really don't think it will last tbh
i tried pocket one and while it's fun at the begining, it's turning into pay to play really fast
i mean, people got most of the cards now but with next expansion there will be no beginer bonuses and they'll realize how little 2 packs a day let them do, not to mention f2p items got 50% increase in prices already (in like 2 days)
i don't think this game will last a year tbh
as someone that has played TCG Online (now TCG Live) dating back to 2012 and having played TCG Pocket for the past month or so, I have to disagree tbh. It took Pocket just weeks to surpass TCG Online despite being released 12+ years later (and the numbers back this up).
TCG Online/Live
- Need to buy actual booster packs/code cards to be able to obtain cards in-game for decks with no true in-game purchasing option (not an issue for me personally since I would purchase 30-40 packs per expansion but for people that only care about the online aspect, usually inconvenient since its RNG to get the card that you want and you can't outright purchase it virtually)
- Matches usually last 1+ hr if not more due to complexity/high-level meta
TCG Pocket
- P2W (like any other modern smartphone game) but you can eventually get enough pack points to straight up get the card that you want for both collectors/battlers
- Matches last ~10-15 min
- 20 cards instead of 60 card decks
- 3 Prize Cards/Points instead of 6 (which makes matches significantly faster against ex decks)
- 3 Bench Pokemon instead of 5
- No Energy Cards in decks (Energy Generator makes the game more 'convenient' and eliminates some RNG that would normally be an inconvenience in regular games)
- No Cards hiding in the (6) Prize Card pool of a traditional TCG match
- No Deck Out due to not having cards to draw during turn
Having used to play TCG Online daily from 2012 to 2018 with the introduction of NEXt Destinies (stopped due to not having as much time IRL and downsizing to just purchasing Elite Trainer Boxes per expansion set with around 8-10 packs), TCG Pocket is way easier to get into/play and will have a great chance to increase awareness of the TCG outside of scalping/selling that cunts like Jake Paul introduced during the pandemic.
The 2 free packs are more of a bonus rather than a necessity, if you actually collect/battle TCG seriously, you will need to pay eventually regardless for more packs to be able to build decks and compete (I have spent around ~$50 as of now on poke gold deals)
If Pokemon plays their cards right (pun intended), TCG Pocket can easily last 5+ years especially with the app integrating actual older cards/artwork into the game and being relatively accessible.
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can relate as a Marowak ex user lol
https://x.com/lv5plant/status/1858664868804784610
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@Mr. Reloaded took over a month but I finally got around to finishing it off