66 results for: opinion
The Dreaded Bubble, IDs, SosaRai, and Commentary on the Not-So-New Theory “As always, I try to focus my writing here at SixPrizes on a broader topic, delving into more deeper and substantial issues, but for this article, I couldn’t quite think of one particular thing to devote my article to. Instead, I have to decided to break up my sections into a handful of “buzz topics” that have recently occupied my thoughts on the game. I saw it fitting to introduce the article with those thoughts on Cities, but I have several more to write on, all unique and different, so I hope you look forward to getting into some hot…
On Being a Positive Contributor to the Pokémon Community “In my mind, the reason that you want to be a good ambassador for the game is a simple one — you love playing Pokemon, you want to see Pokemon succeed so that you can continue to play Pokemon, and Pokemon is more likely to succeed if its community is a caring, welcoming, passionate one. It’s easy to disregard the feelings or opinions of others, and it’s certainly easy to go about living your life in such a way that you offer no compromises. However, taking a look at the paragraph above, it should be easy to understand why being…
What PTCGO Can Learn from Hearthstone, Blizzard’s Latest Cash Cow “Blizzard Entertainment is probably a company that most of you are either familiar with or have at least heard about. Some of their biggest successes include StarCraft, Warcraft, and World of Warcraft, which are well known in the gaming community. Blizzard excels at two things: making highly addictive strategy games and getting its customers to eagerly open their wallets. Recently Blizzard branched out from its safety net of genres and decided to try its hand at an online card game based off the Warcraft mythology called Hearthstone. The reputation of the company alone made me eager to try the game and…
A Discussion on the Flawed Structure of League Challenges “I’ll come right out with it: I think League Challenges should not be part of the competitive invite structure. I know that they are designed to be entry level tournaments for people to get a feel for the tournament atmosphere, which begs the question as to why they are then part of the invite structure at all. Not only that, they can also be worth up to a staggering one-third of an invite! If you live in an area where there are few to no League Challenges, then you are inherently at a disadvantage to someone who lives in an area…
Discussing the 2015 World Championships Invite Structure “Who Deserves an Invite? The New System Tournament Structure Other Concerns Conclusion I think it’s important to take a step back and take a look at the goals in mind when deciding on the invite structure for Worlds. It seems reasonable to say that the goal of Worlds is to have the best players from various regions come together and play for the title of World Champion. So then, what’s the best way to do this? There has to be some kind of system in place to determine which players are the best in each region. In the case of…
This Pokémon slept for aeons while in the form of a statue. It was asleep for so long, people forgot that it ever existed. (Zamazenta)
The Dunning-Kruger Effect in the Pokémon TCG “So you play Pokemon. Since you also have an internet connection, it’s more than likely you’re aware of the infamous Virbank City, origin of all that is toxic. After reading what must be a lifetime quota of profoundly ignorant Facebook comments, I decided to examine what it is about public expression that makes people so noxious online. Some background: Virbank City is a nearly five thousand-member Facebook group, originally known as HeyFonte. Eventually, as the group got bigger, Jason Klaczynski decided that the group needed some moderation. Since the name no longer fit the mission statement of the group (free…
How to Improve Nationals and Worlds “Before I move on to the potential changes, I want to discuss some of the positive improvements TPCi has made recently. All too often, Pokemon players spend time complaining about the changes they perceive to be needed and pay no attention to the changes TPCi does make to benefit the game. Streaming One of the most visible inclusions over the last few years is live streaming. Pokemon has dedicated a lot of money and manpower to start an official stream for US Nationals and Worlds. Streaming got off to a rocky start with the infamous Gamespot stream of Worlds 2012.…
Tips to Prevent Cheating in the Pokémon TCG “Cheating happens. We’ve all seen it, and it has been a regular topic at the forefront of Twitter and Facebook, especially with the rise of streaming over the past few seasons. Players are now regularly being scrutinized on camera, and even if they’re not playing a feature match, the rise of social media has certainly given way for more discussion and openness about the topic. With that being said, I would like to make it clear that I don’t think a lot of people cheat. I would argue that maybe 2 or 3% of players enter a Pokémon tournament with…
Sentiments on Stalling, Match Points, and Time Limits “My second topic that I’d like to touch upon is the match point system. At the past two Regionals I attended, the first tournament had 350-ish Masters with a top cut of 32 and a cutoff at 19 points (with no guarantee that every 19-point player would make it in). The second had 404 Masters and a top cut of 32 (once again with no guarantee that every 19-point player would make it in). This bothers me for a few reasons. First and primarily, the fact that someone could fail to top cut because of uncontrollable factors (such as opponent’s…
The Overt Simplification of the Pokémon TCG “First Things First: The Label A Changing Current Compare and Contrast How Does This Affect the Game? Is There Hope? Conclusion At some point, the packaging for Pokemon TCG products changed to reflect a younger suitable age range for those wanting to play the game. When the game debuted, it was recommended for those 10 years and older. Currently, packaging reflects the “6+” age range. When I think about how the game is now recommended for those as young as six, I think back to the complex interactions many cards in the past had. Could a six year-old play a…
This Pokémon consumes particles that contaminate the air. Instead of leaving droppings, it expels clean air. (Galarian Weezing)
Ethical Dilemmas in the Pokémon TCG “Asking for a concession is when one player asks their opponent to let them have the win. This happens more and more commonly as players get closer earning their World Championships invites. This is a pretty hot-button issue right now and for the first time TPCi has actually made it illegal to ask your opponent for a concession. According to this year’s tournament guidelines (section 10.1), repeatedly doing so can be penalized as coercion. I think it was a smart call by TPCi to stop players from being able to ask for concessions. Being asked made a lot of players feel uncomfortable,…
Poké-Prophecies Fulfilled and Mediations on “Consistency” “As always, I have many other things to discuss, and while today I will not be discussing the metaphysical implications of shuffling and cutting (as my friend Kenny Wisdom jokingly suggested), I first want to revisit my previous article, in which I touched on how a community might react to something that they perceive as “bad.” To quote myself: Now it seems like there is a common equivocation between “different” and “bad.” When we see a list that deviates from the accepted build, red flags start to shoot up in our heads and we immediately make judgment calls on the…
On Entitlement and Why Winning Should Never Be Made More Painful Than Losing “In two years I have seen two authors (and undoubtedly missed many pundits on social media) implore the community to refrain from entering the last chance for Championship Points events at US Nationals unless an invite is on their horizon. Having too little CP means you have nothing to play for, and having too many means you are “grinching.” I find this discussion interesting, and I’ve done some contemplating to come up with my own position on the matter. But first, a story. Back in 2007, one of my buddies, who is a better friend than he was a player, faced off in an early-round…
On Pokémon as a Live Event and the Importance of Respectfully Spectating “Hello, Prizers! I haven’t written anything for this site in a while, so allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Mark and I’ve been playing the TCG for almost three years now. I play in the tiny Netherlands and started in the “Durant era,” also known as City Championships 2011. My first season was nothing spectacular, but in 2012-2013 I got my invite to Worlds in Vancouver as early as the end of City Championships. A few days ago, I earned my invitation to Washington D.C. I’ve been meaning to write this very article for quite some time now,…
How the Pokémon TCG Became More Popular by Becoming Worse “This is the story of how the Pokémon TCG changed from being a game ruled by powerful groups of elite players to what it is today – a far more open and accessible experience. But that process of change has had consequences, not all of which may have been intended: we may have ended up with the game we deserve, but have we really ended up with the game we wanted? I want to start this story by taking you back to my very first World Championships in 2008. I was 12 years old and we made a last-minute decision…
It anchors itself in the ground with its single leg, then basks in the sun. After absorbing enough sunlight, its petals spread as it blooms brilliantly. (Gossifleur)
