BELLEVUE, WA—, Thursday March 10, 2011
Pokémon™ fans can soon play the Pokémon TCG with anyone, anytime, anywhere, simply by turning on their computers. Expanding on the recently introduced Pokémon Trainer Challenge, The Pokémon Company International announced today the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online, a player-versus-player TCG, launching in fall 2011 for anyone looking to battle 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from the convenience of their PC. Pokémon TCG Online is a fully immersive online game using virtual Pokémon TCG cards that players can collect, trade, and use to battle with others just like in the real world!

When Pokémon TCG Online launches later this year at www.pokemontcg.com, players will already have two ways to collect virtual Pokémon TCG cards, ensuring they are ready for battle online. The recently announced Pokémon Trainer Challenge, launching in April, will give players access to three free virtual Pokémon TCG pre-constructed decks that will be transferable into Pokémon TCG Online. New and seasoned Pokémon TCG players can also prepare for online battles against other players by purchasing physical cards—the three Pokémon TCG: Black & White theme decks, which are available April 6th, include a code that unlocks a virtual deck for play in the Pokémon Trainer Challenge and Pokémon TCG Online. The more virtual cards players collect, the easier it will be to create a strong deck for battle!

To help manage virtual Pokémon TCG cards for easy sorting, trading, and showcasing while ensuring a customizable, in-depth TCG play experience, a unique Collection Management Tool will provide players easy point-and-click access to their collections. Additionally, Pokémon TCG Online deck-building tools, including an innovative deck-building wizard, will help construct personalized decks that players of all skill levels can call into battle.

―We developed the Pokémon TCG Online to enable fans of the Pokémon TCG to play against opponents worldwide, said Andrew Finch, senior director of Online & Community Development at The Pokémon Company International. ―Everything Pokémon TCG players love about the game is replicated in a rich, customizable online environment, making it possible to battle when you want and how you want, from training for real-world events to simply battling other TCG players from across the globe.

Some of the most popular elements of social and casual games are intertwined with the best of TCG game play in Pokémon TCG Online. Similar to the real-world Pokémon TCG community, the trading of digital TCG cards and items in real time will allow players to interact with others while building decks and collecting a wide variety of Pokémon TCG-related items online. Various customizable features and digital items will be available through a special currency system earned through numerous game play scenarios, including officially sanctioned online tournaments staged by The Pokémon Company International. Players can expect the introduction of new items and features frequently.

Individual and community game play statistics will be tracked with ease using three features, including Leveling, which gauges individual playtime to unlock certain features within the game; Ratings, which tracks a player’s games along with any online tournaments entered and won; and Leaderboards, which will post standings for players across various skill levels.

For more information about the upcoming launch of the multiplayer Pokémon TCG Online or to sign up for an opportunity to play the single-player Pokémon Trainer Challenge open beta, please visit www.pokemontcg.com.

Fans can play the single-player Pokémon Trainer Challenge at PAX East, March 11–13 in Boston, MA. To play at home, players need to create a free Pokémon Trainer Club account, easily obtained at www.pokemon.com/us/account/login.