Pokémon TCG Pocket's in-game trading system fuels a thriving black market for digital cards on platforms like eBay. Players are openly buying and selling cards for prices ranging from $5 to $10, circumventing the game's rules against such transactions.
Sellers exploit the trading mechanic by exchanging friend codes and cards, often requiring buyers to possess specific cards and Trade Tokens. This process allows sellers to essentially profit without losing valuable cards, as the game's trading restrictions (same rarity cards only) let them immediately replace any traded ex Pokémon. This directly contradicts the game's terms of service, prohibiting the buying and selling of virtual items.
The most sought-after cards, such as ex Pokémon and 1-Star alternate art cards, are heavily traded on eBay, alongside entire accounts containing valuable resources like Pack Hourglasses and rare cards. While account sales are common in online gaming, this practice still violates Pokémon TCG Pocket's rules.
The trading mechanic itself has been controversial since its launch. Beyond the existing restrictions on pack openings and Wonder Picking, the introduction of Trade Tokens—requiring players to delete five cards to trade one of equal rarity—drew significant criticism for its high cost.
However, the black market's existence isn't solely due to these restrictions. The system's limitations, specifically the requirement to be friends with a trading partner, have fueled the use of external platforms like eBay, Reddit, and Discord. Players have voiced their desire for a more integrated trading system within the app itself, allowing for public card listings.
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Developer Creatures Inc. has warned players against real-money transactions and other forms of cheating, threatening account suspensions. Ironically, the Trade Token system, implemented to prevent such exploitation, has failed and alienated a significant portion of the community. While Creatures Inc. is investigating improvements to the trading feature, concrete solutions remain elusive despite ongoing complaints.
Many believe the trading system's design is intended to boost revenue for Pokémon TCG Pocket, which reportedly generated half a billion dollars in under three months before the trading feature's release. The inability to trade higher-rarity cards (2-Star and above) further supports this theory, as easy trading would reduce the need for players to spend significant sums on packs hoping to obtain rare cards. One player reported spending approximately $1,500 to complete the first card set.
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