The big happy European OP (sorry, Play! Pokémon) thread

[Box of Fail]

The solution to me it's very simple: Pokčmon USA has to launch, with its distributors, a global plan to ensure that the stores will have something to gain in running a pokčmon league or tournament.
Discount in ordering the product would be enough, because stores will be interested in contacting all the TOs of the area to organize activities.

This is an excellent idea to grow the 'Poké-Empire' and I seriously hope OP will look into this. Since it's product, they could easily offer this at a low cost. Another possibility is having exclusive product for stores that hold events; possibly some promo card that is playable in competitive play, then give them to stores who regularly run league (as opposed to league leaders) to sell.

Gaming stores are businesses, and Pokémon players regularly run through a whole season of events at stores without purchasing anything. OP could offer great incentives for players to buy from stores, as well as great incentives for stores to support OP, at a minimal loss through the creation of exclusive discounts or products.

 

[NoPoke]

you realise that what you have said is that gaming stores are businesses and pokemon players will not support them!

 

[User Name]

you realise that what you have said is that gaming stores are businesses and pokemon players will not support them!

its sad, but still our younger players buy more from ebay than in our local store.

 

[ukpokemonpro]

Now before this post strays too far off from the original problems Eskil has highlighted I felt I had to address Dexermon -

Firstly as a general statement on Players attitude I am 100% with you! The general short sightedness and ignorance of the majority of Players who will buy from the cheapest source is very worrying. Often in doing so they will destroy their local Organised Play.

This is probably due to two things, complete ignorance of how OP works and a who cares anyway attitude, as someone else will take up the OP side of things when my local store or league provider goes bust.

Secondly, no one who has been around the Gym and Pokemon OP for any length of time could ever accuse Eskil of being anything than 100% committed to the game and it's survival. As NoPoke said things must be very very bad for someone like Eskil to feel that he has to go public on what is going wrong.

 

[sandshrew]

......, no one who has been around the Gym and Pokemon OP for any length of time could ever accuse Eskil of being anything than 100% committed to the game and it's survival. As NoPoke said things must be very very bad for someone like Eskil to feel that he has to go public on what is going wrong.

It is sad Eskil felt forced to do this, but true as said by NoPoke and Ukpokemonpro!

 

[Snox]

Great my internet connection failed and I need to write everything again XD sigh -.-, now rather in word at first ;-)

Let me express the point of view from Czech Republic:

1. Pokémon OP + stores
This came from Wizards, they implemented such idea of cooperation and excluded any other (such as with schools, youth centres, etc). I have no feedback of how this affected the sales, but this would probably won't work for Pokémon (excepting Germany with great chains of hobby stores). Anyway I do not prefer cooperation with stores because:
1) It is dark place with strange posters and sometimes wierdos around and I would never let my child to go alone here.
2) Store owners are not helpful to arrange playing space for Pokémon, because other games are more preferred (more supported from distributor or producer.
3) The environment of older players from other games is not friendly for Pokémon, because they think it is noobish game sigh -.-…
4) Smaller stores are not ordering regularly = delays in tournament and other supports.

Because of this I would prefer cooperation with youth centers.

About the situation: Our LD is forcing us to the similar system as Bergsala Enigma, but as long as I am head of OP I will never accept this. Luckily I have still enough power to stop this implementing, but for how long? Therefore I am joining an idea of global reaction of TPCI, because they have the biggest impact and strongest negotiation position. They should discuss solutions with the distributors.

Anyway I am establishing a civil organization to cover our activities - Gathering all 18+ organizers under one flag helping new ones in their efforts such as getting new place to play. I would like even to ask state for donation, because our Pokémon activities are helping children in socialization, integration, strategic and tactical thinking and learning English.

2. Pokémon Professionals
You know to have a hobby store is hard business. Today’s situation is like this:

The more clever experienced and successful players are, the less profit the game store has.

It is because experienced players are advising young growing players to buy stuff on ebay or singles and boosters from them. So after some time the shop has a lot of players, but how many customers? But even this could be solved by:

a) Loyalty program of the store awarding people for buying and/or playing in the store. (with will of store owners to more cooperate and support league owner’s efforts)
b) Loyalty of the profi players, that would support the community by buying products in the store or at least within the region (at least national …).
c) National program of supporting stores in the environment of low prices of eshops, ebay etc.
d) International TPCI program of supporting stores such as Reatil reward programs in other games, which are awarding stores for running demos, getting new players and organizing.

It is only about the idea of what do you (as a player) do for the community? Please think again before sparing 10 EUR at ebay while buying a new booster box.

3. New leagues getting a place problem
Try to compile a guide (together with all the TOs and LLs), where you would advise new organizers how to talk with the shop owners/schools/youth centres and how to negotiate. Add some information how to effectively run a league, get new players and organize anything!

In cooperation with our LD, I will be creating one with nice and attractive design. Try to make yours and offer it to new organizers and let them download such guide from your pages.

4. CHANGES
You know apart of all of this, the Pokémon environment desperately need a change. No slight one (such as different promo cards or design of medals), but structural one. I am trying my best (running international events, Team play series, special program for novices, own retention pages with reports and video reports with hints for new players, forum, card database with translations, picture gallery, league maps, tournament calendar and many more…), but without any major changes I am worrying that even the older players will skip playing.

We will even try to organize a Pokémon camp focused on preparation of national representatives for Worlds and having fun while playing Pokémon, doing sports, etc… . (inspired by Finns ;-))

5. We have HGSS play mats, but no player rewards for about 5 years (and it is not even stopped by LD)

 

[SuperE]

Would like to add that Denmark and the other Scandinavian countries are not having COL celebrations on time as the only countries in Europe. This now means that we don't have the cards for the upcomming ECC :/

 

[Arcanite]

No CoL deckboxes at our PR in the UK, but we got the snolaxes?

 

[NoPoke]

The particular issue with the CoL deck boxes should not reoccur. It should not have happened in the first place but having happened the point of vulnerability in the process has been identified and steps have been taken to make the process more resilient.

That sounds very formal because the alternative is that it would sound very annoyed, and though annoyance can be justified it rarely fixes anything. Blame is counter-productive! Eskil's posts avoid blame, and for this thread to have a positive outcome we should all be very wary of looking for someone or some company to blame.

 

[sandshrew]

Would like to add that Denmark and the other Scandinavian countries are not having COL celebrations on time as the only countries in Europe. This now means that we don't have the cards for the upcomming ECC :/

There will be plenty of CoL available at the shop at the ECC 2011, so come early, adapt your deck with CoL, registate and get your deck checked.....problem solved for Scandinavian players.:biggrin:

 

[loppe]

I have just to add my feeling and thoughts about this.

I just by a last try sent a new mail this week to the LD and they responded that they maybe have a store that I can cooperate with. Great… maybe?

I have just to inform that this weekend we arranged a City Tournament in Sweden and actually everything worked just fine with ordering the prizesupport, shipping, etc. from the LD. Hopefully will it continue this way so we can continue with the tournaments and keep a solid plyer base. Now we only wait for the tournaments in Swededn to be tagged as premier events.
I'm also impressed by the players interest as we where ~20 people attending with juniors as the biggest group as we not have had any activity at all for the last 9 months.

 

[SuperE]

There will be plenty of CoL available at the shop at the ECC 2011, so come early, adapt your deck with CoL, registate and get your deck checked.....problem solved for Scandinavian players.:biggrin:

Thanks! That will give us a fair chance!

 

[Arcanite]

The particular issue with the CoL deck boxes should not reoccur. It should not have happened in the first place but having happened the point of vulnerability in the process has been identified and steps have been taken to make the process more resilient.

That sounds very formal because the alternative is that it would sound very annoyed, and though annoyance can be justified it rarely fixes anything. Blame is counter-productive! Eskil's posts avoid blame, and for this thread to have a positive outcome we should all be very wary of looking for someone or some company to blame.

Didn't mean to sound blameful, just wanted to galvanise the process to become reliable. I know you do a fantastic Job NoPoke, keep it up!

 

[NoPoke]

The thread is a sensitive one and we should all be careful with what we say. I trust that Eskil would not have started the thread lightly, so if he is posting that things are bad then I do believe him. However the direction that the thread takes is then out of Eskil's control and may actually make it harder to resolve the issues rather than easier.

@Arcanite: I didn't read your comment as a criticism but others might. I posted because the thread will not have a positive outcome if it is just a list of problems or worse becomes a bash <insert target> thread.

 

[Zarmakuizz]

I will talk about the situation in France, which looks like pretty good.


In summer 2009, the OP Manager was fired of Asmodée (the French distributor), thanks to Fabien getting 5th at Worlds the OP support have not stopped, but the contact with the new OP Manager was difficult because of summer's events. Next, the number of leagues dropped, and most of the tournaments were on only one healthy zone.

Then we got an OP Communicator, not hired by Asmodée, and closer to the community. For the 2010-2011 season, we got more leagues, and more official tournaments than before. Prizes shipping might not come at time, but they come mostly at time.
Concerning the P!P management, this is a good year. We need more organizers that already have a stable job (and not students), or more friendly stores, so setting dates for leagues would be easier in some places. Still we have some stores opened, and even supporting our activities.

About places where to run Pokémon activities, we are allowed to use associative rooms, stores… any place that fits well for children.