WotC vs PUI's running of the Pokemon TCG

[raicario]

The Supes, like others have said, WotC tried to kill the game and herd us all into MtG. Maybe you don't remember that they dissolved the 15+ division? There was no "15+ champion" at the first Worlds Championship.

Yeah, it was pretty obvious that they were trying to get older players to play MtG instead. =/ *head shake*

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The 15 and under rule was terrible, they had to have lost a lot of players because of that.

 

[Robbgobb]

If I could not play then neither would any child that I was responsible for. I love playing such games and would not want to try and have 2 different games going at a time.

 

[raicario]

If I could not play then neither would any child that I was responsible for. I love playing such games and would not want to try and have 2 different games going at a time.

Exactly, and Pokemon is so much more fun if you have your whole family in on it! :thumb:

 

[Dr. Mason]

Meh cant get nobody in my family to play.

Of course I also wasnt 15 at the time so it barely mattered to me.

 

[Tego]

Everything seems to have gotten so much edgier since they stopped running things

WotC didn't want Pokémon to be edgy. They wanted Pokémon to be "nice" and "fun" and have no money prizes. Why? Because they wanted players to move over to Magic when they wanted more "edgy" tournaments. Under WotC, Pokémon could never be anything but the "warm-up" for the real thing, Magic. I'm so glad we have POP/Pokémon USA now, a company devoted to Pokémon and Pokémon only.

The MTs were nice guys, Harlan Levey (of Wizards Europe) was a great guy too. Apart from them, I don't miss the WotC days much.

 

[Prof Clay]

Chance,

I think you are looking back on the WotC days thru rose colored glasses. Much of what was done for the players back in "them" days was put out by the store running the event, not WotC.

You mention that you got cards from WotC every month for free..sure...POP does that too in the form of POP packs..which you can actually get good stuff in rather than foil reprints of mediocre cards.

Your league leader is charging $5.00 for league so he can buy boxes of cards from the store owner to give every player at league at least 1 pack of the current set when they come. He is also using the money to pick up other little items for your league. The pop packs are great and free, but most young kids want to have a guaranteed pack.

Our store in Memphis has charged $5.00 for years and we currently run league on Sat and Thursday nights averaging about 40 on a saturday and 25 on a thursday. We have around 70 regulars.

You have a very young group there in Nashville so far...but growing quickly. I am not quite sure what you mean about a stiff playing environment... I am not sure what you want out of league. Nashville suffers from problem that most other league locations do not...there are very few Masters, mainly young juniors and some seniors.

If you want more stuff that I know WotC never offered, look into the Professor program.

Clay

 

[yoshi1001]

I do miss the weekly chats, though I do regret the years of therapy I put the MTs through...a little.

 

[The Gorn]

The weekly chats were very good for the game. In addition to getting a lot of good information out there (and also getting our questions in the right hands), it really built a sense of community.

 

[meganium45]

They do have weekly chats!

The results of those are put up here every week.

They are private chats, but, the big hitters from PUI always manage to sneak on here to give their thoughts when they feel it appropriate.

 

[PokePop]

Even though I participate in the weekly chat myself, I do wish they could put on public chats, at least once in a while.
It was a real fun thing for the community!

 

[NoPoke]

Metronome, er copy, Ditto. What PokePOP just said.

Even though it meant staying up very late in Europe the chats were a positive force for the community spirit. WotC wasn't all bad but it wasn't all good either back in them days. There are bits of the DCI and wotc that I miss but on ballance I think we are better off under POP than wotc. Actually its not much of a ballance. From my perspective, which is a UK one, POP are way way better than WotC ever were.

 

[Rathmaker]

Although I am just getting back into Pokemon (family thing this time...kids have had their eyes fixed on my old cards for 2 days straight since I showed it to them LOL!), I did play quite a bit when WOTC was producing the game.

I personally have no complaints on how the leagues and tournaments were run at our local game shop. I thought they did an excellent job with all the kids (and adults) that would come in to play. I enjoyed the few hours every Saturday enough that I vounteered to help the store when things got so big. But most of the credit for the job well done, at least in my experience here, has to be given to the guys that ran the events...not WOTC. They were the ones busting their back sides trying to keep the wave going (good leagues/events did equivicate sales for the store really).

I have just got back into Pokemon so I have no view of how things are being ran now, but I am sure that as long as the same passion is put into it as before by the people running the leagues then it does not matter what support differences either company has. The bottom line is enjoyment. And CCGs are a much more intellectual stimulant for kids (and adults) than sittng in front of the television or Xbox for hours on end.

Ok done rambling. Did I even make a point there....:lol:

 

[Poliwag92]

Well WOTC was bad for the older players.

You can conclude though that Pokemon TCG would not be where it is today without the foundation and precedent set by WotC.

 

[Dr. Mason]

Chance,

I think you are looking back on the WotC days thru rose colored glasses. Much of what was done for the players back in "them" days was put out by the store running the event, not WotC.

You mention that you got cards from WotC every month for free..sure...POP does that too in the form of POP packs..which you can actually get good stuff in rather than foil reprints of mediocre cards.

Your league leader is charging $5.00 for league so he can buy boxes of cards from the store owner to give every player at league at least 1 pack of the current set when they come. He is also using the money to pick up other little items for your league. The pop packs are great and free, but most young kids want to have a guaranteed pack.

Our store in Memphis has charged $5.00 for years and we currently run league on Sat and Thursday nights averaging about 40 on a saturday and 25 on a thursday. We have around 70 regulars.

You have a very young group there in Nashville so far...but growing quickly. I am not quite sure what you mean about a stiff playing environment... I am not sure what you want out of league. Nashville suffers from problem that most other league locations do not...there are very few Masters, mainly young juniors and some seniors.

If you want more stuff that I know WotC never offered, look into the Professor program.

Clay

I can barely afford to go to that league, let alone the extra five dollars. Gas is still insane right now and it takes a lot to get there. I could care less about getting packs, because I never get anything from them. I'm better off buying single cards. If I didn't want the pack, couldn't I just not get one and not pay?
I barely make any money off my weekly work and I have no car, so I can't get a job. Truth is I can't afford to go to league, and that's why I'm almost never there anymore. The only reason I get any support from my parents to go and do Pokemon at all is because I have to work for more money. I may even have to pay for my half of the cost to go to Nationals, because my mother is having second thoughts about paying any of it. It puts me in a really tight spot when it costs like that since I already have to spend a lot of money getting there. (I don't pay for the gas going there directly, but I have to do extra work without pay to go to League usually.)

And it seems whenever I do go, there's hardly anyone there.

I might have to show up this weekend though....Now that the Claydol thing has gone over, Im finding it very hard to get my cards.

 

[raicario]

I could care less about getting packs, because I never get anything from them. I'm better off buying single cards.

That's not what you were saying earlier when you were complaining about not getting as many packs and prizes as you used to. ;x

 

[soslowpoke]

I think if WOTC were still running things, I'd still be playing. But that's all I have to say.

 

[Dr. Mason]

That's not what you were saying earlier when you were complaining about not getting as many packs and prizes as you used to. ;x

Well yaeah but it'd be nice to walk with something. Mostly in single packs I don't get anything. Probably because blisters is all I ahve available for purchase to me locally though.

 

[Mystery Thing]

WotC era I think simply had more fun cards to play with. Personally I loved the annoying babies and the insane draw power w/o all the supporters and that annoying Slowking and Gatr.

I could not disagree any more. There's a reason that I never played Unlimited when it was a sanctioned format. It's one thing to be playing a game of Trainermon, but it's quite another to not be able to play a single Trainer card for almost the entire game. At least PUI hasn't mistranslated anything to the point of complete bustification.


Also, the only reason that some people think that PUI is giving out so little prize support is that they spoiled the woah out of us when they first took it over.

 

[Prof Clay]

I think if WOTC were still running things, I'd still be playing. But that's all I have to say.

Ah come on ....if you can't give a reason here, whre can you? I am just curious why you think it would be better under WotC?...

Back to back posts merged. The following information has been added:

I can barely afford to go to that league, let alone the extra five dollars. Gas is still insane right now and it takes a lot to get there. I could care less about getting packs, because I never get anything from them. I'm better off buying single cards. If I didn't want the pack, couldn't I just not get one and not pay?
I barely make any money off my weekly work and I have no car, so I can't get a job. Truth is I can't afford to go to league, and that's why I'm almost never there anymore. The only reason I get any support from my parents to go and do Pokemon at all is because I have to work for more money. I may even have to pay for my half of the cost to go to Nationals, because my mother is having second thoughts about paying any of it. It puts me in a really tight spot when it costs like that since I already have to spend a lot of money getting there. (I don't pay for the gas going there directly, but I have to do extra work without pay to go to League usually.)

And it seems whenever I do go, there's hardly anyone there.

I might have to show up this weekend though....Now that the Claydol thing has gone over, Im finding it very hard to get my cards.

Then start a league on your side of town...I promise, a well promoted league at a local store can get going pretty quickly.

 

[Professor Elm]

I could not disagree any more. There's a reason that I never played Unlimited when it was a sanctioned format. It's one thing to be playing a game of Trainermon, but it's quite another to not be able to play a single Trainer card for almost the entire game. At least PUI hasn't mistranslated anything to the point of complete bustification.


Also, the only reason that some people think that PUI is giving out so little prize support is that they spoiled the woah out of us when they first took it over.

lol
I know some people thank I be krazy, but hey?!?!
I just love using Oak, Computer Search, Gust, Item Finder, and ESPECIALLY PROFESSOR ELM. Those were some great fun trainers to play. Oh and Misty's Wrath was great too.

I could see Professor Elm reprinted as a supporter. It would be a VERY nice shuffle and draw card for the game.