Outside the US - What is left?

[Rainbowgym]

Yes, this is a problem and we need to be notified of these issues. Remember, there are always two sides to a story, and this board almost always only provides one of those sides.


I find it to be problematic that we have to find out about these issues on a private message forum rather than through our proper channels. I know that there's been a problem in the past with the response from the international email address, but you are always welcome to use one of the other 'official' addresses to contact us with problems like these, and for the most part, that isn't happening very often.

I couldn't find any other adress then the international one to use for this, the option of sending Prof Dave a private message is not on. And i don't like it at all to discuss some things on a public board either.
1 hour ago i have send another email to organizedplay@ and international@ about the prerelease issue.

I assume that this is the issue with the Netherlands distributor who was asking them to pay $110 per booster box to run the event? If so, we are working on this issue and the distributor needs to understand how prerelease events are supposed to be handled.

There are been some changes in their proposal today, but why is there nothing on tcg.com website to announce/check what PTO's can expect for support, how the price brakedown should be.
My biggest question is: should a prerelease in Europe be done under the same conditions as in the USA.
Because if that is true you better read that email i did send 1 hour ago. If i have the same conditions as in the USA i can run a big event, but with the conditions of the distributor i can't.

At this time, it sounds like Lia and the distributor have had issues in the past which are most definitely affecting their current working relationship now. It's our responsibility to figure out what is going on, get both sides of any given story, and MAKE it work one way or another so that there can be worldwide prerelease tournaments and other events.

Yes there were problems in the past i won't denie that. I'm not willing to post those in public. But it doesn't effect the issue of organizing this event. This distributor claims they are in Pokemon OP for more than 2 years. How come anyone involved in OP doesn't know the existing of floorrules, doesn't know that a sealed format is played with more than 1 booster a person.

And, so we're clear, Lia, to my knowledge, didn't bring this issue to our attention, PS games did.

What issue did PS brought to your attention? That they didn't know that for sealed format you use 6 boosters, That they are not allowed to drive up the boosterprice for special events. That they didn't know to support prizes for an Premier event. Don't let PS put sand in your eyes. If i didn't asked those questions and told them that i also forwarded them to OP USA they would never had contacted you. They wouldn't lower the boosterprice. What did PS got for answer about me buying boosters to give away on side-events. Because i have an email from them that i'm not allowed to buy anything beside the 6 boosters for the Main event. They still don't understand there is a great communuty of Pokemonplayers who are willing to help each other by giving information.

We can't address ANY problems domestically or internationally if we aren't directly notified about them.

On which emailadress???? I hope it's not the one who is forwarding everything to the local distributor again. All my questions were forwarded by Skywolf, because he was getting answers while i didn't.

Lia

Prof. Dav

 

[Marcello-Milord]

The imbalance, or inequity, of supporting one group and not equitably supporting another causes some serious friction among customers. People think we 'don't care' about them if a program has launched elsewhere, but not in their region. People think that because we state "Not all programs will be available in all areas" that we're 'spinning' our words to allow ourselves an "out", when in fact, those statements have more to do with the fact that most European countries don't have States, so, why would we have "State Championships" there?

I don't think so, honestly. This is not a problem of "PUI does not want to support OP in our country".
It's "Some distributors don't want to help us supporting OP in our country".
And that has to be reported to you. Immediately. Am I wrong?
And sure, State Championship are not possible everywhere... But Region Championship are (At least, for Italy they are... but many other european countries have a similar physical organization).
You must decide with each and every single distributor, some local solutions for OP that can make it similar to elsewhere. I.e., instead of State Championship, Regional, and so on.

Europe is definitely in a transitional stage, as is the rest of our international market, and I speak with Jarrod everyday regarding what I'm doing with my programs, and what I'd like to see him doing to keep it as similar as possible so that everyone is on a level playing field.

Prof. Dav

Again, we have no doubt on this, you are demonstrating this every day!
Jarrod and the rest of the International team are doing their best... The only thing we don't understand are some misunderstanding with distributors. I'll show you a little example of that (not really complete, this is not the right place to talk about private company issues): one of the italian distributors Nexus, had from me the list of the Professors, cause they requested it and you didn't have forwarded to them. And they can't start OP because there are some issues that are not clear... And they are really simple issues. They don't undesrstand why though. They are already ready (ach) to support OP, they showed that letting me help them in oranizing a big tournament during an italian convention.
Why wait for something when you can have it ready for be up and running?

 

[ranmasaotomes]

This is a question for proffessor Dav.

When can the international community start to get access to the special features of the pokemon-tcg web site. Such things as the deck builder and also hopefully the professor program.

 

[Professor Dav]

Lia,
You can always contact me at [email protected].

You are a professor, you will get a response from me. It may not always solve your problems, as in many cases I have to defer to the international team, but you will receive a timely response from me from that address.

You can either contact me there, or I'll be sending you an email with some questions regarding your problems with PSG early next week.

Thanks,
Prof. Dav

 

[Professor Dav]

I don't think so, honestly. This is not a problem of "PUI does not want to support OP in our country".
It's "Some distributors don't want to help us supporting OP in our country".
And that has to be reported to you. Immediately. Am I wrong?
And sure, State Championship are not possible everywhere... But Region Championship are (At least, for Italy they are... but many other european countries have a similar physical organization).
You must decide with each and every single distributor, some local solutions for OP that can make it similar to elsewhere. I.e., instead of State Championship, Regional, and so on.

Regionals are part of our international plans. We believe that our current plans will be equitable both internationaly and domestically, but those programs (or events) simply don't always match up, as in the "States" issue.

Again, we have no doubt on this, you are demonstrating this every day!
Jarrod and the rest of the International team are doing their best... The only thing we don't understand are some misunderstanding with distributors. I'll show you a little example of that (not really complete, this is not the right place to talk about private company issues): one of the italian distributors Nexus, had from me the list of the Professors, cause they requested it and you didn't have forwarded to them. And they can't start OP because there are some issues that are not clear... And they are really simple issues. They don't undesrstand why though. They are already ready (ach) to support OP, they showed that letting me help them in oranizing a big tournament during an italian convention.
Why wait for something when you can have it ready for be up and running?

I personally haven't been asked for the professors list, and haven't heard of thier questions (sounds like you already forwarded the link to the online Prof. List). We'll certainly get them any information they need asap upon request. Of course, you are always welcome to contact us to assist them in getting that information.

It sounds to me like sanctioning is pretty close to being able to launch internationally, but please note, that one of the problems is that we experinced a delay in sanctioning here in the US, which put a little glitch in the international roll out.

Thanks,
Prof. Dav

 

[Professor Dav]

This is a question for proffessor Dav.

When can the international community start to get access to the special features of the pokemon-tcg web site. Such things as the deck builder and also hopefully the professor program.

I'm not sure why you think access is a problem. The deckbuilder is an NOA item and I believe it's been down for sometime, to all users, not international users.

The Professor program IS open to all countries, as is evidenced by the good number of international professors we grandfathered into the program. Yes, there were issues with states and country fields initially, but those have been, or will shortly be, resolved.

The Professor Program, at large, is not ready. It's not open in the US or abroad, as the professor test is not completed, and still requires programming to go online.

So, really, access to those portions of the site are not restricted in any way.

Thanks,
Prof. Dav

 

[Professor Dav]

And Dave you need to look to Mexico and Canada too from what has been posted here because they seem in need of support.....

Obviously, the message hasn't been sent enough to these countries, but we do have a couple of leagues running in Mexico, and will likely be supporting a Prerelease or two there for our next release after Dragon. We do have a Prerelease in Canada, but we are lacking in our coverage in both of those countries.

Please take note however, that we don't have any leagues in Mississippi either, but that doesn't mean we don't support Mississippi, it means that no one from Mississippi has expressed an interest in running leagues or tournaments at this time.

Prof. Dav

 

[NoPoke]

I'm not sure why you think access is a problem. The deckbuilder is an NOA item and I believe it's been down for sometime, to all users, not international users.

The Professor program IS open to all countries, as is evidenced by the good number of international professors we grandfathered into the program. Yes, there were issues with states and country fields initially, but those have been, or will shortly be, resolved.

The Professor Program, at large, is not ready. It's not open in the US or abroad, as the professor test is not completed, and still requires programming to go online.

So, really, access to those portions of the site are not restricted in any way.

Thanks,
Prof. Dav

I'm confused. Are you saying that users outside the USA will gain access to the Deckbuilder or that we won't?

Many of us both outside the USA and in the USA still don't have our prof id's. How would you like us to inform you? Presumably you'd prefer us not to flood your email system with requests or is that not the case?

[asside: I know that the PokeGym isn't considered an official board by Nintendo. However for many of us, the PokeGym remains our board of choice, and until there is an official pokemon-tcg board I'd say that many of us *do* consider the PokeyGym as the most 'official' board out there on the WWW. ]

 

[Professor Dav]

I'm confused. Are you saying that users outside the USA will gain access to the Deckbuilder or that we won't?

Many of us both outside the USA and in the USA still don't have our prof id's. How would you like us to inform you? Presumably you'd prefer us not to flood your email system with requests or is that not the case?

[asside: I know that the PokeGym isn't considered an official board by Nintendo. However for many of us, the PokeGym remains our board of choice, and until there is an official pokemon-tcg board I'd say that many of us *do* consider the PokeyGym as the most 'official' board out there on the WWW. ]

No Poke,
What I'm saying is that PUI/POP don't administer the deckbuilder, and that it's my understanding that it hasn't been working for anyone as of late. I don't see any reason that everyone wouldn't be able to access it once it's working.

As for the Prof ID issue, if you didn't register through the Grandfathering application, or contact me during the grandfathering dates to ask me to enter you because of the international problems with the application, you'll have to take the test when it's online to become a professor. If you did take the test, and are listed and don't have your ID, just email me at [email protected] and I'll get your ID to you right away.

I DO want that address inundated with emails from our professors, that's why it's there.

Now, be reasonable of course, it should be Professor related questions that go there, or, of course other POP business that I can be of assitance with.

The 'official' I'm talking about is a 'proper' way to contact us and get a quick response. The way to do that will NEVER be a message board, but rather the direct email contact addresses given. We will eventually have an official board, that will be used to post rulings etc., but it will not be used as a way to get assistance with issues such as these.

Make sense?

Prof. Dav

 

[RainbowRichards]

Just FYI on the Deckbuilder (and any other - I think there are "other"- NOA content at pokemon-tcg.com) - access thereto requires an account at nintendo.com, and (as has been pointed out previously) accounts at nintendo.com are restricted to addressees in the USA and Canada....

 

[Professor Dav]

Just FYI on the Deckbuilder (and any other - I think there are "other"- NOA content at pokemon-tcg.com) - access thereto requires an account at nintendo.com, and (as has been pointed out previously) accounts at nintendo.com are restricted to addressees in the USA and Canada....

Aha.

Anytime you're at www.pokemon-tcg.com, you are at an NOA administered site. Note that we are operating op.pokemon-tcg.com and control all of the content there.

We'll have to bring this up to NOA, and see if we can't port the deckbuilder over to our site, or 'unlock' it for international users.

Thanks for the headsup on the account requirements.

Prof. Dav

 

[RainbowRichards]

Aha.

Anytime you're at www.pokemon-tcg.com, you are at an NOA administered site. Note that we are operating op.pokemon-tcg.com and control all of the content there.

We'll have to bring this up to NOA, and see if we can't port the deckbuilder over to our site, or 'unlock' it for international users.

Thanks for the headsup on the account requirements.

Prof. Dav

That's good, and bad.

Gaining control of the Deckbuilder app & data and making it available to users via their POP ID and password would be great, IF there was a way for non-Professor/TO types to obtain an ID...unless something has changed since yesterday, players are unable to register for a POP ID (only TOs can register/assign POP IDs to players).

But, these are things to shoot for (and I digress, so back to the topic at hand - oh, this does have to do with overseas access to Pokemon content!)

 

[ukpokemonpro]

As for the Prof ID issue, if you didn't register through the Grandfathering application, or contact me during the grandfathering dates to ask me to enter you because of the international problems with the application, you'll have to take the test when it's online to become a professor. If you did take the test, and are listed and don't have your ID, just email me at [email protected] and I'll get your ID to you right away

LOL so we have the UK's first Master Professor and long term TO and Premier Event Judge having to re-apply because the system mucked up?

Guess we'll just have to not let him run any events then

roflmao

Dave it's nice to see you posting.. let's hope the situatuion internationally gets sorted soon and let's hope that Jarred will be contacting his Professors and TO's soon enough and that the International Emails are not being re-directed back to the Distributors like they were a few weeks ago... you could be creating a problem faster by letting a complaint about a distributor go straight to them for resolution!

Why do we post here and not email international@ .. well traditionally emails do not get answered or are forwarded to teh distributors and at least here we can share our angst and get some understanding...

 

[ukpokemonpro]

LOL so we have the UK's first Master Professor and long term TO and Premier Event Judge having to re-apply because the system mucked up?

Guess we'll just have to not let him run any events then

roflmao

Dave it's nice to see you posting.. let's hope the situatuion internationally gets sorted soon and let's hope that Jarred will be contacting his Professors and TO's soon enough and that the International Emails are not being re-directed back to the Distributors like they were a few weeks ago... you could be creating a problem faster by letting a complaint about a distributor go straight to them for resolution!

Why do we post here and not email international@ .. well traditionally emails do not get answered or are forwarded to the distributors and at least here we can share our angst and get some understanding...

 

[J_Nack]

LOL so we have the UK's first Master Professor and long term TO and Premier Event Judge having to re-apply because the system mucked up?

Guess we'll just have to not let him run any events then

roflmao

Dave it's nice to see you posting.. let's hope the situatuion internationally gets sorted soon and let's hope that Jarred will be contacting his Professors and TO's soon enough and that the International Emails are not being re-directed back to the Distributors like they were a few weeks ago... you could be creating a problem faster by letting a complaint about a distributor go straight to them for resolution!

Why do we post here and not email international@ .. well traditionally emails do not get answered or are forwarded to teh distributors and at least here we can share our angst and get some understanding...

Now Ben, you know that is not true. Emails to [email protected] are answered, and in some instances, are also forwarded on to the distributor for further handling.

In addition, the contact information for all registered Professors has been forwarded on to the distributors, so expect to hear from them. TO applications are also being forwarded on for approval.

Thanks.

 

[ranmasaotomes]

That would be a good point. will there ever be a world wide ranking with Pokemon - TGC?

 

[ukpokemonpro]

Now Ben, you know that is not true. Emails to [email protected] are answered, and in some instances, are also forwarded on to the distributor for further handling.

In addition, the contact information for all registered Professors has been forwarded on to the distributors, so expect to hear from them. TO applications are also being forwarded on for approval.

Hi Jarred,

nice to see you posting here and let me address my statement above... we are dealing with history and past unanswered emails and that history colours our view on what the future response will be.

Now when I find that unanswered emails have gone to the local OP to answer I am not upset .. we in the UK have a good relationship with the distributors and the OP organisers .. but that is not so for the whole of Europe or indeed the rest of the world.

As for emails to international@ are answered well the last time I emailed to get an answer I had to email NOA customer service to get them to chase it through!

It is this experience of not getting answers to emails in the past .. not even an automated response that says we are out of the office until ex date together with a percieved attitude that we are not that important to you that makes us unlikey to bother with email again.. you have pavlov dog like taught us that emails get no response.

Maybe the experience will be different now, but it will take a while before we believe again that it is worth emailing.

If you really want to get us onside here are some quick wins for you:

1) Send us the Tournament Rules and the reporting Software .. even in Beta format so that we can comment and get used to it.

2) Stop treating our genuine concerns with the rulings for the game with contempt. When we percieve a problem with Free Retreat Marill, with the Floor Rules it would be nice to think you were listening .. that has not been the case so far!

3) Email all the International Professors and Introduce yourself, tell us a bit about yourself and get to know us.

4) Arrange a fortnightly/monthly international chat on AIM and stick with it.

5) Tell us the dates for the next pre-releases so we can plan the venues and tournaments in advance, let us help make them a success. We could then lobby distributors and shop owners for support .

6) Apologise for the past and let us draw a line under it. We need to go forward into the future and leave the past behind.

7) Get our leagues listed. We still cannot understand why the league listing requires a distributors OK when in the US you just take an online application? Why the difference?

8) Get us the League materials and get us the promo's that are already out Kyogre and Groudon... otherwise they will forever be US only and therefore banned from International play. (If you can't get the cards then you can't play them!)

9) Get our TO status sorted. How can I run a pre-release for you yet I do not exist as a PTO or league leader -_-

That will do for now .. not a lot really and if some of it is happening .. and yes I know a lot is in the UK already then tell us! Tell the world really what is happening and we will help but generalities and SPIN will only alienate us further.

the ball as they say is in your court!

 

[NoPoke]

Jared..

truth? lies?, spin?

Spin is what you get when instead of just 'fessing up to some unpalatable information it is presented in an excessively optimistic light. (I'm *NOT* advocating pessimism either!)

Truth and lies: very black and white and somewhat subjective too.

As I have repeated several times PUI/Ninty will ultimately be judged on delivery.

So lets look at some of the issues:

1) no reply to emails vs emails are answered. Well neither is completely correct obviously some emails were answered and some weren't

2) POP IDs: same thing. some have them and some don't.

3) Supporting active leagues vs supporting leagues that don't exists. Hmmmm, best save that one for a different reply

So just considereing 1) and 2)...
Whatever the performance figure for responses to emails was in the past it obviously wasn't satisfactory. I hope it has been fixed. As I'm about to try emailing again. (I had given up after lack of response and being 'dismissed' on the gym!)

But not having all your Grandfathered profs issued with an ID? I'd probably accept a 99% success rate with a plan to catch the remaining 3 in place. That would seem reasonable since there are only 330 or so of us. But PUI have missed on completion of the grandfathering process.

------------------------------------------

Prof Dave.

It appears to us that you are trying to hide behind the word 'state' as an excuse for not being able to do tournaments outside the USA. This cannot be true that you would hide behind a word? It is this appearance of hiding behind words that will continue to result in your being accused of 'spin'

For your information, with the possible exception of Monarco, I think all the European Nations have equivalents to 'states' they might be called regions, counties, something else or even states! The point is that they exist even if they have a different name. You aren't really trying to hide behind words are you?

Dave, please don't take this as a personal attack. I know it is possible to read it that way but that is NOT my intention. What I'm trying to do is highlight some of the barriers to successfull communication.

I look forward to the future when all this unpleasantness will be in the past.

 

[Michel]

In addition, the contact information for all registered Professors has been forwarded on to the distributors, so expect to hear from them. TO applications are also being forwarded on for approval.

Now that we know that contact info for Profs has been sent, we'll have a clear view on what the distributors want to do with the Profs, or some of them, in the different countries.
If they don't contact them and have no info on their website about POP, we may consider they're not ready. If they don't contact them and have info about POP on their website, we may consider they prefer to work without the Profs. If some of the Profs are contacted while others are not, we may consider that the distributor want to boycott some Profs.


I've maybe missed, or forgotten some info, but what's that TO approval ? Will distributors approve, or not, people as TO ? Will that approval been done by PUI ?
Thanks for the info.

 

[ukpokemonpro]

Will distributors approve, or not, people as TO ? Will that approval been done by PUI ?
Thanks for the info.

Well according to PUI emails that is done by the distributor otherwise we would be TO's now surely?

But then again we are in the one rule for you one rule for me world of PUI