday" length, but all the ideas that went into C.F. will now have a home here.

And I'd like to remind you readers (ESPECIALLY you, Paul), that this blog gladly accepts submissions from every level of Vs. Player. Got something good to say? Got a gripe? Got some praise? Got a great deck that needs attention? Email me with your submission and I'll run it here. (Spell check and grammar check first!)

[gdaybloke]

Pfft, I can ramble on for ages on my own blog, rather than polluting yours with my guff. ;)

[WalterKovacs]

I've already worked on getting ready for the change by starting up a blog of my own. As a bright side thing, I'll be able to cut down on the wait time between being done writing and having it out there for people to see. Not to mention that there is less pressure. I'll miss the bit of extra spending money, but hey, c'est la vie. It's not as bad as being brought in as a playtester for 3 sets of a game that you've been playing for years just to have the rug pulled out from under you that the license isn't being renewed.

Anyway, long story short, I'm going to keep up what I've been doing, and I rather the game cut the corner with me than it having to come out somewhere else, or worse yet, that extra bit of expense being the straw that drops the axe on this mixed metaphor. Rather serve in heaven than rule in hell and all that.

On the issue of "how much resurgance until UDE reacts" ... we aren't going to see the turn around instantaneously. Business unfortunately doesn't move at the speed of the Internet. How well the Legend sets do will have an effect on the World Championship perhaps ... and events after that. It will have an effect on Marvel Universe and DC Universe.

Patience is a hard thing to have when times are bad. Then again, realize that if Upper Deck didn't have patience, they would have just canceled Vs. instead of TRYING to turn it around. As much as it may SEEM that Upper Deck hates Vs. and is trying to kill it, the fact is they COULD have doen it but they DIDN'T. They don't want the game to die, they want the game to be profitable. And if the game is profitable enough, it will keep going. Simple as that. They are giving it a chance to be profitable ... no matter how good or bad things seem it takes time to truly gauge that.

[Rian Fike]

I was a bit extra-worried yesterday when this broke. After 24 hours, I have a good deal of hope. I think the community handled it very well. I am proud of us.

[zeus]

You should post your articles on TCGPlayer like Foley does (unless that is an exclusive club) even if it is you should be able to smooze yourself into it. Your articles are great an will be missed. heck everyones articles will be missed and you all should post there. Sure you won't get paid so we are not expectinf new weekly stuff but if everyone osts something once and a while there should always be something new to read and keep our vs addition fix in check.

what do you think about that ? we don't need an official ude site to keep all the best writers articles on, we can host a site ourselves or use an existing site.

VS is to good not to write about it

[Chedy]

To the writers,

If you are still interested in writing, but in a more free system, I would ask you to send me an email at chedy@tcgplayer.com.

I would like to put together a good feature blog team. This would allow you to still receive compensation for writing, but to do so at your own pace. Meanign no more deadlines or 2,000 word minimums. Just 200 words one day, 800 the next etc. And all on the topic that you want to approach about Vs at that time.

[Chedy]

To the writers,

If you are still interested in writing, but in a more free system, I would ask you to send me an email at chedy@tcgplayer.com.

I would like to put together a good feature blog team. This would allow you to still receive compensation for writing, but to do so at your own pace. Meanign no more deadlines or 2,000 word minimums. Just 200 words one day, 800 the next etc. And all on the topic that you want to approach about Vs at that time.