At our store specifically, we host FNM at $5 a person and prize support looks like:

1st place: 10 Packs + Free SCG IQ Entry (any IQ we host, including Elites)
2nd place: 8 packs
3rd-4th place: 5 pack
5th-6th: 3 packs
7th-8th: 1 pack

And we also raffle off another free SCG IQ Entry.

Another store in the area does prize support with 4 boxes + door prizes at a $5 entry.

My question is do you think that FNM is getting to the point where it should be considered competitive? Or should it be seen as being casual fun still? Obviously the bigger the prize structure, the more competitive it gets. Bigger name players will go to a tournament with 4 boxes for prize payout. People start bringing in netdecks and lose touch with brewing the fun stuff.

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Originally posted by tragicmagic:
In my area, there are about 5 stores within radius of each other, so naturally, the traffic splits to different stores.

At our store specifically, we host FNM at $5 a person and prize support looks like:

1st place: 10 Packs + Free SCG IQ Entry (any IQ we host, including Elites)
2nd place: 8 packs
3rd-4th place: 5 pack
5th-6th: 3 packs
7th-8th: 1 pack

And we also raffle off another free SCG IQ Entry.

Another store in the area does prize support with 4 boxes + door prizes at a $5 entry.

My question is do you think that FNM is getting to the point where it should be considered competitive? Or should it be seen as being casual fun still? Obviously the bigger the prize structure, the more competitive it gets. Bigger name players will go to a tournament with 4 boxes for prize payout. People start bringing in netdecks and lose touch with brewing the fun stuff.

My goal here is to drive a culture that encourages new players to start, and other players to experiment and ultimately have fun. Or, do players appreciate having a competitive atmosphere more and bigger prize payout?

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They've recently started running Saturday standard tournaments, and these are geared toward the more serious players. Prizes still only to the top 3, but no free pack for everyone, basically winners take all. I think by providing this competitive outlet, it keeps FNM casual.

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Originally posted by oneofchaos:
One of the problems I have noticed is that sometimes FNM is literally the only tournament a store will have, so they need to try to appeal to both. If that is the case, you need to draw in the cutthroats. If you have other tournaments, I see no reason why you can't dial it down and make it more relaxed.

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Originally posted by wayne:
I think that having fnm has the only tournament is a bad idea, they probably need larger scale tournaments on weekends.

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Originally posted by oneofchaos:
Never said it was a good idea, I think it's terrible. It's just the reality of a lot of stores only doing magic one night a week. You could try to alter an FNM meta and do draft and standard and offer bigger prizes for one to lure the competition to one.

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Originally posted by coasterdude84:
My LGS I think does it right. They do FNM as a casual setting, and get the biggest draw for that, even among the more competitive players, as it gives them an outlet to experiment with new deck ideas. It's $5 to play, and structured to give prizes to top 3 players, but every player that stays till the end gets a pack. Prizes, as a result, aren't as big (I took 2nd this past Friday and got 5+1 packs, from a field of about 32 people), but it helps keep it friendly and fun. They run another Standard event on Tuesday nights, same structure. Smaller turnout, but still probably 16+ people show up, and this tends to be slightly more competitive.

They've recently started running Saturday standard tournaments, and these are geared toward the more serious players. Prizes still only to the top 3, but no free pack for everyone, basically winners take all. I think by providing this competitive outlet, it keeps FNM casual.

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Samesies.
Thursday is EDH league
Friday is FNM, drafts all night
Saturday is Modern, then Standard, then drafts

FNM has biggest turnout, and see a full range of decks, from the younger kids who are recently getting in to the older more competitive players, but they are usually doing home brewing on FNM. Saturday standard is big name netdecking/practicing for PTQs, etc.

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Originally posted by tragicmagic:
At our store specifically, we host FNM at $5 a person and prize support looks like:

1st place: 10 Packs + Free SCG IQ Entry (any IQ we host, including Elites)
2nd place: 8 packs
3rd-4th place: 5 pack
5th-6th: 3 packs
7th-8th: 1 pack

Another neaby store does prize support with 4 boxes + door prizes at a $5 entry.

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The prize support doesn't depend on entrants? How many entrants do these stores get for FNM?

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Originally posted by Sovarius:
The prize support doesn't depend on entrants? How many entrants do these stores get for FNM?

I just ask because i am wanting to start my own game shop within a few years from now.

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Some stores do base it on number of entrants. Smaller stores, especially. A lot of stores also do some "guaranteed prize support" for a lot of tournaments and then some tournaments don't.

For our FNM's though, I do a guaranteed prize support because it's better for business. As a player, I like knowing what I'm spending my time on if I go. If I go to an 8 man tournament expecting prize payout for a 20 man tournament, as a player I'm disappointed. As a business, I understand this perspective and I'm confident in my ability to market and draw enough people to pay for whatever prize support I advertise.