Theory: Worldwide Set Releases Coming to the Pokemon TCG?

ShinyJordeon

Aspiring Trainer
Member
I think your theory is correct. They will probably synchronize it so we can all celebrate Pokemons 25th anniversary together.
 

Otaku

The wise fool?
Member
I think I would love worldwide releases. There are some advantages to the staggered approach, though I'm not sure how many of them are fully utilized (such as fine-tuning card text).

That's because they really didn't do anything beyond translate and distribute the cards and had to fight with Nintendo just to get one secret rare made. PCL/Creatures has been calling the shots in the TCG since day one. Which is why I always hard roll my eyes when older players bemoan Wizards losing the Pokemon TCG license because "their" cards were "better"/"more balanced"/whatever.

When it came to the cards themselves, WotC did very little. When it came to Organized Play, or better and worse, they did a lot. I had to catch myself before I posted a short essay. Oh, and I am glad WotC failed to retain the license. Just didn't want anyone lumping me in with the kind of players @Frost mentioned. ;) Hm... this might be worth its own thread.
 

Frost

Ice/Fairy Stan Account
Member
To be fair the sort of people who think "WOTC's cards" were better are mostly driven by nostalgia and haven't actively followed the TCG in close to 20 years.
 

Otaku

The wise fool?
Member
I hope they do sync the sets!! The video games are now synced, why can't the TCG? However...


1) This is assuming TPCi does NOT make their own reprint sets like Base Set 2 or Legendary Collection.
For point the first, the reprint sets were typically a product of the TCG and VG releases not being synced in the first place. Power Keepers and Call of Legends in particular were necessary to stall until DP and BW came out a couple months later.

To be fair, the reprint sets @bbb888 mentions were specifically not meant just to buy time or even make use of Japanese re-releases that would otherwise have gone to waste.

  • Base Set 2 released because WotC badly underestimated the demand for the Pokémon TCG. This in turn meant a shortage of cards, which may have been annoying for casuals, was frustrating for collectors, and was damaging for organized play. One of the reasons people think a lot of old non-competitive decks were actually good is because folks just didn't have better cards in the local metagame with which to regularly smack them down (lack of knowledge and communication were the other parts).
  • The Legendary Collection designed with two things in mind. One was the Limited Format in mind, which makes sense given how they made good use of such a Format for MtG. The other was finding a way to "return" various older cards from the Base Set, Jungle, Fossil, and Team Rocket expansions (plus one BWotC lack Star Promo XP) to the Modified Format (what we called Standard at the time).
They may also have been a means of buying time as well, but not for video game releases considering WotC would eventually skip some smaller expansions after them. It was more WotC was realizing how hard it was to translate Pokémon cards. ;)
 

Frost

Ice/Fairy Stan Account
Member
TPCi's never done a reprint set on par with WOTC's, i.e. one where there are no new cards or even artwork at all, so there's not much reason to worry they would. TPCi does them to stall or because Japan did them too.

And we lost English Vending and VS for BS2 and LC so screw Wizards.
 

Scoop

Literally a sheep
Member
And we lost English Vending and VS for BS2 and LC so screw Wizards.

Not having VS come out in English stings. The E series is the one era I have such a sense of wonder about, from the quality of art to the scarcity of it all, it's just so much fun to look at and collect what I can. VS is one of those sets that I've looked at extensively and adore the artwork to. It's really a shame we never got such a big part of the e series in English, especially when that series is already a massive pain to collect as it is.
 

Otaku

The wise fool?
Member
TPCi's never done a reprint set on par with WOTC's, i.e. one where there are no new cards or even artwork at all, so there's not much reason to worry they would. TPCi does them to stall or because Japan did them too.

And we lost English Vending and VS for BS2 and LC so screw Wizards.

I want to make sure that wasn't your take away from my own previous comment. I don't remember exactly why, but I thought WotC skipped them on purpose, thinking they were too confusing or gimmicky or unbalanced.

I mean, go look at the old set release dates and set composition. There are places, whether on their own or added to another expansion that the Vending and VS cards could have been released.
 

Mimikeon

Aspiring Trainer
Member
You need to break down my arguments if you're going to state something like this. Quote my sentences, disprove my logic with facts and precedence, and then go from there. Your post right now adds no meaningful value to this discussion. So please explain your reasoning.
Honestly, my real issue is that you end up stating your theories as fact after you make them, which then causes other people to do the same. I just think you need to control your excitement over things that you want to happen because you have a lot of influence, and once you end up getting something wrong it's gonna backfire.
 

Frost

Ice/Fairy Stan Account
Member
WPM clearly states this is a theory in both the headline and the speculation itself in this case though. He's also acknowledged when he's been wrong in the past, and in general people in a fandom probably should be a little more discerning when choosing what to believe before things are officially revealed/playing out.
 

Mimikeon

Aspiring Trainer
Member
WPM clearly states this is a theory in both the headline and the speculation itself in this case though. He's also acknowledged when he's been wrong in the past, and in general people in a fandom probably should be a little more discerning when choosing what to believe before things are officially revealed/playing out.
Lately he's been stating that the letters are legality markers as fact. That's 100% on him. I'm worried he'll do the same for this if more evidence mounts.
 

Number51x

Blasting off at the speed of light!
Member
Who the hell cares? It's friggin' Pokemon cards; it's not like he works for the Federal Reserve or something.
 

Mimikeon

Aspiring Trainer
Member
BTW, I do want to point out one small problem with this: unless Full Arts are going to become Secret Rares outside of Japan or we're getting only 12 total Pokemon V and supporters (assuming no new cards in the other products), the numbers don't really add up all that well.
 

SupStar

Aspiring Trainer
Member
OMG this would be so great. I HATE how late we get packs in US and how the packs are so bloated.

In Japan, they get a bunch of new dark pokemon and support cards in a dark pack. In US, they cram like 3 or 4 packs into one so if all I wanted was the dark pokemon, even if I get literally 100 packs, I still get shafted and sometimes only get 1 of a specific GX I was looking for.

I literally got 100 code cards for Unified Minds and didn't get a single Umbreon & Darkrai. I'd be so hype to not get packs that are bloated up with 300 cards anymore and not have to wait either...
 

MilesEX

Aspiring Trainer
Member
OMG this would be so great. I HATE how late we get packs in US and how the packs are so bloated.

In Japan, they get a bunch of new dark pokemon and support cards in a dark pack. In US, they cram like 3 or 4 packs into one so if all I wanted was the dark pokemon, even if I get literally 100 packs, I still get shafted and sometimes only get 1 of a specific GX I was looking for.

I literally got 100 code cards for Unified Minds and didn't get a single Umbreon & Darkrai. I'd be so hype to not get packs that are bloated up with 300 cards anymore and not have to wait either...

You understand our western sets won't fundamentally change right? They'll still consist of 3 Japanese sets, so they'll be huge.

The only thing changing is the last of the three Japenese sets will release day and date with our English set which is that set, and the previous two before it in Japan.

If you read the article in the OP it explains all of that ...
 
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