Pokemon TCG Online
 

so since the app for the ipad has been out for awhile, anyone been playing the game?

name: NakadaiMikoto

I haven't played it since the beta came out 3 years ago I think. I have a bunch of cards since I work(ed) for Pokemon TCG. I want to get back into it I just haven't had time, the Beta worked pretty well back in the day so I'm guessing the game has only improved. My name is simply "sdp".

I honestly don't know how the Pokemon Trading card game is even still going. I thought this peaked at like 2002-2003 or so?

I always figured the trading card game would die off after the fad days ending. I can't imagine the 13-14 year olds from 2000 still playing it today now that they're 25+ year old adults.

I still play it from time to time, but never anything serious. IIRC you're not even allowed to use the Wizards of the Coast cards any more, which is almost my entire collection.

I hope an Android version comes out soon so I can play on my tablet. I also can't believe they won't release a Wii U or 3DS version. Boggles my mind. Same with the Pokemon TV app.

The card game is is very similar to the video game, it peaked around 2001 and from then on it started losing players and slowly dying until the release of Ruby/Sapphire/Advanced Generation when Nintendo took more control of the licensing and gave it to The Pokemon Company (then called Pokemon USA Inc.). Nintendo did an excellent job marketing and since then and while it has never had the popularity it had during the Fad you don't need that many people for a card game to be successful. I'm not sure how the sales are anymore but during Generation III and IV it was always one of the Top 3 TCG's with Magic: The Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh taking the other spots, sometimes it went back to number one and sometimes down to number 3 but it consistently did well even beating popular card games that only lasted a short time like VS, Lord of the Rings, etc. I'm guessing the card game is doing similarly well since it continues to expand its "World Championship" tournaments, hell the video game championships started and were given to the TCG organizers because of how well they organized TCG events.

Yeah, we still have many players who were kids when the game came out and now they're 20+ adults still playing and winning the championships. The game is a little more luck based than Magic The Gathering but it is still mostly strategy as you can see top players remain constant. I used to staff, make and own various Pokemon Leagues. I am not as active because I don't have the time but I still judge tournaments like Regionals or Nationals or when I am called to do an event.

The game follows two formats, the competitive one which is "Modified" in it the cards are rotated out every year, there's usually around 8 "expansions" legal in every modified format, and counting there's 4 sets per year that means any cards you buy last for about 2 years which is good since it allows for people to be forced to create new strategies instead of using the same old cards/strategies, it allows new gameplay ideas to be tried out, balances the format since some new cards with an older one may create an unbeatable/broken combo and 2 years lifespan for any card you buy is not bad at all. There's another format called "Unlimited" in which every card is legal. Counting Wizards hasn't done cards in over 10 years then yeah Wizard cards haven't been legal in a long time in the Modified format.

I didn't think so. Not something I'm interested in, then, since I don't like the idea of so many years and money's worth of cards being useless.

You might not be interested but you're looking at things the wrong way. You don't know what you're saying because you don't know the game, you just want to be able to play with old cards so you don't have to spend any more money. And that's fine that's what the Unlimited format is for. Now just because the official format is "Modified" which uses cards that can be as old as two years old (sometimes even older) doesn't mean your cards were "useless", this is a hobby and you spend money on it, many cards are re-printed which you can then re-use. Tournaments would not be viable if people kept using cards printed in 1999, where would they get the money for the prizes? Not to mention having every card legal like I said creates huge problems like unbeatable combos, would you really like it if everyone played the same deck because its the only viable deck? No, that's why rotating formats work (just as they do in EVERY collectible card game). I love the original cards but the game was far less balanced back in the day, the trainers are way too generous and allows someone who goes first to have a huge advantage. Also most of those Pokemon have weak attacks by today's standards so those cards wouldn't do you any good anyway.

If you're really interested give it a shot, the game is not THAT expensive to get into, especially if you join the community and there you can trade cards or whatever making it easier not to spend a lot of money. This IS a collectible card game so of course there's expansions and spending money but its a hobby and in any hobby you have to spend money, you can spend as little or as much as you want depending on how deep you want to get into your hobby. When rotation was first introduced I was pissed but I came to realize it was the best for the game, the old cards aren't destroyed you can still play for fun or in Unlimited tournaments, its just that the big tournaments Nintendo/TPC does need a "Modified" deck. Anyway what I'm trying to say is that Pokemon TCG is fun, if you enjoy it or enjoyed it you should definitely give it a chance, If I had more time to dedicate to it I'd still play it and when I get to play a game I have so much fun. I can post pictures from this past National that I got to judge.