posted November 01, 2002 04:03 AM            

quote:

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master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with question #220 from ukpokemonpro:
I hope I am doing this right and sorry if I have got the protocol wrong.. my question is this ... We have been having a lot of problems with league kits and promo's over the last three years.. like not getting them! What will you be doing to ensure Ba
master_trainer_mike says, "The UK office, as you may know, was abosrbed intop the Nasbro UK office. There have been many staff and budget changes there and I know they are all working as hard as they can."
master_trainer_mike says, "With limited staff and budgets, they have had to make choices on what they can and can't do quickly."
master_trainer_mike says, "I know they want to support Pokemon, but have all sorts of limitations that we can't go into."
master_trainer_mike says, "Keep letting them know of your desire and interest to help and they will get to you when they can."
master_trainer_mike says, "The same goes for all of our offices (including this one) - chat Oct 31."

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I have no doubt about the fact that ex-WotC UK want to support Pokemon and do all they can.

That situation has already happened in Europe

I remember a sunny Sunday in Paris in May last year. More than 300 Pokemon players were playing the STS qualifier (how many US qualifiers had so much players ?).

Some months later, the WotC France office was closed and the members of the staff have either been fired, or sent to the Hasbro office close to the Swiss border.

Today, Pokemon is dead in France !!!

Exactly the same situation as in the UK today.

Pokemon is not making enough money, and MtG is THE game of WotC. All the efforts and investments are put in MtG, nothing for Pokemon anymore.

quote:

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master_trainer_mike presents the speaker with question #240 from ukpokemonpro:
We keep being told in the UK that the office here wants to help us but has limitations yet when we ask to help we are ignored and we don't see any sign of them wanting to help us.. what do you suggest we do?
master_trainer_mike says, "I'm sorry, but you can't always get what you want."
master_trainer_pat says, "Now we're talkin'"
master_trainer_mike says, "They are reallyt limited in budget and staff."
master_trainer_mike says, "Offer to help."
master_trainer_mike says, "Run your own tournaments."
master_trainer_mike says, "Certainly stay in touch with them, they will do what they can when they can."
master_trainer_mike says, "I'm sorry but sometimes thats the way it is."
master_trainer_mike says, "I cried the day that The Muppet show was canceled." chat Oct 31

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Mike, I'm sure you know how I do appreciate you as a person and I do appreciate the great job you do for our game and our community, but I'm sorry to tell you that this time I think your answer is not very honest towards the UK professors.

You can't always get what you want ?
Would you accept that US league and players receive no kits and promos for months ? Is it too much to ask to be treatened like any other GL in the World, to ask that the UK kids are treatened like the US kids ?

Offer to help ?
Mike, you were in Rainham for the GC, you were at the GenCon in London. Who did the job there ?
Remember London ... who was behind the computer (Ukpokemonpro), who was judge, who helped to run the events with YOU ?
Where was WotC UK staff during that time ? Probably explaining to the Mtg players why they had failed in their attempts to cancel the Pokemon tournament on Saturday because more tables were needed for the Magic tournament

The only Pokemon decision taken by WotC UK (but I maybe missed some others) has been to allow 3 non professors to the Prof event

Are the UK Professors and GL not doing a great job ? They're running leagues every week without the support of their national office. They try to trade (or buy) promos, badges, league books, ... for their kids, they have a lot of initiatives for the game and to bring new players to the game. What else could they do ?
Would you accept that situation in the USA ?

Running tournaments ? 93 tournaments have been run by UK Professors since the beginning of the year. Is it that bad ? Do they have to do more ? Even the GC have been organized by Professors !

Stay in touch with WotC office ? They do it every day, but nobody answer !

They'll do what they can when they can ? May I translate it by 'if they have no more budget and staff, they'll not do more than what they do today" ?

You cried the day the Muppet show was canceled ?
Who will cry the day the Pokemon show will be definitively canceled in the UK ?
Look at who's fighting for the game, the answer is maybe there ...

I understand that there are strategic and economic aspects in all that stuff.
But there is a human aspect too. Professors, GL, TO, players, parents, ... are involved.

People like Ian, Ben, Freddy and all the others in the UK are desperately trying to keep the game alive in their country.

I'm sure solutions could be found, like asking WotC Europe to work on the Pokemon game in the UK.

But if WotC has decided to cancel the Pokemon show in the UK, it would be better to be clear on that point instead of putting the pressure on people who are already working so hard for our game.

Anyway, the day these people will stop, the show will be over, like in France last year.

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Proud member of the Professor Program
Proud member of Team Europe

Judge at the Gym Challenge Rainham 2002 - Gym Challenge Antwerp 2002 - Gym Stadium Amsterdam 2002 - Worlds Seattle 2002 - GenCon UK 2002 - Gym Challenge Lucca (IT) 2002 - Gym Stadium Antwerp 2003

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