I loved Pokemon Go back in 2016. Who didn’t, right? It united the world like few other video games ever have, and felt like a special moment around the globe that was, in many ways, the apex of Pokemon’s popularity and cultural relevance. And Pokemon TCG Pocket is a game that lots of people are playing and nothing more. They are otherwise incomparable, and I’m afraid, as the kids say, Pokemon TCG Pocket just doesn’t have the sauce.
‘Pokemon‘ and ‘Pokemon cards’ have always been very different ideas. There are thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of mega Pokemon fans who have never engaged with the TCG side of things. Who have never touched a card or possibly even seen one outside of appreciating their fantastic art. Pokemon Go appealed to Pokemon fans, and even to those who weren’t fans but thought Pikachu was cute enough that they wanted to be. TCG Pocket might convince some fans to dive into cards for the first time, but it lacks the broader appeal.
TCG Pocket Is Already A Runaway Success
The numbers don’t immediately tell this story. TCG Pocket has been out for four days and has already made $12 million. It is a massive success even for something too big to fail like Pokemon. But I don’t see these numbers lasting. I don’t see what there is to stick around for in TCG Pocket. The numbers will still be big, just not that big, and the playerbase will drop off faster and in greater percentages than Pokemon Go.
None of this is surprising, except perhaps the profits being as staggeringly high as they are already. It’s not meant to have as many players as Pokemon Go did at its peak, or to retain as many of them for as long. By basing itself around the card game, it’s already appealing more to hardcore fans. And in doing so, it finds an audience more susceptible to and accepting of aggressive monetisation.
Pokemon Go is heavily monetised too – in fact, this has been a major and continued criticism of the game. But it was introduced more slowly, hidden away in menus, and was less of a roadblock to engaging with the game. You can play Pokemon Go all day every day and never spend a cent. Just wander around, spin a PokeStop, catch a Pokemon, hatch those eggs, and earn that candy. To get the rarest ‘mons in timed events, or regularly participate in Raids, you’ll need to pay. But you can have a satisfying enough vanilla time with the basic gameplay experience for free, and you can’t in TCG Pocket.
Why Am I Even Playing TCG Pocket?
That’s another issue I have. What exactly is the gameplay loop in TCG Pocket supposed to inspire in me? Pokemon Go turns your neighbourhood into an adventure, and I still remember the high of those early days seeing a shadow on the radar – back in ye olde times before it told you what stops they were near. This experience continued for years, playing with friends and catching new Pokemon from new generations. The rush lasted.
The goal was simple, and classic for Pokemon – you gotta catch ’em all. That’s not really the case in TCG Pocket. Sure, you need to collect all of the cards, but with human characters and items mixed in, the cards not being in Dex order, dupes that aren’t dupes, and no real incentive to keep going or sense of achievement to opening packs, it all feels a bit flat. Card games are built on that rush of getting a rare, shimmering piece of cardboard fall into your hands, and that just isn’t translated across TCG Pocket well enough for me.
There’s the battle gameplay, but I didn’t like that in Pokemon Go and I like it even less here. I realise I’m an interloper into the TCG community and battling is actually the point, but it feels very bland in digital form. Maybe it would in real life, too. In any case, despite being a major Pokemon fan looking for a fix after being repeatedly let down by mainline releases, and once being obsessed with Pokemon Go and still occasionally dabbling, it’s clear TCG Pocket is not for me.
I’m not really sure who it’s for. Not this many people for very much longer, would be my guess. It doesn’t translate the adrenaline or personalisation of card collecting very well and unlike Pokemon Go, doesn’t feel like Pokemon at all. Aside from the pictures on the cards, there’s very little here that captures the charm of the series the way AR Pokemon in your living room or perfecting a Poke Ball throw did with Pokemon Go. I’m glad people are enjoying TCG Pocket, but it doesn’t feel like a phenomenon, or even a particularly fun game.
- Released
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October 30, 2024