Prize support is disappointing

[Charranitar]

They should just increase booster pack rewards. Booster boxes can't be that expensive, it's just cardboard for the most part, so why not just give out more packs to make the players happier?

Also, they really need to extend prize support to go to everyone that makes top cut. Playing out a tournament like Nationals to make top 128, or even a tough State Championship to make top 16, then losing a close game in top cut and walking away with nothing is always disheartening.

 

[baby mario]

Never going to argue against the principle of getting more prizes. What player would?

I'm completely ignorant about the budget issues though, so I have no idea how practical it would be. I don't want to go down the 'Pokemon is mean and doesn't care about the players' road, as I don't believe that either.

 

[Cyrus]

deashira: The Prestige is obviously more valuable than cards - that's a fantastic point that cannot be underrated. However, top level prizes can be a useful marketing tool in advertising the prestige in a tangible way. For us competitive players, the only tangible stuff that brings us back are the trips, stipends, and scholarships - the other prizes are peripheral. At the end of the day, it is mostly about the prestige, as well as the game itself.

The problem with this holy trinity of "in the money" prizes is that they've been dwindling for years.

-Fewer trips (take this with a grain of salt - I don't know European OP perfectly, so for "fewer" may just mean "fewer for the US")
-The $300 States/Top four VGC travel award is being chewed up by inflation (the devaluing of money over time). Although there's no rush to adjust this, P!P really needs to up this amount within the next year or so, or else their original value just won't exist.
-Scholarships, which I originally assumed to be tax-deductible marketing tools, are now much harder to come by. They're also subject to the same inflation point, not to mention skyrocketing costs of education (something P!P can't control, but just thought I'd point that out)

For the record, I'm happy to have received prizes, nor do I feel "disappointed" with them. It just seems like this could be taken so much further, yet P!P doesn't have the desire to do so.

Perhaps it's a misinterpretation of the fans as being "cheapskates," feeling entitled to nothing but free stuff? That could be true, but if I've seen anything, it's that the people who claim to be super-cheap are suddenly very willing to open up their wallets at US Nationals...Maybe they could open those wallets up a bit more, and let those $20s fly toward the registration desk.

 

[z-man]

That might well be true, but TPCI aren't using level of difficulty to decide the amount of prize support.

Worlds gets more because it is their prestigious invite-only showpiece and the big prizes = maximum marketing impact.

That's all well and good, but the difference between Worlds prizes and nats prizes is MASSIVE. I'm not arguing that nats have same prize coverage as worlds... just that nats should reward a bit more...

I for one would happily open my wallet at events. Maybe not cities... but States, REgionals, and especially nats... I'd love to spend some money and see it go to the right people and places. Would anyone disagree? When you're going to a national event that you have to travel to (most likely) from who knows where, an extra $20 isn't so bad.

 

[Charranitar]

Can someone explain what the Scholarship award entails. I've graduated college already, so if I win a scholarship next season, do I just receive nothing?

 

[baby mario]

-Fewer trips (take this with a grain of salt - I don't know European OP perfectly, so for "fewer" may just mean "fewer for the US")

Europe actually got more trips this year, with some countries getting trips for top 2 instead of just for the winner.

However the downside is that there were no scholarships, so it probably didn't come out of the US budget.

I for one would happily open my wallet at events. Maybe not cities... but States, REgionals, and especially nats... I'd love to spend some money and see it go to the right people and places. Would anyone disagree? When you're going to a national event that you have to travel to (most likely) from who knows where, an extra $20 isn't so bad.

I'm the wrong person to ask about this. Nationals is free in the UK, but every other tournament charges £5-10 entry fee (roughly $8-15). League isn't free either but tends to be cheaper.

 

[NoPoke]

scholarships are transferable.

z-man, I know that lots of players claim they would pay more for more prizes but when I offered that at a tournament I got no takers. Not surprising when the game has a big luck component and everyone in the room can see the players who will most likely beat them and take their money. even when everyone pays there is no guarantee that entry fee will go towards prizes. POP currently funds all USA events, with an entry fee I'd bet that POP would redirect the money into more events instead of bigger prizes.

Bigger tournaments are not automatically harder.: there is plenty of room at the bottom. This is especially true where the organisers can control who is playing. Top sports tournaments always have a small field.

 

[z-man]

z-man, I know that lots of players claim they would pay more for more prizes but when I offered that at a tournament I got no takers. Not surprising when the game has a big luck component and everyone in the room can see the players who will most likely beat them and take their money.

What type of event? I'd imagine that people would only be willing to pay an entry fee at States and up. It can't be an opt-in, opt-out type of system either. For people to accept it, it'd need to come from the top. P!P would have to make a rule. If they were to issue a fee, there would need to be a door prize (more than just a promo). That's what makes nats such a good tournament for a fee. We give them $20, they give us a t-shirt and a tournament. Win-win

As far as why you think people didn't pay, that could definitely be true. People are less likely to pay for formats that are luck based. You are probably right on that theory...

Even so, weekly tournaments happen all the time in many different card stores. Typically, these tournaments charge $5 for some chance at a prize. P!P collecting even $5 per person wouldn't be awful... People are willing to pay it at local shops, so why not at a big event.

even when everyone pays there is no guarantee that entry fee will go towards prizes.

Fair point. I would hope that P!P listens to what the players wants and decides what is best. There is only a small minorities of players who are affected by this issue and more events would affect more players. I honestly don't think we're asking for that much, though. Nobody in this thread asked for more scholarship or travel stipends. We just want more exciting prizes. Let's face it... half a box isn't exciting when you've gotten up to T32 at nats. A promo card for each player in top cut would be exciting and fairly inexpensive (as far as I know). Just something to make the journey through top cut feel more rewarding.

Bigger tournaments are not automatically harder.: there is plenty of room at the bottom. This is especially true where the organisers can control who is playing. Top sports tournaments always have a small field.

Couldn't agree more. You are correct that no one at worlds is less than anyone else. All worlds players earned their right to play. I would place money on any individual worlds player going all the way. They're all top-notch players. That being said, long tournaments are generally harder than short ones. US nats also has some of the best players in the game, though. A person who has made T32 at US nats would have to have survived 9 rounds with a really good record and won two games in cut. A person who made T16 at worlds would have to have survived 7 rounds with a good record. IMO, these two achievements are very close. After round 2-3 at nats, all of your opponents start to get really good.

 

[NoPoke]

Is USA nationals the longest tournament? If a TO ran a tournament as a series taking place once a month for four months would that make it a four month long tournament? What if the pieces of the series were only three rounds long each?

The trouble with the surviving x rounds approach to difficulty is that it is guaranteed to occur. That fewer as a fraction survive more rounds is also guaranteed and has nothing to do with difficulty.

I agree that the USA has many of the best players in the world.

I hope that no one misinterprets what i'm saying as criticism of those that do well at USA nationals. There is no doubt in my mind that placing high at USA nationals is an awesome achievement and due to the size of the field a highly prestigious accomplishment. Just that size of the field is not the only way to have to a high prestige tournament.

Would any player rather win Worlds or USA nationals?

 

[jeffrey123]

Nopoke, I disagree.

Unfortunately, US Nationals is the biggest tournament in the world. So when I test, get lucky, play well, etc and am only handed half a box for traveling, etc...I am left with a bad taste in my mouth. Yes, I am complaining. No, I will not "just not attend"

They can hand us something a little better...at least a promo "top 32/64/128" etc?? Is that so much to ask??

 

[bullados]

Now, if you're asking for a "Top Cut" Promo Card or something like that, that's probably not a significant enough cost as opposed to the benefit you'd get from the trophy. Plus, if you simply label them as "Top Cut", you can use them everywhere in the world. You can order them on the order of almost 1,000, and that shouldn't be too much extra per place...

 

[jeffrey123]

But can anyone else relate? Just SOMETHING that I can come home with to show my parents or display!! Maybe a figure or something...ANYTHING

(inb4 sarcastic comment with tons of thanks)

 

[Pokeplayer101]

Nopoke, I disagree.

Unfortunately, US Nationals is the biggest tournament in the world. So when I test, get lucky, play well, etc and am only handed half a box for traveling, etc...I am left with a bad taste in my mouth. Yes, I am complaining. No, I will not "just not attend"

They can hand us something a little better...at least a promo "top 32/64/128" etc?? Is that so much to ask??

The promo would be awesome. Would there be any chance that it would be possible?

 

[baby mario]

The promo would be awesome. Would there be any chance that it would be possible?

Obviously it's physically possible (and it's a very nice idea)

Whether it is practical, or within the budget . . . only TPCI knows for sure.

 

[z-man]

Obviously it's physically possible (and it's a very nice idea)

Whether it is practical, or within the budget . . . only TPCI knows for sure.

I find it VERY difficult to believe that stamping a card would be super expensive. They sent out thousands of stamped cards for prereleases. There is no way that printing 128 stamped cards per division would cost that much. It would make top cutting feel special without costing TPCi all that much.

 

[baby mario]

You're probably right.

Would there be different stamps as at Worlds? (top 128, top 64 etc)?

Like I said, it is a very nice idea. As far as I'm aware though, their budget is frozen (like a lot of companies in this economy) so whatever it cost would have to come from somewhere.

 

[sdrawkcab]

No scholorships for Canadian Nats this year. I suppose that has to do with adding the VGC.

 

[Prodigiosus]

I remember a post saying that the VGC budget is not connected to the TCG budget in any way, fwiw.

 

[Cyrus]

...Wait.

Top 64 in Masters received nothing?

Barring Championship Points, going 1-0 in an eight man side event yielded more prizes than that: one booster versus zero.

In other words...Something was amiss.

 

[Jaeger]

The bottom line is they have a budget to work with like everybody else...I promise you the higher up at Pokemon aren't eating out of gold bowls in the morning. To get bigger prize support what needs to happen is some sort of entree fee. I personally would be fine with entree fees for States and larger tournaments.