There are many prevailing issues in the video game space today that many developers or publishers will say are “overblown by gamers/critics,” and then they’ll rear their ugly heads again, and the process starts over once more. One of the biggest issues is that of microtransactions and how developers/publishers will do all they can to milk every single dollar out of players, even if it’s for a process that should be either free or MUCH easier to use overall. The Pokemon TCG Pocket game is feeling that strain right now, as the game has just introduced trading to the mobile title, and it’s already become a disaster.
You don’t have to take our word for it, though, as multiple threads in places like Reddit have already taken The Pokemon Company to task about the incredibly divisive and downright scandalous method by which you can trade cards within the game. For example, trading itself isn’t an “unlimited endeavor.” Instead, players are given “trading stamina” that gets used up every time a trade is done. In theory, that wouldn’t be a bad thing…if it wasn’t so slow to recharge. But, naturally, you can BUY more stamina via “trading hourglasses,” which is just one of many microtransactions that the mobile game has.
If things stopped there, the situation could be salvageable. However, on that Reddit thread above, players noted that to do trades, they need “trade tokens,” and to get those tokens…you have to “burn” the various duplicate cards you have in the hopes of getting the cards you want later on. Why is this bad? The obvious answer is that this is “enticing” players to lose their duplicates to get “the cards they want,” all so they can buy more card packs via microtransactions to get more duplicates for trades. Plus, the ”exchange rate” for burning cards to get tokens is terrible, and as such, many are straight-up revolting and canceling their subscriptions to the game.
Some have even gone to the Pokemon TCG Pocket download site and given the game a 1-star review. Others are full-on taking the game off their phones, and some players are trying to organize a kind of boycott of the upcoming Space-Time Smackdown packs that are due to debut tomorrow.
As another Reddit thread calls out “the game does not want you to trade cards.” That statement has rallied many gamers to it because this is a game that should not only WANT trading, but encourage it to help build the community further. Thus, it’ll be interesting to see how The Pokemon Company responds to this backlash.
