Next on the TCG agenda is actually something that has been in the works for some time (and still is) but I haven't addressed. Those who play the TCG virtually - and less so with physical cards - currently peruse the services of the Trading Card Game Online (TCGO for short) platform and its clients on desktop and mobile. It's been around for some time, so like many Pokémon things, it has to eventually evolve, and it's in the process of doing so. And "on the horizon", so to speak, is a new platform that is to succeed this one, called Trading Card Game Live, or TCG Live (likewise TCGL) for short.
The TCG Live platform is currently in beta testing for both desktop and mobile systems, which will allow players (Trainers) to play wherever they like or it is convenient for them, just like TCGO does today. The interface is all-new, and there will be many new features to go along with that, but it can be expected that the core TCG gameplay won't change - except, of course, with its own specific developments not tied to the platform itself, though obviously the platform will have to provide support for them.
And support it will have to provide, because an announcement has come that as of this March - that is, in less than a month - no more card sets will be developed for TCGO, and all development will be transferred to TCGL. Even so, TCGO will still continue to function and be playable in some ways, but it won't be updated in content aside from bug fixes that may be needed; eventually, TCGO will be altogether retired and shut down (in technical terms, becoming "sunsetted") when TCGL emerges from beta into an official launch. TCGL is of course the next evolution, so something has to give.
With this situation, it becomes clear that the issue of migration from TCGO to TCGL arises, and it is just as simple as it is complex. The simple part of it is that those who play on TCGO right now will be able to continue playing on TCGL; the complex part of it is that there are several matters that have to be considered by those who play. A page containing the FAQ has been graciously created to address the matters, but I feel it's kind of lengthy and convoluted, and so I feel the need to shoehorn it all - and what better way with a post on this blog. It seems to be very important to address it myself.
If a key concept of Pokémon is evolution, then this shift in virtual TCG platforms is a major one indeed. The new TCGL will represent the next form of virtual TCG dealings, one that should be reinvigorated and modernized. There are several matters to be attended to, but that's par for the course, just like with any migration from one thing to another. Regardless, as TCGL is on its beta testing period, it has become apparent on the horizon, and it will herald the "sunset" of TCGO and a "sunrise" into a new age of virtual TCG battles.
One year ago: Standing Guard for Arena PvP
Two years ago: Labyrinthine Expectations
Three years ago: Editing PokéStops
Four years ago: Under a Truck
Five years ago: Formality of Ownership
Six years ago: The Sweetest Days - Ash and Pikachu
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