Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa has assured shareholders that the company is actively addressing the rampant scalping and resale market issues plaguing Pokémon trading cards. Speaking at a recent annual general meeting, Furukawa acknowledged the concerns raised by players regarding the difficulty of obtaining cards and the overall disruption caused by excessive reselling.
Furukawa stated that Nintendo is working closely with The Pokémon Company to devise appropriate strategies for delivering products to consumers. He indicated that measures to combat the current frenzy, which has seen violent incidents and artificial scarcity despite massive print runs, are being considered. Among the potential actions discussed are increased made-to-order sales and tighter cooperation with online marketplace platforms. Furthermore, Furukawa did not rule out implementing stronger verification policies, referencing Japan's current practice of requiring government-issued identification for participation in online drawings for limited products.
The secondary market for Pokémon cards has experienced an unprecedented surge in demand and resale activity, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. This has led to a situation where even enormous print runs, such as the planned 10 billion cards for 2025, reportedly fail to meet player demand, largely due to the inflated resale market. Nintendo, while profiting from sales, is keen to regain tighter control over its intellectual property and ensure a better experience for genuine players. The company believes The Pokémon Company will continue to introduce measures to alleviate the ongoing crisis.