That is absolutely true, it's both a time and resource sink to get to a certain level. My first few months were absolutely consumed with anxious preparation for even basic-level play. But I have found that even though the learning curve is steep, it plateaus off quickly and all the new sets aren't nearly as daunting depending on the format.

It definitely is a sacrifice in many ways to maintain this form of gaming. Video games can easily be chucked after a few dozen hours but the competitive and social grind of MtG is definitely unforgiving. The more interesting comparison I've come to make is in relation to sports hobbies. We rarely calculate the number of hours and amount of resources over the long run when it comes to weekend tennis or fishing, yet even competitive and goal-oriented gaming is discriminated as a distraction...