TBF, it is their say as to what simulators of their products are supposed to be - not ours.
It won't matter. If TPCi files a lawsuit against playtcgme or any other similar simulator, they will be forced to shut down because the authors of these simulators are not about to fight an expensive and prolonged lawsuit.
Nobody finds it odd that the OP's quote was an e-mail, not a letter, and although it lays out the case for the similarities between the two in what looks like a legal-sounding way, it lacks words one would expect to see, such as "hereinafter 'PRO'," instead only putting it in parenthesis, and does not refer to the "Copyright Act" specifically and instead simply calls it "the Copyright Act"?
Is there a language barrier here? Are they not in the US? The use of commas and periods outside of the quotations makes me think that.
None of what you have said is true.They can still try to sue but they have to prove damages to something other then their ego. If they can prove that PlayTCG or other pokemon simulators hurt their sales they the owners of PlayTCG do not have to shut down. Its deemed fan service for the community and is protected by Fair Use.
None of what you have said is true.
Simulator or not, it features their images. TPCi could get the images taken down from both PlayTCG and Pokebeach if they really wanted to. The only sort of simulator that really perseveres in the face of these claims is one that doesn't use card images, such as Apprentice or Reshark.
Pokemon could shut both of those down if they ever wanted to.
They could also shut down the PokeGym, PokeBeach, and any number of other sites if they chose to.
As this time, they do not find it in their interest to do so and so we and they continue to exist.
I'm no legal expert, but it might not be as Black and White as you think it is. PTCGO is a relatively new Emerging Power. We've had plenty of other PokemonTCG simulators like Apprentice(originally created for MTG), Redshark and others without any problems in the past You may not think us Noble in our pursuit of Victory, but PlayTCG and these other simulators fill a need the community has. PTCGO doesn't have all the cards competitive players want to use and has other restrictions that some of these simulators don't. A player should be able to choose their Next Destiny, and if that means they want to be a Dark Explorer on some of the fringes of the internet, so be it. I like the ability to choose my playtesting platform, and yes I do use PTCGO often, simply because its quick and easy to find a game. But I would never act better than everyone like a Dragon Exalted because I use PTCGO instead of one of the other options.
Legal Boundaries Crossed or not, I hope Nintendo and the powers that be don't bring down a Plasma Storm on these other programs and websites. Just keep improving your product and players will convert to your system instead. Also, make those online booster packs cheaper, cause I don't want to have to start selling my Plasma when I could be playing for Freeze somewhere else.
Anyhow, never played PlayTCG, and Redshark is dull (playing against yourself).
Testing against yourself is one of the best ways to improve at the game. It helps you think about the game from both sides of the matchup, and it's almost like you're learning tips and tricks of playing 2 decks at once. The fact that PTCGO doesn't allow you to test against yourself is a major weakness from a competitive player's standpoint.
Pokemon could shut both of those down if they ever wanted to.
They could also shut down the PokeGym, PokeBeach, and any number of other sites if they chose to.
As this time, they do not find it in their interest to do so and so we and they continue to exist.
While I agree with this, part of the difficulty with playing against yourself is that you have knowledge of both sides of the board.
While I agree with this, part of the difficulty with playing against yourself is that you have knowledge of both sides of the board. Much of the strategy of the games comes from the fact that much of the knowledge is hidden to one or both players. Knowing that your opponent has a key card prized might cause you to play more aggressively. When playing both sides you know if a key card is prized, whereas playing against a real person requires you to deduce from their actions what they have and do not have. This is why Pokemon--unlike chess--is a game that is difficult to improve at when playing against yourself. Here's an example:
You have an N in your hand. You need a hand refresh, but you're not desperate for one having time and resources to continue for a few turns. You could play the N, but if playing against a real opponent you don't know what is in his or her hand. True, you can make educated guesses based on their plays. In the game against yourself, you know that your "opponent" has a Juniper in hand. Knowing this takes away a lot of the tension about playing N since you know that your opponent has a hand refresh card whether you play yours or not.
Playing the Pokemon TCG against yourself is like playing hide and seek against yourself.
No, it's not.
When I test against myself, I always make plays as if I didn't know what the other "player" is holding in their hand. Thinking through "what would I actually do if I had no knowledge of my opponent's hand" versus "what would I do now that I know what's in my opponent's hand" helps me think more critically about my plays. As long as your honest with yourself about what plays you would've made if you didn't have knowledge of the other "player's" hand, you can get a lot out of solitaire.
Even when other people are available to test online, I often test a couple games against myself. I think a lot of insights I get into deckbuilding and making the right play come from the sessions where I test against myself. I play against other people mostly to get insights into what other people are including in their lists and for the social interaction.
If you find it "difficult to improve at [playing Pokemon] when playing against yourself," then solitaire may not be for you. However, I know several top-level players that test against themselves frequently to improve at the game.
That is true but technically it is a simulator, just not the one some of us would like. PlayTCG is just better for play testing.
They can still try to sue but they have to prove damages to something other then their ego. If they can prove that PlayTCG or other pokemon simulators hurt their sales they the owners of PlayTCG do not have to shut down. Its deemed fan service for the community and is protected by Fair Use.