If you were enjoying your childhood in the late 90s and early 2000s, you’d remember those Saturday morning cartoons that were just iconic during their time period, such as Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh. If you remember those, you’ll also remember the trading cards that came with them. Asides from the aforementioned big hitters that we recognise from the animation industry, there were some that were based on Tolkien-like fantasy worlds, like Magic: The Gathering and, more recently, Flesh and Blood.
These were big hits back in the day, and, believe it or not, they’re still going strong today. Though they’ve always marketed their games to children, some of the brands do have a dark side to their business model – as evidenced when one of them recently sent a private investigator to do their dirty work.
The Toy Giant’s Reach: Hasbro’s Brief History (Of Dirty Deeds)
Hasbro is a massive brand filled with recognisable toys that range from Nerf all the way to the Transformers. However, they also had their toes in the fantasy realm when they bought a company called Wizards of the Coast (WOTC), responsible for Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, back in 1999.
They have seen great success over the years, but they are also known for their customer-harassing business practises, similar to Nintendo. Those that come to mind are a recent debacle with Dungeons & Dragons as they tried to monetise their entire platform, stifling 3rd party support systems, and generally ripping everyone off. This did not sit well with players of the popular fantasy role-playing game, causing the internet to rage and boycott WOTC and, by extension, Hasbro.
Red Dead To Real Life: oldschoolmtg & Pinkerton’s Involvement
Magic: The Gathering, as a brand, has existed for over 30 years and has some die-hard fans because of it. One of those fans is Dan “oldschoolmtg” Cannon, a YouTuber known for his unboxing videos of Magic: The Gathering booster packs. Recently, he wanted to purchase one of the booster box sets, called “March of the Machines,” so that he could unveil it for his YouTube channel. However, there was a little mix-up, as he instead received an unreleased box called “March of the Machines: The Aftermath” – a box set that is scheduled to be released this May.
He did not realise that what he received was an unreleased box, and he decided to record himself opening the box and post it on YouTube, as he had paid for it. This decision, however, did not sit well with Hasbro who decided to take matters into their own hands. According to Cannon, Hasbro did not reach out to him in order to communicate this problem, instead the company decided to take a much more drastic measure.
As a means of retrieving the box set, Hasbro sent out the Pinkerton, a private investigator organisation that has persisted for nearly two centuries, to do the negotiations. The Pinkerton are infamously known via mainstream media, namely the video game series Red Dead as an antagonistic faction. And though they were believed to be fictional, many people are realising that they are real and still active, as Cannon had the displeasure of learning.
Pinkertons have a long, violent history in the United States for suppressing labour unions and labour rights activists. They visited the humble YouTuber’s home and intimidated him, stating that what he had was stolen goods and that he had to surrender it or face one to ten years and $200,000 in fines. As a response, Cannon surrendered the cards and took down the video of him unboxing it.
Another Round Of Backlash: The Aftermath Of Hasbro’s Action
Cannon has said what needed to be said and is coordinating with lawyers to see if what Hasbro and WOTC did was legal. Once the news spread, the internet was quick to shut down WOTC for their actions, with some quitting Magic: The Gathering and Dungeon & Dragons in favour of better alternatives in protest.
WOTC has stated that several attempts were made to contact the YouTuber to no avail, hence justifying sending the Pinkertons to claim the set of cards. A WOTC representative reached out to Cannon and apologised for the events and wished to compensate him over the issue.
Cannon would not have minded continuing his support – but he found out that the Pinkertons also harassed his elderly neighbours for information. In a recently published video, Monday, 1st May, he stated that he is interested in trying other card games other than Magic: The Gathering for the first time in his life.
Source YouTube, Flickr [1], [2], Picryl, Wizard Play Network,
