The Pokemon franchise is as popular and healthy as it has ever been but there’s a severe issue when it comes to the Pokemon Trading Card Game with people buying new cards in bulk and reselling them on online auction sites for a hefty sum of money. Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa is fully aware of the issue and has said that The Pokemon Company is taking “various measures” to stamp this practice out. Here’s what he said:
In the Pokémon Trading Card Game, there have been cases of bulk purchasing and high-priced reselling. In terms of creating an environment where consumers can purchase and enjoy the products with peace of mind, how does Nintendo view this issue, and is Nintendo working with The Pokémon Company to address it?
“With respect to the Pokémon Trading Card Game offered by The Pokémon Company, which is an equity-method subsidiary of Nintendo, we are aware of instances where limited-quantity cards are purchased in large volume, leading to high-priced reselling in the market. In response, The Pokémon Company is taking various measures, including made-to-order sales and agreements with marketplace operators. For online priority drawings for certain products, I understand that The Pokémon Company also plans to use an account verification method that utilizes My Number Cards [Japan’s official government-issued ID cards]. Nintendo also communicates with The Pokémon Company as needed to discuss appropriate ways to deliver products to consumers. We believe that The Pokémon Company will continue to take measures to respond to this issue.”