The market for trading card games (TCG), featuring anime characters or sports stars for collecting, trading, and battling, has been exploding recently.
Japanese market research firm tanQ recently dropped the results of a survey on "TCGs elementary school students actually play." The survey, conducted online among parents in the Kanto region (Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures) whose elementary school children play TCGs, found that around 80% of parents have actually played TCGs with their kids, making it a popular family activity.
The TCGs targeted in this survey had to meet the following criteria:
Basic gameplay involves two players battling, players can build their own decks, the game has been on the market for over 3 years, and the applicable age includes elementary school students (6 years and older).
Here's the ranking:
1. Pokémon Card Game 69.3％
2. ONE PIECE Card Game 24.8％
3. Yu-Gi-Oh! Series 22.5％
4. Duel Masters 19％
5. Battle Spirits 15％
6. Digimon Card Game 14.3％
7. Cardfight!! Vanguard 14％
8. Mushinoki (Bug God Artifact) 14％
9. Shadowverse EVOLVE 13.5％
10. Kanji Monsters 12.8％
11. Weiß Schwarz 12.3％
12. Z/X (Zillions of enemy X) 9.5％
Others 11.5％
What's more, nearly 80% of parents view their children playing TCGs positively. Their reasons? TCGs help develop critical thinking and strategy, boost communication skills and social interaction, and even help kids make new friends.
Overall, playing TCGs for Japanese elementary school students isn't just about fun; it's also a way to make friends, and many parents believe it significantly contributes to their children's growth, even becoming a cherished family activity.
And let's be real, seeing Pokémon Card Game, ONE PIECE Card Game, and Yu-Gi-Oh! at the top of the charts makes perfect sense. Many of these parents likely grew up playing these very games, passing on the passion to the next generation.
via： PR TIMES