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Game designer Atsushi Nagashima reveals why Pokemon card games are still strong after 25 years

The Pokemon trading card game does not understand the word "exit". Although its popularity has fluctuated over time, since its debut in the mid-90s, it seems to have only become more stubborn. How does it allow players to return after more than 20 years?

Atsushi Nagashima knows a thing or two about this. As the game director of the Pokemon trading card game, he has been responsible for one of the best card games in the world since 2007. As TCG celebrated its 25th anniversary this year with customized "celebration" sets, which brought back beloved cards, I was able to catch up with him in chat-and was surprised to hear that he believes that the game's success is at the core.

Mr. Nagashima joined Creatures Inc. (the organization behind Pokemon TCG) in 2001 and has witnessed many ideas come and go. Although the game is constantly changing with each new series, he insists that its secret weapon is not really tied to the mechanics or reinventing the wheel. It is important to ensure that the gameplay is not outdated, yes, but there is more important thing in his eyes-to make people happy.

"The basic rules of Pokemon TCG have remained the same since its first release," he said. "However, for each new series, we will continue to explore new mechanisms, new illustrations and graphic design methods, and other choices that make our fans happy, surprise and entertaining."

For Mr. Nagashima, this sense of happiness has been incorporated into the DNA of trading card games. Because individual Pokemon are so popular, a lot of work needs to be done to figure out "how do we convey the new charm of each Pokemon through cards". 

It is very important for us that people can enjoy cards in their own way

However, this is only part of the picture. Pokemon should be suitable for everyone, so ensuring that no one is left behind is another priority for the team. "Pokémon cards provide many different ways of fun, including collecting, trading, admiring illustrations, creating decks, and fighting Pokémon," said Mr. Nagashima. 

"It is very important for us to let people enjoy the cards in their own way. And we are always adding changes, such as new mechanisms or artistic styles, to ensure that these different ways of playing remain fresh and enjoyable. Of course, this" is for such a long-term It can be difficult for running and beloved franchises, but we have made many unique discoveries about Pokémon cards in the process. The ability to use past experience to create new things is one of TCG's strengths. "

Nevertheless, this is not a one-way street. Social media has revolutionized the way fans interact with the people behind their favorite games, and this connection has become a motivation for the team. To be precise, Mr. Long Island observed that they could witness people's feelings with their own eyes.

"We can see the reaction of fans in real time," he said. "With the announcement of the celebration, I was reminded again that it is this enthusiasm of our fans that has promoted the development of Pokémon TCG."

With all this in mind, what is it like to work for one of the biggest brands? Even after 25 years from these original scenes, the team still started everything with the same source of inspiration-the video game that started it all.

"When choosing an extended theme, we first studied how the world in a Pokemon video game is portrayed," he explained. "We first select four to five main Pokemon, while keeping in mind the types of Pokemon in the existing game environment." 

"Based on this choice, we began to explore a broader view of the world and created a simple graphic illustration at this point. Next, we put together our Pokemon, focusing on the balance of types, evolutionary balance, and character popularity. Wait for questions, and game mechanics. From there, we make data and illustrations for each card."

Of course, this does not mean that the team would rather be safe. A good example is TAG TEAM Pokemon-GX, which appeared in the "Sun & Moon-Team Up" series in 2019. Since more powerful cards combine multiple Pokemon and provide higher rewards when defeated, balancing them with other cards causes considerable headaches.

Players and collectors are very satisfied with the cards we made. I'm glad we pushed ourselves

"Making a single card with multiple Pokemon has many challenges, such as which Pokemon to match, or the mechanics or artistic style used," he pointed out. "But this is a rewarding challenge. This is a new attempt by Pokemon. Players and collectors are very satisfied with the cards we created. I'm glad we pushed ourselves."

In my interview with Mr. Nagashima, I emphasized that providing a good experience for fans is an unchanging theme. As the name of "festival" implies, this is the whole meaning of the event. In a separate conversation with the official Pokemon website, Mr. Nagashima explained that this is "an opportunity for old players and collectors to relive familiar cards and memories, and even get special cards they missed in the first edition. "

This is a succinct summary of Mr. Nagashima's views on how to keep the Pokemon trading card game relevant, even after twenty and a half years. The trick is to never forget why we fell in love with it in the first place.

The Pokemon Celebrations card is now on the market. Although many packages have been sold out, it is worth paying close attention to whether there is more stock in this year’s Black Friday Pokemon card transaction or Cyber ​​Monday Pokemon card transaction. If nothing else, at least we can count on some good Black Friday Pokemon deals in 2021. 

As the desktop and merchandise editor of the site, you will find my dirty paw in everything from board game reviews to Lego buying guides. For the past ten years, I have been writing articles about games in one form or another (signed from Metro.co.uk to TechRadar), and joined the GamesRadar team in 2018. I usually find that I sneer at some of the evil plans I made in preparation for the next Dungeons and Dragons battle of my team.

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