Why the Pokémon trading card game still rocks 10 years later (updated)

In the competitive field of trading card games, few stick around long enough to make any sort of lasting impression, especially those that spawned from existing entertainment franchises. And continuing to thrive in 2016 means competing with far more affordable electronic card games like Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, which leads a $1.2 billion market.

Despite these challenges, the Pokémon TCG managed to stay among the most popular hits in the genre for nearly 20 years, and it’s still going strong thanks to some smart design and a wildly popular theme. But more than anything, the reason it’s still near the top is because it embodies the Pokémon franchise — which brings in $2.1 billion a year  in merchandise, TV, movie, and game revenues. It gave it an even more social vehicle long before Pokémon Go brought crowds of trainers together.