This is like the definition of power creep. It's exactly the same as an existing card but better. There is no possible circumstance where, if you had 28 cards in your deck already and were deciding between the new one and River Croc that you would pick River Croc. Both have the same stats, mana cost, and beast tag, but the other one has an additional effect. If you want a 2 mana 2/3 beast for your deck, this new one is now the best available option, and you have no reason to pick the old one.
I think you are using a different definition of power creep than we do.
On the upside, we aren’t power creeping so hard, like some other CCGs, that only the latest expansions see play as they directly replace the classic set. This has more to do with Brode’s point imo.
On the other hand, people from other card communities would look at River Croc, look at the new 2/3, and call it blatant power creep.
Also this discussion aside, thanks Ben for the involvement and passion you bring to this game
That wiki is also not the definition of power creep that MTG uses.
Because of the rule that you can only run four of a card in a deck, simply printing another version of the same card with a different name is clear power creep. If we printed Lightning Bolt with another name, then all of a sudden decks could run eight copies, and they would gain a tremendous amount, while printing a second Willow Elf wouldn't have nearly as much of an impact. By the same token, certain decks can get huge jumps in power by printing even slightly weaker versions of the same card; again, look at the Modern or Legacy burn decks, where another sorcery burn spell that does 3 damage could be considered power creep. The only way to actually prevent power creep would be to stop printing new cards altogether.
Pretty clear that while "strictly betters" can be a source of power creep, they aren't definitely power creep, in fact, strictly worse cards can also be a source of power creep.
Ben Brode
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1ioY1KO79A
Ben Brode
I think you are using a different definition of power creep than we do.
Here's a video I did on the subject a long time ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIpWnb4NyrM
skip to the power creep definition: https://youtu.be/sIpWnb4NyrM?t=6m38s
Ben Brode
That wiki is also not the definition of power creep that MTG uses.
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/latest-developments/dealing-power-creep-2013-08-09
Interesting segment:
Pretty clear that while "strictly betters" can be a source of power creep, they aren't definitely power creep, in fact, strictly worse cards can also be a source of power creep.