Pokémon TCG Pocket Trading Launches Amid Player Backlash

The long-awaited trading update for Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket was released today, but it has been met with a wave of criticism from the player base. Despite the initial backlash when the trading mechanics were announced last week, the actual implementation has been received even more negatively.

Players have taken to social media to express their frustration with the new trading feature, pointing out its numerous requirements and restrictions. While some of these were known from last week's announcement, the full extent of the requirements was hidden behind the vague statement that "items must be consumed in order to trade."

Unlike other features such as Wonder Pick or opening booster packs, trading in Pokémon TCG Pocket requires the use of two separate items. The first is Trade Stamina, which regenerates over time or can be purchased with Poké Gold, effectively requiring real-world money. The second item, Trade Tokens, has stirred significant controversy within the community.

Trade Tokens

Trade Tokens are essential for trading cards of 3 Diamonds or higher. The costs are steep: 120 Trade Tokens for a 3 Diamond card, 400 for a 1 Star card, and 500 for a 4 Diamond card, which includes ex Pokémon. Players can only acquire Trade Tokens by selling cards from their collection. For instance, selling a 3 Diamond card yields 25 Trade Tokens, a 1 Star card 100, a 4 Diamond card 125, a 2 Star card 300, a 3 Star immersive card 300, and a Crown gold card 1500. Lower rarity cards are essentially worthless in this system, as they neither require nor yield Trade Tokens.

This means players must sell multiple high-value cards to trade just one. For example, selling five ex Pokémon cards is necessary to trade one ex Pokémon, or five 1 Star cards to trade one 1 Star card. Even selling a Crown rarity card, one of the rarest in the game, only provides enough tokens to trade three ex Pokémon. Similarly, selling a 3 Star immersive art card, a key selling point of Pokémon TCG Pocket, does not yield enough tokens to trade a 1 Star or 4 Diamond card.

'A Monumental Failure'

The community's reaction has been overwhelmingly negative. On Reddit, user hurtbowler, whose post received over 1,000 upvotes, called the update "an insult" and vowed not to spend another penny on the game. "The greed is just so excessive I can't be inclined to spend another dollar. They should probably remove 'Trading Card Game' from the title screen. It's just insulting to look at," they wrote.

Another player commented, "It's silly to have to burn two immersive cards to be able to trade just one 4 Diamond ex. I understand they want to keep people from creating bots and exploiting the system, but this is currently absurd." The trading system has been described as "hilariously toxic" and a "monumental failure," with many feeling that it sacrifices community engagement for a cumbersome process. The act of exchanging cards for Trade Tokens takes about 15 seconds, meaning players may spend minutes navigating menus just to trade a single card.

User Darkmalice suggested renaming the app to "Pokémon Card Game Pocket" due to the high trade costs, while another user speculated that the system is designed to discourage trading altogether.

Pay Day

Many fans believe the trading system is a revenue-generating tactic for Pokémon TCG Pocket, which reportedly earned $200 million in its first month before trading was introduced. The inability to trade cards of 2 Star rarity or higher suggests that players are encouraged to spend money on packs for a chance at rare cards rather than trading for them. One player spent around $1,500 to complete the first set, and the third set is set to launch tomorrow.

On Reddit, user ACNL criticized the system as "predatory and downright greedy," highlighting the Trade Token conversion rates. "That's just messed up man. Like who designed this? If there were other ways to get tokens, this might be passable, but at the moment there are no other ways to get tokens. This isn't sustainable at all. On top of that, you can't even burn a card unless you have three copies of it. If you want to trade in this game, you better buy a ton of packs and keep buying them."

Creatures Inc. Stays Quiet

Creatures Inc. has not yet responded to the backlash against the trading system. Although the developer did address initial concerns last week with a statement that "Your concerns are seen," and an invitation to try the feature and provide feedback, the actual implementation has fallen short of expectations. IGN has reached out to Creatures Inc. for comment on the reaction and potential plans for changes.

Some users have suggested that including Trade Tokens as rewards for missions could help mitigate the issue, though it's more likely that Trade Stamina will be featured in these rewards, as has been the case with similar items like Wonder Stamina and Pack Hourglasses.

The introduction of such a poorly received mechanic is a significant setback for Pokémon TCG Pocket, especially as it prepares to launch its next major update featuring Diamond and Pearl Pokémon like Dialga and Palkia.