If you’re playing Pokémon TCG Pocket, you may have noticed that you’re faced with a new booster pack set each month since near release. But, why are we getting a deluge of new content and how can you manage to keep up when each new set is just around the corner?
I’ve been noticing a lot of questions in groups that I am in, as many people are new to gaming or Pokémon as a trading card game in general. So, I’m going to potentially teach you some new vocabulary and hopefully give you a little more insight into how live service games like Pokémon TCG Pocket work.
What is a “live service” game or “GaaS”?
An important term that you may not know of if you’re new to ongoing video games is “live service” (or sometimes called “Games as a Service”/ GaaS). According to Wikipedia, the simple definition presented is that a live service game “represents providing video games or game content on a continuing revenue model.”
Think of it like when non-game programs, like the Microsoft Office or Adobe Creative suites, offer constant and consistent updates to change or enhance various features within their applications.
I know that this explanation is definitely oversimplifying the term, but in older eras, games were stand-alone. When you got a new game, there was no ability to update it. If there was a bug or issue, they remained forever part of the game’s legacy. If a developer wanted to add something new to the game, downloadable content (commonly referred to as DLC) didn’t exist. Instead, you had entire expansion packs that you likely had to buy from a store or, in later years, from an online game “portal”, similar to Steam or the Epic Games Store.
Once DLC, updates, and bug fixes were a little more commonplace, the advent of the “live service” became a little more dominant. What if a game could constantly evolve or change to keep things fresh for players for a longer stretch of time?
You saw massively multi-player online games (or MMO for short) boom pretty spectacularly during the early 2000s, such as World of Warcraft and Runescape. These kinds of games had new updates, bug fixes, or entire scenarios added to the game by the developers regularly.
And then games like Fortnite and Hearthstone revolutionized how the “live service” model worked, as well as several successful mobile games, offering things like Battle Passes or a la carte monetization. While most games that attempt the model have varying degrees of success, for better or worse, it’s become a permanent fixture of keeping ongoing games feeling new to players who may not have heard of it prior.
Why are new Pokémon TCG Pocket sets coming out at such a high frequency?
Now that we know what a “live service” is, it’s easier to understand that the Pokémon Company is here for the long haul with Pokémon TCG Pocket. Their plan, as far as I can tell, is to continually offer fresh content no matter what month you may join the game.
While you’re seeing a monthly set, they’re actually staggering them in a smarter way than you may realize, and it all comes down to how they handle the physical sets of the Pokémon Trading Card Game cards in Japan.
In the English sets of the physical Pokémon card game (as well as the other mobile game Pokémon TCG Live), you’re going to expect a new set roughly once per quarter during the year. While Japan has a similar structure, our English sets are not one-to-one with their sets and are often chopped up into other things we may or may not get here.
In Japan, you’re likely to see a mainline set (similar to Genetic Apex in Pokémon TCG Pocket), and then potentially some expansion to it (which you’d call a “themed booster set” in Pokémon TCG Pocket, such as Mythical Island). It doesn’t happen with every set, especially recently. But, historically, they’re generally added to bring a form of balance with the cards that they had previously introduced, while keeping to the same theme.
With a constant movement of content needs, it makes sense to focus an entire mainline set and themed booster on a single generation from the games in a row. You can see this easily with the Pokémon Sun and Moon theme around both Celestial Guardians and Extradimensional Crisis.
If they were to only offer two sets for each generation of Pokémon (which they likely won’t, if you understand how the physical TCG works), that’s 18 months worth of content on its own. But, you also have to take into account that sets focused around other Pokémon games may come into the mix as well, such as Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Pokémon GO (a set that already exists in physical form), or whatever comes to us in Generation 10.
So, the simple answer to why sets come out so often is a mixture of how they’ve always done it in other parts of the world, while also keeping up with the fast-paced nature of mobile games using a live service model.
All in all, I see a lot of complaints online and, while this isn’t going to stop people from being mad, I hope to give a little more enlightenment on why the sets come out so frequently.
How do I keep up with new Pokémon TCG Pocket sets? What is a “whale” when it comes to video games?
Sure, you may now understand the “why”, but how can you keep up with a model designed to move on so quickly? Honestly, you’re not supposed to unless you’re a “whale”.
A “whale” is a term used in mobile gaming and live service models to denote people who spend a lot of money on a game with monetization or a live service model. We’re not talking about those who buy a Battle Pass in a game, buy a bundle here or there, or top off a few bits of in-game currency. We’re talking about those who spend what is likely way above average for someone playing that particular game.
While anyone is invited to play a free-to-play (or F2P) game, developers hope that some people with a lot of extra disposable income may get really involved in their game. These people are often rewarded for their purchases by getting just that much further ahead than the average player.
In Pokémon TCG Pocket, I see whales all over the social media groups and forums that brag about having opened easily double the packs as me to potentially obtain every card in that particular set or get more God Packs (a booster pack with all 5 cards of a very high rarity).
But, what can you do to maximize your card collecting without spending hundreds to thousands of dollars?
- While Pokémon TCG Pocket has PvP battling, the focus is on the collectability of the cards. Remember that this is a numbers game and that their entire intent is to drain your bank account.
- If you’re actively playing the game, definitely consider getting the Premium Pass, as that’ll open up extra daily packs and monthly rewards, and it only costs $9.99 per month.
- Do the daily missions to earn 4 pack hourglasses each day. It may seem small, but earning enough hourglasses to get a free pack every three days can help.
- Every time there is a new set, you’re also going to get a lot of free rewards for doing the corresponding missions and solo battles (which you can see from Shining Revelry here). Do them as you often obtain pack hourglasses, wonder hourglasses, and shop tickets (which can also get you even more rewards and hourglasses by using those each month).
- Take advantage of any events that give rewards, especially if hourglasses, EXP, or shop tickets are involved.
- If you plan on buying Gold in Pokémon TCG Pocket, consider doing the bundles to maximize your value. But, these just aren’t necessary to keep a constant flow of cards.
- There is no shame in going back to an older Pokémon TCG Pocket set to open packs, especially if you feel you’ve hit a roadblock from a current set. Check out how to go back and open packs from much older sets here.
- Don’t expect to get every secret rare in a set. Focus on getting the main sets and be happy if you pull something special while you’re at it.
- Take advantage of Wonder Picks for lower-rarity cards you still need. Three picks for three 1- or 2-diamond cards that you don’t already have can possibly be worth more than a single potential pull for a full art or ex card, if you’re struggling with completing sets.
- Trading works for most cards that you need to complete sets. In fact, lower rarity cards don’t even cost anything to trade.
While there is so much more to Pokémon TCG Pocket, it’s just important to understand what type of game you’re playing so that the game doesn’t take advantage of your inexperience. In other words, when it comes to live service games, play the game in a way that it doesn’t play you.
While you’re here, check out some of my other guides for Pokémon TCG Pocket, such as understanding how to make display boards and binders or how to obtain flair. Or, if you’re new to the game, you can check out my review of it.
