My Colleagues at the Hallway Herald all have written about really important topics facing the world right now. On the other hand, I shall be addressing the condemnation and disapproval of Trading Card Games (TCG).
A Trading Card is defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “a card that usually has pictures of and information about someone (such as an athlete) and that is part of a set which is collected by exchanging cards with other people.” Urban Dictionary offers a more concise definition: “One of the many methods employed by unseen political forces to drain people of their funds.” A Trading Card Game (TCG) is a game that utilizes trading cards of any sort to make a game. Some Examples of well-known TCGS are “Yu-Gi-Oh,” “Pokémon,” and “Magic: The Gathering.” However, many condemn TCGs, arguing that: “Trading Card Games are a waste of Money, a waste of Time, and are only played by people who have no life or friends.” These claims are all incorrect. First, addressing the factor that TCGs are a waste of money. I agree with that fact. But so is almost everything. A person needs food, water, shelter, and clothing to survive. If a person collects anything, that too can be a waste of money, and thus that shouldn’t just translate into TCGs being the only thing that is a waste of money. Shoes, for example, are a waste of money. “Sneaker Heads” (the slang way of saying people who are obsessed with buying, keeping, and wearing sneakers, most generally made by Companies such as Nike, Jordan, Adidas, etc.) are also people who can be seen as wasting money on shoes. Some of these people also never wear the shoes they buy. This is also a “waste of money.” A lot of things are a waste of money, such as smart phone purchases, TV, or any equivalent. TCGs aren’t a waste of time. All of those who made it to world championships in games such as “Yu-Gi-Oh,” “Pokémon,” and “Magic: The Gathering” depend on these games as their career. People who play video games know this factor. However, unlike video games, TCGs are a real life experience. We get to not only meet new people, and do new things, but we also gain important skillsets. Now, TCGs don’t have a direct correlation to becoming a lawyer, but they are helpful in networking for new connections. Go to a TCG competition, and it is guaranteed that unless you just sit in a corner (crying) you will speak to someone new, and maybe even make friends with them (Even if you were to be sitting in a corner and crying, someone will come up to you, and ask why you’re crying). Finally, TCGs are definitely not only played by people with no life or friends. People who make the argument either don’t know who Ben Affleck, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, and Jessica Alba (and more celebrities who weren’t listed), or they are being ignorant to the fact that almost everyone has played with a TCG once in their life. All of the celebrities who were listed have played (and some still play) TCGs. Look back at yourself at Elementary school, Middle school, High school, or even college. Almost every person has played with some type of TCG regardless if it were Baseball cards, or “Yu-Gi-Oh,” “Pokémon,” and “Magic: The Gathering.” So if everyone who played TCG were to have no life or friends, then why do celebrities, loved and recognized by the media, play? TCGs have wrongfully been met with disapproval, and some condemnation. We should stop that. Everyone has the freedom to collect and everyone has different hobbies too. So, just because some people play TCGs, doesn’t mean they have no life or friends. It means they have different hobbies from other people. So Trading Card Games shouldn’t be disapproved of. They should be accepted as a hobby. If you want more content regarding TCGs, or Magic: the Gathering be sure to subscribe to "The Mana Vault," on YouTube! |
Written by Mohammad FaizanMohammad is our technological director, longtime contributor, and co-founder of the Hallway Herald. His work offers a skilled dissection of modern gaming culture. |