Good on Wizards for this. Too many factors already make Magic an unfriendly hobby for women so stopping such blatantly sexist imagery from being officially used is a good thing to have happen.
It's a compliment to Pastimes that they listened to the community and made a tough decision so quickly. Everyone has a line that makes them uncomfortable, and the playmat clearly made a few people take notice.
However, I think it's unfair to say Pastimes should have "known better", because the artwork was so out of line. Let's take a look at Markov's Servant from Dark Ascension.
This piece is arguably even more titillating as the playmat, and in the context of the card where "Chosen of Markov" becomes "Markov's Servant" it certainly implies a sexual, subservient relationship. Obviously the card doesn't explicitly say what she is doing, but I think it's safe to assume that the "Servant" depicted in the card isn't going to be cleaning Markov's bathroom or cooking him dinner. Magic is a fantasy game, and vampires are often depicted as very sexual beings.
I don't think I would have been able to correctly say "Markov's Chosen is fine, but the playmat is offensive."
bdrago
It's a compliment to Pastimes that they listened to the community and made a tough decision so quickly. Everyone has a line that makes them uncomfortable, and the playmat clearly made a few people take notice.
However, I think it's unfair to say Pastimes should have "known better", because the artwork was so out of line. Let's take a look at Markov's Servant from Dark Ascension.
Markov's Servant from Steve Argyle
This piece is arguably even more titillating as the playmat, and in the context of the card where "Chosen of Markov" becomes "Markov's Servant" it certainly implies a sexual, subservient relationship. Obviously the card doesn't explicitly say what she is doing, but I think it's safe to assume that the "Servant" depicted in the card isn't going to be cleaning Markov's bathroom or cooking him dinner. Magic is a fantasy game, and vampires are often depicted as very sexual beings.
I don't think I would have been able to correctly say "Markov's Chosen is fine, but the playmat is offensive."