The Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket app has only been out for two days, and it's already surpassed 10 million downloads. The app brings the popular card game to mobile devices, and its launch was met with huge success.
The official Japanese Pokémon TCG Pocket X (formerly Twitter) account thanked players for reaching 10 million downloads worldwide, just two days after the app's official launch. Although it does feature microtransactions and an optional subscription, the app is completely free-to-play, making it easy to get into.
Initial reviews for the virtual TCG are generally positive, praising the game for its intuitive design and beautiful artwork. It's already won many players over, both existing fans and newcomers to the fanbase.
Pokémon TCG Pocket Launch Brings The Trading Card Game Into The Mainstream
The App Makes It Easier To Get Into The Pokémon TCG
Pokémon is a massive franchise spanning across many different shows, movies, video games, and other types of merchandise. The card game arm of the IP has been around almost as long as the video games have, and the very first cards were originally released in October 1996. The new TCG app comes almost exactly 28 years after its initial release, bringing the game to a wider mainstream audience thanks to its ease of access.
Pokémon TCG Pocket is finally live and fans of the game are stunned to discover that it includes some of the rarest packs in the entire franchise.
Pokémon TCG Pocket lets players open virtual booster packs featuring Pokémon cards from different eras in the card game's history. Fans can then use these cards to battle AI opponents and other players, organize the cards into binders and display cases, and strive to collect them all. The game was an instant hit with players for its intuitive approach to an established part of the Pokémon name that can otherwise seem intimidating to newcomers.
How The Pokémon TCG Pocket Launch Compares To Pokémon GO
Despite Its Success, GO Leaves Pocket In The Dust
Custom Image by Rose Renaud
Despite countless knockoffs, reskins, and fan ROM hack remakes, there aren't that many official Pokémon apps on the mobile market. That said, Pokémon TCG Pocket seems to be aimed at both casual players and the TCG community at large. The app presents the cards and gameplay in a simple way to non-players and current fans alike, giving it a broad appeal.
The newest app is unlikely to set off a craze as large as the last app The Pokémon Company released to general audiences, Pokémon GO. According to Statista, Pokémon GO reached an incredible 500 million downloads when it first launched in July 2016. The 10 million downloads of Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket pale in comparison. It's still an impressive number, for an app that deals with the trading card game aspect of the franchise, and not the more popular core games.
Custom Image by Rose Renaud 
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