Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

International Professors and TO's PUI want your feedback!

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Though many of the issues raised here are currently causing me difficulty the issue that most concerns me is that of marketing. Indeed many of the detailed difficulties that we are experiencing can be view from a marketing/growth point of view. So with that in mind..

What is the vision and expectation for marketing and growth of the game outside the USA?

How involved is PUI with the growth and marketing of the game outside the USA?

Will you listen to ideas to market the game outside the USA. Eg promo cards inserted into local magazines?

The activities of the bulk ebayers, and USA only marketing activities would give the impression to the casual observer that the game is not being supported outside the USA.

Who has the marketing budget? Who controls that spend? What level of spend are anticipated.

Though it is possible to ask these questions on an open forum I do not necessarily expect a reply without some degree of confidentiality agreement being in place. That said I can make a very good guess at the figures for the UK.
 
Ok Ben! Many thanks!
Sorry for the hard question... but in Italy we are very tired.....and angry for this situation.....
Go softly........

Nopoke, you are right, but Marcello and I have explained to our distributor all about the POP... one more time..... He said yes, yes, but no facts.
 
Since I believe that we need to establish a two way process can those here put together a summary of how the game is marketed locally. Do you think it is growing? Is the future looking good or is the road ahead strewn with obstacles and obstructions. Send your thoughts directly to ukpokemonpro rather than post them here.
 
I want to be a Professor

How do I become a Professor? I goto the web site and it says to wait until Fall 2003 to be able to become a Pokemon Professor. How can I wait for Fall 2003 when it is March 2004?! What is going on and how do I become a Pokemon Professor?

Michael
 
This is probably included in one of the already mentioned points but ...
How can PUI explain, in terms of POP equity worldwide, that European countries have huge differences in Premiere events prizes 'offered' by the distributor ? EUR

One example ?
Prerelease in NL : 3 age groups, 1 box for the winner, 18 boosters for the second, 9 boosters for the 3d and 4th, 4 boosters from 5th to 8th (prize support of 264 boosters for the event).
Prerelease in Belgium : prize support of 1 booster/player with 101 players max according to the pre-registrations open. :mad:
 
Well no matter what the differences I'm just glad that we are in a position where the players are offered pre-releases.

---------
As to why? Well it could be down to fixed costs. If you want your OP provider to continue to provide premiere events, then it is important that those events don't make a big loss. The money for the events has to come from somewhere!
 
Michel said:
One example ?
Prerelease in NL : 3 age groups, 1 box for the winner, 18 boosters for the second, 9 boosters for the 3d and 4th, 4 boosters from 5th to 8th (prize support of 264 boosters for the event).
Prerelease in Belgium : prize support of 1 booster/player with 101 players max according to the pre-registrations open. :mad:
Click to expand...

Another Italian example?
No prerealease..... no support......

Our distributor prefer run prerealease in Italian language only.... We wait for Sandstorm Italian prerealease... Wow!!! What a surprise!!!!!
What kind of prerealease is this?
 
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otw38 said:
How do I become a Professor? I goto the web site and it says to wait until Fall 2003 to be able to become a Pokemon Professor. How can I wait for Fall 2003 when it is March 2004?! What is going on and how do I become a Pokemon Professor?

Michael
Click to expand...

Sorry to say at the moment you don't :( That is one of the major problems PUI have got with growing the game in a sustainable manor, without qualified knowledgeable judges the game will die.
 
NoPoke, I'm glad to have a prerelease, even if I find it's absolutely normal to have one. ;)

Fixed costs ? Sure it costs money to the distributor, and they even could lose money.
But that prize support can be seen either as a 'thank you' for the older players who will come and play after long months of silence from POP, or as an investment on future players that will play Pokemon for the first time.

Other people talk about promotion of the product in this topic. Prize support like in the US costs 7 displays to the distributor and gives the impression to the players that they get a lot of prizes.
7 boxes ! Let's say 14 if we're really lucky and have 2 prereleases in the country. Is that so much money for a national distributor ? :rolleyes:
 
Michel said:
NoPoke, I'm glad to have a prerelease, even if I find it's absolutely normal to have one. ;)

Fixed costs ? Sure it costs money to the distributor, and they even could lose money.
But that prize support can be seen either as a 'thank you' for the older players who will come and play after long months of silence from POP, or as an investment on future players that will play Pokemon for the first time.

Other people talk about promotion of the product in this topic. Prize support like in the US costs 7 displays to the distributor and gives the impression to the players that they get a lot of prizes.
7 boxes ! Let's say 14 if we're really lucky and have 2 prereleases in the country. Is that so much money for a national distributor ? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

US$1000. (give or take a few) buys a lot of coffee and office supplies for the distributor's office. :D
 
ukpokemonpro said:
The English is just fine Rainbowgym, but I will Americanise it for you ;)
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Great, but don't forget to use the zed where it belongs in Americanize! :p

But seriously. This is good to see that someone want to understand the concerns. Sincere best wishes!
 
Michel, don't forget it's the second prerelease and we faced a lot of problems at the first one with the pricestructure(remember we are kicked out of OP).
Distributor is complaining about a marketing add and things (prize few thousand euro's) but they still don't understand that what they did is not going to bring new players.
I even dare to state that this add campaign brings only the same people to the prerelease event as there were last time ( so golden oldies).
I will know tomorrow after the event, but there is more to be upset about, I'm only not putting that much time in it anymore.
The only thing I know a distributor wants everything for nothing, but blames us for it if that doesn't work.
 
Here are the first 5 questions sent to Jarrod for answers:

1 When will their be one worldwide harmonized OP structure so that all players in the world can experience; the same premier tournament structure, with the same regulations and the same prize structure? Is there a way to make distributors stay on track? How can we help?

2 Some countries have a low number of certified and/or good judges distributors are not always using those that do exist. What are PUI and the distribnutors doing about growing the number of qualified knowledgeable judges and TO's? When will the professor test be back up and the professor program restarted?

3 What should we do, if a National Distributor is not answering your email and doesn't want to have contact with you? What happens when they refuse your request to take part in the league program? What do we tell the 100 players turning up regularly to your "unsupported, unofficial league"?

4 Can the floor rules be more specific on who is an appropriate TO and how as a TO you determinate a skilled judge? Will they be re-written to include a strong prefernce/ mandatory requirement for a Professor and/or Master Professor depending on the type of event. EG. a requirement that Premier Events use only Professors and Master Professors as TOs and Head Judges.

5 Some distributors have shown a reluctance to communicate with the Professors and TOs in their region, often because of their lack of knowledge distributors are making mistakes. What are PUI doing to encourage the distributors to talk with the TOs and Professors that cover their region?

I will let you all know when we get a reply.
 
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I have something else, which I need to ask.
What can you do if a pre-release event run by the National Distributor, with as Head Judge the Manager OP of that National Distributor.
1. Players paired in wrong age-groups, because OP Manager who knows what is the best for our players did put POP ID's at the place of the Age and found it to much work to restart the tournament in the computer.
2. Judges not really skilled and giving their kids advantage.
3. No-one of the TO+judges knows how TMS works did not know how to put a draw in it.
4. D20 dices are forbidden.
5. When they forbid you to trade your pre-release card (for an EX holo), which is yours and in my eyes free to do with it what you like.

And I won't add 6-10 because I'm still furious.
 
Rainbowgym said:
I have something else, which I need to ask.
What can you do if a pre-release event run by the National Distributor, with as Head Judge the Manager OP of that National Distributor.
1. Players paired in wrong age-groups, because OP Manager who knows what is the best for our players did put POP ID's at the place of the Age and found it to much work to restart the tournament in the computer.
2. Judges not really skilled and giving their kids advantage.
3. No-one of the TO+judges knows how TMS works did not know how to put a draw in it.
4. D20 dices are forbidden.
5. When they forbid you to trade your pre-release card (for an EX holo), which is yours and in my eyes free to do with it what you like.

And I won't add 6-10 because I'm still furious.
Click to expand...

By the way, did they have that event at a personal residence as it promoted?
 
If we don't have the same prize structure as in Holland, at least the prereleases are run by people who know the game and the rules and have a long experience as Pokemon TO. :)

It seems that no official rule, and no support, has been given by PUI concerning the prizes at the prereleases.
Even if I'd prefer to have more prizes to give to the kids, I may understand that our local distributor uses the same prerelease prize structure as Wizards for their own events.
In this case, I think PUI would have given infos and support.

Rainbowgym, maybe official complains sent to your distributor and to the different people who could be involved at PUI could be useful. Especially if you're not alone to send emails and if other players/parents/professors give the same information.
 
The pre-release was not at a personal residence, but 1 TO announced one at a privat adress in case not enough people preregister.

The complain will come and will be send registered to every adress we can find.
I told all the people complaining to mail to POP, because meaby they will listen to them.
 
I have recieved a reply to our intial concerns, but have been asked not to post any part of it, I am seeking clearance from PUI as to which parts of the reply can be published and which cannot, as soon as I know what I can tell you I will.
 
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