Black Market Thrives on Rare Pokémon TCG Pocket Cards

The Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has sparked controversy with the emergence of a black market for its digital cards. Players are now buying and selling these cards on platforms like eBay, facilitated by the game's new trading mechanic. Listings for cards such as Starmie ex are priced between $5 and $10, with sellers asking buyers to exchange friend codes and trade an "unwanted Pokémon ex" for the desired card. This practice directly violates the game's terms of service, which explicitly prohibit the buying or selling of virtual content or data.

The mechanics of these transactions are particularly intriguing. Sellers technically lose nothing since they trade a card of the same rarity, which they can then sell again. Buyers, on the other hand, give up a card they don't want for one they do, making it a standard trade aside from the monetary exchange. eBay listings are not limited to individual cards; entire accounts containing Pack Hourglasses and rare cards are also on sale, a practice common in many online games despite breaching service terms.

The trading feature in Pokémon TCG Pocket, introduced recently, has been met with mixed reactions. The game restricts players from excessive pack openings, Wonder Picking, and now trading, without spending real money. The introduction of Trade Tokens, which require players to delete five cards from their collection to trade one of the same rarity, has been a significant point of contention. Critics argue that this system is too restrictive and costly.

Despite these restrictions, the black market's emergence suggests that even without them, players would still engage in such transactions. The only connection to player complaints is the limited nature of the trading mechanic, which requires players to be friends to trade, prompting calls for a public trading system within the app. This could eliminate the need for external platforms like Reddit, Discord, and now eBay.

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Creatures Inc., the developer behind Pokémon TCG Pocket, has warned players against buying and selling cards with real money and other forms of cheating. They have stated that violators could face account suspension or other penalties. Ironically, the Trade Tokens system was implemented to prevent such exploitation, but it has evidently failed and has alienated many players.

The company is currently investigating ways to improve the trading feature, though no specifics have been shared despite ongoing complaints since the feature's unveiling three weeks ago. Some fans believe the trading system is designed to boost revenue for the game, which reportedly earned half a billion dollars in less than three months before trading was introduced. The inability to trade cards of 2 Star rarity or higher further supports this theory, as it encourages players to spend more money on packs to complete sets. One player spent around $1,500 to complete the first set, highlighting the significant financial investment required to fully engage with the game.