The Mystery Booster 2 is a really bizarre MTG product. This fully Draftable reprint set was announced out of the blue and has some crazy features that MTG players have been asking for. With white-bordered and Future Sight Frame reprintings, there are a lot of people interested in getting this product for themselves. Despite this, Mystery Booster 2 is incredibly exclusive, only available at MagicCon events and via the Festival in a Box.
Considering how much demand there may be for this product, it certainly seems dubious that Wizards of the Coast decided to make it so exclusive. Why leave so much money on the table if players want to purchase boxes upon boxes of this product? The reason for this has to do with how the Mystery Booster 2 came into existence. It was either this or the Mystery Booster 2 didn’t exist at all.
An Unlikely Product
Magic players are spoiled in many ways. One of those ways is how deeply connected the game’s developers are with the general audience. Mark Rosewater, one of Magic’s Head designers, commonly answers questions from players through his Tumblr blog; Blogatog. These answers often reveal interesting kernels of information, such as how Mystery Booster 2 came to be.
Over on Blogatog, one user and MTG fan by the name of Singerofw expressed his frustration with the exclusive nature of Mystery Booster 2 boxes. Unfortunately, this player seems to be in the position of many others, with Wizards reportedly “not supporting the game in my region.” Sadly, not everyone has the money or time to attend MagicCon events, so acquiring this set simply isn’t an option.
Understandably, given there are hundreds, if not thousands, of players wanting to buy boxes, Wizards has been asked to explain this exclusivity. On the surface, it seems bad for players and Wizards both, as money is being left on the table. Thankfully, players have finally been given the long-awaited explanation from Mark Rosewater, who revealed the important origins of Mystery Booster 2.
“I try to use this blog to help explain the behind the scenes of decisions. Conventions was looking for a unique play experience for conventions. They decided that Mystery Booster 2 could be that experience, so they funded it. It’s at conventions because the convention team paid for it out of their budget to be that unique thing at conventions.
If that didn’t happen, the product would not have existed. There would be no Mystery Booster 2. We’re full up on normal releases. There’s plenty of feedback from all of you to make less product releases, not more. So, conventions was able to make something happen that normally wouldn’t happen.”
Mark Rosewater
While the exclusivity of this product is not ideal for many, it is better than not having something like this at all. The convention team seems to have absolutely knocked it out of the park with Mystery Booster 2. Considering that they specifically funded this to be the ‘exclusive convention thing,’ that’s what it ought to be. The alternative is simply having the product not exist.
The Purpose of Festival in a Box
As exclusive as these Mystery Booster 2 boxes are, Rosewater also noted that Festival in a Box does exist. This product is superficially intended to increase the accessibility of Mystery Booster 2 so it’s not just limited to MagicCon attendees.
“We did realize though that not everyone has the ability to attend conventions. That’s why we made Festival in a Box. It’s a way for players who are unable to attend a convention to join in on that experience, including playing Mystery Booster 2.”
Mark Rosewater
Unfortunately, while Festival in a Box does provide an opportunity for players to acquire Mystery Booster 2, it’s not perfect. Unless Wizards changes their plans, Festival in a Box could be a limited-run product and there’s a good chance it’ll sell out incredibly quickly. Judging by the past precedent of recent Secret Lair sales, it may not even last a few hours.
Sadly, the continued controversy surrounding Mystery Booster 2 seems almost inevitable. Regardless of what time the product is released or how expensive it is, many players will likely miss out. We can only hope that Wizards will impose a strict buy limit to curb the problem with scalpers. Even if this product is one per person, however, we’re bound to see insanely priced secondary market listings soon after release.
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Player Opinion
Despite Festival in a Box existing to help try and make Mystery Booster 2 more widely available, players are still frustrated. The Festival in a Box may offer players an option to acquire Mystery Booster 2 boxes without attending a Con themselves, but that option still isn’t good enough for many players:
“You do realize there’s a difference between ‘you wanted less product releases’ and ‘we’re going to release more product anyways but we’re going to gatekeep the larger playerbase’. Yes, Festival in a Box is a thing but I shouldn’t have to spend $250 + shipping + tip to buy a $120 box of magic cards – 50% of which are not even playable cards. The catering to whales is getting absurd.”
citruscatt
The option of simply buying a few packs of Mystery Booster 2, or Drafting the set at your LGS, sadly isn’t an option. You need to invest heavily into the product, or you don’t get to participate. This is obviously not an ideal solution for what is being regarded as an incredibly interesting and fun MTG set. That being said, some availability is still better than no availability at all.
All in all, the reasoning that Rosewater gave for the exclusivity of the Mystery Booster 2 product is one of the best reasons that could have possibly been given. There is a legitimate reason why this product is so hard to get ahold of, and it is a very valid one. I, for one, am very grateful that the MagicCon team decided to go all-in on a product like this.
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