According to the information I have, PUI has decided that Nationals will be closed events next year.
That means that, like Italy or Switzerland did in 2005, Nationals will be open to residents of the country only.
No US players at the Canadian National anymore, no player from another European country at a National anymore.
If I may agree on the idea of giving the trip and invite to the first ranked player of the country at the National, I don't understand why Nationals have to be closed events.
To be sure no foreign player will get a booster or a cup ? Too stupid to be true when people talk about International POP. At least I hope so !
If, in the USA, that decision will not have a lot of consequences, things are different in Europe.
Let's have a look at the levels of tournaments in most of the European countries :
- local events
- City championships : most of the time same as a local event with a different name
- Prereleases : like in the USA but at with a different fee (30 USD !)
- Regionals : none in most of the countries
- States : same as Regionals
- National : would be closed
- Gym Challenges or any other name : only 1 in 2005 and honestly I don't see any LD who would invest on their own costs in an international event next year (and take the risk to see foreign players getting trips and boosters).
Conclusion : while my US friends have a lot of opportunities to play main events and play against players of different parts of the country, the European player will only have the opportunity to play local events and a National with the same players he meets so often at the local events. That's real fun !
That would be the end of the international aspect of the game, and a very negative point for the community of players.
Please note I don't even talk about prizes, but only about the opportunity to do what the game is made for ... play and have fun !
What would you say if a player from 1 US State was prevented of playing premiere events in another State ?
That's the situation we'd have in Europe with closed Nationals.
Honestly I don't see why Nationals must be closed events.
But putting money in a game that provides only local events and no other international event than a World championship (which is not affordable for the huge majority of the European players) seems more and more silly to me.
That means that, like Italy or Switzerland did in 2005, Nationals will be open to residents of the country only.
No US players at the Canadian National anymore, no player from another European country at a National anymore.
If I may agree on the idea of giving the trip and invite to the first ranked player of the country at the National, I don't understand why Nationals have to be closed events.
To be sure no foreign player will get a booster or a cup ? Too stupid to be true when people talk about International POP. At least I hope so !
If, in the USA, that decision will not have a lot of consequences, things are different in Europe.
Let's have a look at the levels of tournaments in most of the European countries :
- local events
- City championships : most of the time same as a local event with a different name
- Prereleases : like in the USA but at with a different fee (30 USD !)
- Regionals : none in most of the countries
- States : same as Regionals
- National : would be closed
- Gym Challenges or any other name : only 1 in 2005 and honestly I don't see any LD who would invest on their own costs in an international event next year (and take the risk to see foreign players getting trips and boosters).
Conclusion : while my US friends have a lot of opportunities to play main events and play against players of different parts of the country, the European player will only have the opportunity to play local events and a National with the same players he meets so often at the local events. That's real fun !
That would be the end of the international aspect of the game, and a very negative point for the community of players.
Please note I don't even talk about prizes, but only about the opportunity to do what the game is made for ... play and have fun !
What would you say if a player from 1 US State was prevented of playing premiere events in another State ?
That's the situation we'd have in Europe with closed Nationals.
Honestly I don't see why Nationals must be closed events.
But putting money in a game that provides only local events and no other international event than a World championship (which is not affordable for the huge majority of the European players) seems more and more silly to me.
