Pokebeach: A 'Note' About Prerelease Scans

[SD PokeMom]

gotta love the slaps at not only the PTOs, but the 'gym and team compendium...=/

cynical me is cynical: with the coming world-wide simultaneous release of X and Y, i'm guessing he fears he won't be the big source of news from japan anymore...so he's trying to get back into OP's good graces to keep his info streams from drying up. jmho....

 

[ShadowCard]

Think about it: there is no longer much of a point to post actual card images ahead of the prereleases anymore.

The Japanese translations and scans are more available now than they once were. To post the actual English scans when the art is the same as the Japanese art is redundant. English scans go up days before the event but we already saw the card and read it weeks before.

More people have ways to take pictures and post them online. It is just easier to see all the cards. PokeGym completes its galleries within hours of the prereleases by relying on members who have attended prereleases.

Even pokemon.com posts card images early for a taste of what is in the set for anyone who is uncomfortable attending a prerelease without knowing if the set will be to their liking (although knowing the Japanese translations ahead of time and then reading people's reactions to the set online should also remedy that concern).

gotta love the slaps at not only the PTOs, but the 'gym and team compendium...=/

Did he actually send a "slap" in PokeGym's direction? I didn't see it mentioned.

cynical me is cynical: with the coming world-wide simultaneous release of X and Y, i'm guessing he fears he won't be the big source of news from japan anymore...so he's trying to get back into OP's good graces to keep his info streams from drying up. jmho....

Maybe. He did concede that Pokemon is better at coordinating now than it was before.

I think he just grew up. He has mentioned before he has less time for the website. There have been lots of information, OP-related and product-related, in the past few months that PokeBeach did not cover. The site is not what it used to be. Maybe this is his way of ending it on a high note.

 

[Jaeger]

I would be very surprised if this is "out of the goodness of his heart" and more likely a response to some sort of legal push by TPCI. Personally I don't see anything wrong with posting the scans early, but thats just my 2 cents. My current view isn't "i'll go to a prerelease unless the set sucks" rather "I'll go to this prerelease because this set is good".

 

[wilyfungi]

Prerelease attendance is down because they replaced awesome sleeves with terrible, dollar store deck boxes. How does no one understand this?

 

[ShadowCard]

Prerelease attendance is down because they replaced awesome sleeves with terrible, dollar store deck boxes. How does no one understand this?

I think they understand this but items take thought. It isn't just about the item itself but the logistics of storing, shipping, and getting the product in time. Lead times can be months ahead. By the time we see the item, it was planned months ago. Someone didn't just place an order the week prior. Communication problems then only delay the desired result.

 

[Vegeta ss4]

Introduce winning a booster box and I will play in a pre-release. Or just give us all DP sleeves, those were just simply the best sleeves I have ever used, with exception to the pikachu sleeves.

I get it, the economy is in shambles, money is hard to come by. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Glaceon]

After hearing about how most of the good cards were going to be cut from Boundaries Crossed, I wasn't going to go until I saw the scans and decided it was worth going.

 

[Raen]

So. . .

Anybody got their hands on a theme deck with the set list yet?

 

[losjackal]

Prerelease attendance is down because they replaced awesome sleeves with terrible, dollar store deck boxes. How does no one understand this?

I started going to pre-releases beginning with HGSS and thought the sleeves were inferior to other commercial ones. Yeah they looked good, but not good for repeated tournament play, especially without spares. Instead, I heard players lamenting not getting deckboxes anymore.

It's hard to please everybody all the time.

 

[Glaceon]

So. . .

Anybody got their hands on a theme deck with the set list yet?

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/537057_4821151939222_471828345_n.jpg

^That is the most I know about the set.

---------- Post added 01/26/2013 at 01:18 PM ----------

I started going to pre-releases beginning with HGSS and thought the sleeves were inferior to other commercial ones. Yeah they looked good, but not good for repeated tournament play, especially without spares. Instead, I heard players lamenting not getting deckboxes anymore.

It's hard to please everybody all the time.

Rotom and DP sleeves were amazing.

 

[wilyfungi]

I started going to pre-releases beginning with HGSS and thought the sleeves were inferior to other commercial ones. Yeah they looked good, but not good for repeated tournament play, especially without spares. Instead, I heard players lamenting not getting deckboxes anymore.

It's hard to please everybody all the time.

Things like the eevee sleeves are going to be worth ~$30 in the future/$20 now. I sure got my worth from them. Maybe not the most playable, but they were great collectibles.

Old deck boxes like the ?LM? Gengar deck box were quality. The new ones break in your backpack, in your pocket...you have to keep them out in your hand or on a table at all times, where they can be stolen.

 

[pikapower99]

Looks like we're now getting Bicycle and stuff

 

[Shen]

Think about it: there is no longer much of a point to post actual card images ahead of the prereleases anymore.

The Japanese translations and scans are more available now than they once were. To post the actual English scans when the art is the same as the Japanese art is redundant. English scans go up days before the event but we already saw the card and read it weeks before.

More people have ways to take pictures and post them online. It is just easier to see all the cards. PokeGym completes its galleries within hours of the prereleases by relying on members who have attended prereleases.

I don't know about everybody else, but I personally decided not to go to the Boundaries Crossed PR because 1.) The increase in money and 2.) Pokebeach's PR scans showed the set sucked. I can see from a TO's perspective being a bad thing but I was pretty thankful for saving $30, I bought more singles from that set than any other recent set because it was just packed full of filler. Since TCPi's decision to radically change that set (turning it from a decent set to an awful set with a handful of good cards, ultra rares no less), I've been pretty skeptical about going to any future PRs. Right now the only thing that would convince me to go to a PR is knowing the set is good in advance. Yeah I guess we can get the info same day but the TO around here runs them first weekend. JMO, I'm sure some will disagree with it but yeah. PRs are fun don't get me wrong but right now some friends and I are just gonna draft some boxes. Getting the cards in advance just isn't worth it anymore.

I blame TCPi's decisions more than Pokebeach's actions for killing PRs. Prices have increased, there's been no rewards (even small ones) for winning, and the deckboxes are cheap. I guess the promos being more playable are a step in the right direction...

 

[Glaceon]

I don't know about everybody else, but I personally decided not to go to the Boundaries Crossed PR because 1.) The increase in money and 2.) Pokebeach's PR scans showed the set sucked.

Word was already out that the set sucked because of PRs in the Pacific area.

 

[Shen]

I had heard that afterwards but that's not really how I get my info I guess lol

 

[losjackal]

I take it prerelease attendances are down everywhere?

Hard to identify a trend with just one data point. Here is the overall volume of players compared with Black & White as a baseline:

Black & White: 100%
Emerging Powers: 115%
Noble Victories: 116%
Next Destinies: 150%
Dark Explorers: 139%
Dragons Exalted: 156%
Boundaries Crossed: 104%

So it's noticeably less than most recent tournaments, but can't conclude whether it's due to the increased cost, the set contents, or both.

It will be interesting to see what Plasma Storm yields.

 

[Shino Bug Master]

Hard to identify a trend with just one data point. Here is the overall volume of players compared with Black & White as a baseline:

Black & White: 100%
Emerging Powers: 115%
Noble Victories: 116%
Next Destinies: 150%
Dark Explorers: 139%
Dragons Exalted: 156%
Boundaries Crossed: 104%

So it's noticeably less than most recent tournaments, but can't conclude whether it's due to the increased cost, the set contents, or both.

It will be interesting to see what Plasma Storm yields.

Especially since we get the Plasma box this set as well, which i know is definately a factor in myself not attending any Pre-releases this set.

 

[r3skyline]

I didnt bother going because of the waste of time it wouldve been. Not much to gain from packs alone from the PR anymore. Just wait until the set hits, buy singles when prices deflate. What ive always done. Seems to work well.

 

[evil psyduck]

The topic is why he is no longer posting the pre release scans as he did before. This is going way off topic so please stop it now. Any more off topic comments it the thread will be locked.

 

[TAndrewT]

I didnt bother going because of the waste of time it wouldve been. Not much to gain from packs alone from the PR anymore. Just wait until the set hits, buy singles when prices deflate. What ive always done. Seems to work well.

I think if it's a set with a high ratio of usable Trainers, Special Energy cards and/or support Pokemon to non-usable Pokes, and if tourneys come soon after the set release, it can be worth it; I've had trouble getting singles quickly before the first weekend of BRs and Cities.