Pokémon TCG Pocket Trading Launches to Backlash

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has finally launched its long-awaited trading update today. Despite widespread player criticism when developer Creatures Inc. first outlined the mechanics last week, the actual release has somehow managed to generate an even more negative reception.

Players have flooded social media to express their frustration with the new trading feature, criticizing it for being overly restrictive and burdened with excessive requirements. While the restrictions were detailed last week, the full scope of the requirements was only vaguely hinted at with the statement that "items must be consumed in order to trade."

Unlike using the Wonder Pick feature or opening booster packs, every single trade requires two separate, consumable items. The first is Trade Stamina, a system similar to other mechanics in the game. This stamina recovers slowly over time or can be replenished instantly using Poké Gold, which translates to real-world money.

Found a picture of the devs after the trade update!
byu/marcola42 inPTCGP

Trade Tokens

The second required item, however, is what's causing a major uproar within the Pokémon TCG Pocket community. Trade Tokens are mandatory for trading any card rated 3 Diamonds or higher. Trading a 3 Diamond card costs 120 Trade Tokens, a 1 Star card costs 400, and a 4 Diamond card (typically an ex Pokémon) requires a hefty 500 tokens.

Trade Tokens can only be acquired by essentially deleting cards from your collection. Players can "sell" a 3 Diamond card for 25 tokens, a 1 Star card for 100, a 4 Diamond card for 125, a 2 Star card for 300, a 3 Star immersive art card for 300, and a Crown gold card for 1500. Lower rarity cards yield no tokens, but they also don't require tokens to be traded.

This system forces players to sacrifice, for example, five ex Pokémon just to earn enough tokens to trade for one ex Pokémon. Similarly, you'd need to sell five 1 Star cards to trade for a single 1 Star card. Even more staggering, selling one ultra-rare Crown card—which can take months to obtain—only provides enough tokens to trade for three ex Pokémon.

Selling a 3 Star immersive art card, a major selling point for the game itself, doesn't even grant enough tokens to trade for either a 1 Star or a 4 Diamond card.

'A Monumental Failure'

"The trading update is an insult," wrote Reddit user hurtbowler in a post with over 1,000 upvotes, vowing to stop spending money on the game. "It's just frustrating. The greed is so excessive I can't justify spending another dollar. They should probably remove 'Trading Card Game' from the title screen. It's insulting to even look at."

"It's ridiculous that you have to burn two immersive cards just to trade one 4 Diamond ex," commented another user. "I understand wanting to prevent bots and exploitation, but this is currently absurd."

Others have labeled the system "hilariously toxic" and a "monumental failure," lamenting that a potential "safe way for the community to connect" was sacrificed for something "so laborious." The process of converting a card into Trade Tokens also takes about 15 seconds, meaning players may spend minutes navigating menus just to execute a single trade.

"If these are the trade costs, the app should be renamed to Pokémon Card Game Pocket," wrote Darkmalice in a discussion about the high costs. "I don't think they want people trading at all," added another user. "That's why they made it so terrible."

what a joke of a trading system
byu/ZenGraphics_ inPTCGP

Pay Day

Fans argue that the trading system is transparently designed to boost revenue for Pokémon TCG Pocket, a game already estimated to have earned $200 million in its first month—before trading was even available.

This theory is supported by the inability to trade cards of 2 Star rarity or higher. If players could simply trade for their missing high-end cards, they'd have less incentive to spend $10, $100, or more on packs for a random chance at pulling them. For instance, one player reportedly spent around $1,500 just to complete the first card set, with a third set launching tomorrow.

"The trading system is predatory and downright greedy," wrote Reddit user ACNL, who detailed the unfavorable Trade Token conversion rates. "That's just messed up. Who designed this? If there were other ways to earn tokens, it might be tolerable, but currently there are none."

"This isn't sustainable at all. On top of that, you can't even delete a card unless you own three copies of it. If you want to trade in this game, you better buy a ton of packs and keep buying them."

Finally Trade is here.... wait What?
byu/Tidus1117 inPTCGP

Creatures Inc. Stays Quiet

Creatures Inc. has remained silent regarding the backlash against the trading update. While the developer rarely comments, it did address initial complaints last week when trading was first announced. "Your concerns are seen," the statement read. "Once this feature becomes available, I'd like to invite everyone to try it and provide feedback. This way, the game can continue to evolve in an enjoyable way for everyone."

That response suggested the final implementation might be better than fans feared, which has clearly not been the case. IGN has reached out to Creatures Inc. for comment on the current reaction and to inquire if any changes are planned.

As some users have suggested, the system could be improved if Pokémon TCG Pocket included Trade Tokens as rewards for completing missions. However, it's more likely that future rewards will focus on Trade Stamina, as the game has previously offered similar items like Wonder Stamina and Pack Hourglasses.

Regardless, launching such a poorly received feature is a significant misstep for a game about to debut its next major update, which will introduce Diamond and Pearl era Pokémon like Dialga and Palkia to the digital card game.