No scholarships and ONE trip for our nationals?
- Thread starter desert eagle
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falcom4ever
New Member
Sorry I misread :0)...
Anyway if someone gets the invite it is up to him to put the stacks on the table or not.
If you have invite and dont have the travel award, the financial capacity or the motivation, then it is sad but it is life. Pokemon is giving travel awards to the best players, I think it is a good thing because it keeps players diversity at worlds. One day it might disappear completly.
4 yeas ago I had the invite with a 2nd place at national for the first time, but not the travel award. I just finished my studies and had no job or money. The airfare for San Diego was 1350$, a lot for me. As solution I found a part time job in a Burger King and sold a bunch of card that I had no more need. My parents did not like Pokemon and dont wanted to help me at that time. First time at worlds was great and worth experience.
Anyway if someone gets the invite it is up to him to put the stacks on the table or not.
If you have invite and dont have the travel award, the financial capacity or the motivation, then it is sad but it is life. Pokemon is giving travel awards to the best players, I think it is a good thing because it keeps players diversity at worlds. One day it might disappear completly.
4 yeas ago I had the invite with a 2nd place at national for the first time, but not the travel award. I just finished my studies and had no job or money. The airfare for San Diego was 1350$, a lot for me. As solution I found a part time job in a Burger King and sold a bunch of card that I had no more need. My parents did not like Pokemon and dont wanted to help me at that time. First time at worlds was great and worth experience.
sdrawkcab
Forum Moderator
I pulled up some attendance numbers for you to show that Canada has as many / more players than other countries that have 2 trips. There are other countries that have similar numbers that also get 1 trip (mexico / Australia now as well) but there aren't any nationals that have more players and no trips.
Are there sales numbers released for pokemon based on regions? I wouldn't be surprised if Canada was in the top 5 markets.
The main reason a lot of players aren't happy about this is because now there is little reason for us to travel to Nationals unless you live in Ontario or Quebec. You already get more bang for your buck at worlds, and with single elimination grinders you'll have to win less games to earn your invite there anyways. (This will remain true even after World's leaves Canada...It's actually cheaper to fly to Hawaii than Toronto most times)
The majority of competitive Alberta players won't be going to nationals this year....I think there might be 5 or 6 going?
falcom4ever
New Member
As NoPoke said there is no correlation between travel award and attendance or player pool. But what I can say is that Brazil has over 500 masters that palyed this year in Premier Events (this is more than any country outside US) and had more than 200 masters at this year National. So according this logic they deserve more than Canada the 2nd trip.
It is hard to say, but I feel difficult for Canada to be in the top5 unless every canadian children buys Pokémon Cards due to the low demography of your country. It is true that for long years Canada OP was more developed, because the OP started to spread in North America first. In Europe competitive TCG in only starting to become part in our culture (exception for Germany and northern European coutnries)
1. US
2. Probably Germany
3. Maybe France
4. Maybe UK
5. Maybe Italy
It is cheaper for a Hawaiian player to go Vancouver for Worlds than to Indianapolis for US Nationals. So it happens to others too...
According to your logic you would prefer a 2nd travel award over Worlds being held in Canada ?
NoPoke
Active Member
If you are going to quote me at least get it right... I did not say that there was no correlation.
Guessing where sales are strong/weak does nothing to enhance your argument. Guessing player populations doesn't help much either. Personally I'd be very surprised if Brazil had the second highest play population.
Guessing where sales are strong/weak does nothing to enhance your argument. Guessing player populations doesn't help much either. Personally I'd be very surprised if Brazil had the second highest play population.
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How about you compare the actual stats that matter, such as average income, GDP per capita, etc. since Pokemon is not a cheap hobby, and once you normalize those stats, you can make a true comparison. We have 100+ million people, where over 50% live in poverty, where as I doubt even 1 million of your 35 live even close to what the definition of poverty is in Mexico...
Anyways, my point was precisely that, attendance is NOT a good factor to compare how 'hard' a Nationals is, I would say that would depend on quality > quantity of players, and before Chase Maloney (a senior) Canada hasn't had any impressive or high end name players at Worlds other than Sebastian Crema. Mexico hasn't had many either (I'm not one anymore even though I almost won Worlds and we recently had a Top 4 in Masters in 2011, Top 16 in Hawaii but that's it). I was never the one to argue Mexico is more fierce than Canada, I argued that Canada is NOT the second most fierce behind USA, and throwing random attendance and population stats will not change that. Germany has a higher attendance than both our countries and yet doesn't have one reputable name.
We hover between 150-250 Masters every year, I expect a high attendance this year since we've had huge attendances over the year, some which even caused issues with venues with so many unexpected people, and the prizes have been 1 trip and invitations to top 4 since 2008, 4 trips in 2005, 2006 and 2007, 1 trip in 2004 (no Nationals).
Just saying we have had Jacob Lesage win worlds alrhough he was a senior. We have also had Curtis Lion top 8 worlds and make cut multiple times. We have also had Matt Koo make cut ar worlds many times along woth many other players.
falcom4ever
New Member
UK has a better palmares and deserves then the place of 3rd best country after US and Japan. So Canada is not in the top3 from that point of view.
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And I can name Mexico players as well that have made cut, myself included.
falcom4ever
New Member
I can name Argentinian that made top cut and they don't have a single travel award in their country 
(and a lot of players from that country do not come due to the distance and the cost involved)
(and a lot of players from that country do not come due to the distance and the cost involved)
psychup2034
New Member
This post is made with extreme ignorance to the relative purchasing power parity in both countries. It is typical of a biased Canadian/American mentality that underestimates how well off Canada/America is compared to some of the other countries in the world. Mexican players on average will spend a much higher percentage of their income on a trip to Vancouver compared to Canadian players.
Canada's GDP per capita, PPP-adjusted: 40,420 international dollars
Mexico's GDP per capita, PPP-adjusted: 16,588 international dollars
(Source)
The average Canadian can approximately buy 2.5 times more "stuff" with their per capita income than the average Mexican.
Current cheapest Mexico > Vancouver round trip, 1 stop max: $723 international dollars (Source)
Current cheapest Toronto > Vancouver round trip, 1 stop max: $642 international dollars (Source)
However, a Mexican player, on average, will spend 53% of his/her per capita monthly income to buy the plane ticket to Worlds (732/(16,588/12)). A Canadian player, on average, will only have to spend 19% of his/her per capita monthly income to buy the plane ticket to Worlds (642/(40,402/12)).
Adjusted for relevant economic indicators, a round-trip ticket to Worlds will cost a Mexican player about 2.8 times more than a Canadian player.
I'm Canadian myself, and it pisses me off to no end when I see a fellow Canadian so ignorant to how well off we are compared to some other countries in the world. That's just Mexico. Brazil has a GDP per capita of only 11,640 international dollars. Australia on the other hand, has a ticket more than twice as expensive as a ticket from Toronto ($1,290 is the cheapest flight, source).
Im sure you can and Mexico has shown that they have many capable competitors I was just addressing the point in which you said Canada had no "good" players besides the 2 u mentioned.
kirwin3180
Member
Ouch...Canada has no more notable players beside Chase and Sebastian ?
This is my 4th year in a row qualifying for the world championships in 5 years of playing, t32 and t8
Gordon Coates top 16...does consistently well (won his provincials championships like 5 years in a row)
Bidier Jing - Grinds in whenever he tries
Matthew Koo - Top 16 in his first worlds, top 32 x2
Jacob Lesage - the only player I believe to win every single tournament in a season (including worlds)
Not to mention every time we attend a tournament(States or Regionals) in the US there is atleast a Canadian in top 4.
I would argue the quality of players in Canada present day is at an all time high, for example I remember back in September I attended a battle road and it had 16 players. out of the 16 - 12 had distinct accomplishments...including a regional champion, 6 worlds competitors, a top 8 at worlds, a world champion etc.
Im not trying to cause any country hate or put targets on our back but I think we can agree that the quality of players (Canada included) has been exponential.
Who are you again?
Gordon Coates is definitely someone I forgot. Bidier Jing will always be notable for Golem/Exploud, Top 16 and Top 32 doesn't make you 'notable' otherwise every country is notable at this point after 9 World Championships, and finally, Jacob Lesage won every tournament in a season, including Worlds, IN SENIORS. Curran Hill did it too in 2005 I believe, and where is Jacob now in Masters?
I'm sure Canada has quality players, but I will still argue it is far from the 2nd best country after the U.S.
kirwin3180
Member
Curtis Lyon. ask about me.
just to touch on your points...
Top 16 and top 32 dont make you notable, however if you do it 3 times in the span of 4 years i think that adds some weight to your resume.
I think your statement on Bidier Jing is a little bit ignorant towards someones growth as a player. Dont discredit anybody because of one game.
Jacob hasnt played much, but he top cut at regionals and came 2nd at provincials...so i dont think its fair to discredit him as well.
Mystery Thing
Administrator
That wasn't Bidier, that was Genesis.
Mystery Thing
Administrator
Calm the heck down, dude. I never was "ignorant" about ANYTHING about Mexico's per capita income or cost of living. The claim was that it is both closer and cheaper for Canadians to get to Worlds than ALL OTHER COUNTRIES. And I disproved both of those. I never brought the cost of Mexican flights into it. I never said it's fair in terms of per capita income, or anything of the like.
He said that we have it cheaper than ALL other countries. False; a massive amount of the US has it cheaper.
He said that we have it closer than ALL other countries. False; a massive hunk of the US and a not insignificant chunk of Mexico are closer.
Those are the only two points I countered, and I am correct about them both.
I stand by what I said. Despite your's and faclon's decision to run with something I NEVER SAID, of course it's a bummer that a bunch of non-NA Nationals don't give a trip to even first place. But considering that those are the decision of the distributor for that country, not necessarily TPCI, such arguments are completely irrelevant to this discussion. And of course we have it a massive ton better than 99% of the population in Mexico. But I never said anything to the contrary.
psychup2034
New Member
Sorry, I quoted the wrong post. This is the post that demonstrates ignorance.
It is not only the land area of a country that matters. It is the proximity to a commercial airport and availability of transportation to that airport that matters.
Mystery Thing
Administrator
That post was in reference to the size of the country's Nationals, not accessibility to Worlds. The argument at that point was that we don't get enough players at our Nationals to warrant a second trip, and my point was that if the entire Canadian player base was within the proximity to each other that the Mexican player base is due to country size, our Nationals would be much, much larger.
ottawacollector
New Member
Now after all of that, can I just comment that I really look forward to seeing how things play out at worlds this year. As in any worlds events, I am expecting I will cheer on the players I have grown to know (both here and internationally) and appreciate while playing the game I have come to love.
If Canada is not doing well with sales records, that's most likely due to the fact that most individuals buy it from the US instead. The price differences are just ridiculous. Even buying "at cost" for stores here is more expensive than buying it from the US at retail.
Not enough travel rewards? Simply support your country-mates that have made it. Share a room, share a ride, share some cards, buy some cards from them, etc. As I'm quickly learning, this is a great community of players and supporters that are willing to always help.
Am I disappointed that there's only one travel award in Canada? Absolutely, but extending on NoPoke's quote, "you may think the grass is greener on the other side, but if you take the time to water your own grass, it would be just as green".
If Canada is not doing well with sales records, that's most likely due to the fact that most individuals buy it from the US instead. The price differences are just ridiculous. Even buying "at cost" for stores here is more expensive than buying it from the US at retail.
Not enough travel rewards? Simply support your country-mates that have made it. Share a room, share a ride, share some cards, buy some cards from them, etc. As I'm quickly learning, this is a great community of players and supporters that are willing to always help.
Am I disappointed that there's only one travel award in Canada? Absolutely, but extending on NoPoke's quote, "you may think the grass is greener on the other side, but if you take the time to water your own grass, it would be just as green".
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