Great post, Ryan. Let
me add a few of my thoughts.
There seems to be a general move to reduce the pool of
credits available in prize pools. While
the monthlies are the most obvious example, it is evident in changes to
ready-go’s as well (reduced buy-in and prize pools versus a few months ago).
The simple answer I’m sure is correct – with fewer credits
available to win, more cash will need to be spent on the game.
I’m not here to tell WGT how to manage their business, but I
do want to provide some reasons why this analysis may be flawed. If this type of trend continues, I think you’ll
see:
·
Players playing less – reduced number of rounds
to save on ball hits, especially on rounds with low/no payout
·
Reduced incentive to upgrade – I’ve been planning
to upgrade to the new 1500 credit / sleeve Titleists, but can no longer justify
a 50% premium on my current ball
·
Growth in private cash leagues – top players
will increasingly play outside of the WGT ecosystem
·
Overall reduced growth in the game – we already have
so few really marquee high-value events to draw in new people to want to play
WGT, and now they are being further diluted
I’m all for WGT making money, but I just think there is more
opportunity in really trying to grow the user base and giving existing players
more incentive to play more, get better, upgrade gear, and win big!