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[JoeM86]

Figure this is worth posting about, since it's pretty big and finally confirmed after rumblings the last few days

Due to limited venue capacity and overwhelming demand, the 2016 Pokémon World Championships will be closed to the general public in the interest of providing the best possible event experience to our qualified players and their families. While the event has been open to the public in years past, only invited players and their families will be permitted to enter the venue this year, and everyone must have an official event badge.

Each invited player will be given a Player badge. Each invited player under 18 years of age will be guaranteed one Guest badge at check-in, to allow one parent or guardian into the event venue. We will do our best to accommodate additional family members of invited players, but attendees should note that additional Guest badges are not guaranteed. Any additional Guest badges will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, and supplies are limited. An email with these details is being sent to invited players.

Fans who want to follow the action from the 2016 Pokémon World Championships can head to Pokemon.com/Live, where we'll be broadcasting Pokémon Trading Card Game, video game, and Pokkén Tournament matches all weekend long. Thank you for understanding the changes to the event's attendance in 2016.

http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/entry-restrictions-at-the-2016-world-championships/

Incidentally, here's the reasoning:

Invites are ridiculous. In an effort to increase players, they lowered the CP invite bar. In doing so, they inadvertently lowered it too far. There are currently:

Pokkén Invites: 52
Pokkén LCQ Entrants: 384
TCG Invites (excl. Japan & Korea): 1296
VGC Invites (excl. Japan & Korea): 1266

That's 2,998 invites, not including invitees through the Japanese and Korean system, for which I couldn't find a list. This is up significantly on last year. They booked the venue over a year ago and clearly didn't realise this.

The sucky thing is that they announced this publically just 8 days before the event itself. Many people will not be able to get in who planned trips months in advance and have paid for flights and accommodation.

What a mess.

 

[Cody_D165]

The sucky thing is that they announced this publically just 8 days before the event itself. Many people will not be able to get in who planned trips months in advance and have paid for flights and accommodation.

this is fucked.

 

[backlot]

That really sucks. I had a lot of fun as a spectator last year in Boston.

 

[Firestorm]

Booked flights five months ago. Someone local hook me up with a bar that'll stream pocket monsters.

 

[Soulflarz]

8 days before an event people get flights for?
Wow.

 

[kirblar]

Good to hear that it's because of logistics scewups and not the gun toting assholes last year.

 

[Firestorm]

And since it wasn't on the news post but is included in the email competitors got, something important to add:

Additionally, attendees should be advised that there will not be unique Pokémon GO events or special Pokémon GO spawnings at the venue hosting the 2016 Pokémon World Championships. We look forward to focusing the weekend on the Pokémon Trading Card Game and Pokémon video game competitors from more than 30 countries battling for the title of Pokémon World Champion.

 

[Kyzer]

are we expecting any SM announcements?

 

[SinCityAssassin]

I wonder if this is to prep against the attempted shooting thing.

 

[JoeM86]

I wonder if this is to prep against the attempted shooting thing.

Na, this is a space issue for sure

 

[Whompa02]

They should have cleared that up the minute the event was announced.

Scummy practice.

 

[Vital Tundra]

They should have said this months ago. Dick move.

 

[udivision]

And since it wasn't on the news post but is included in the email competitors got, something important to add:

There should be a system in place for Niantic to easily create/remove Pokestops. That's really all they need.

The staff could just have a lure going 24/7 for the event.

 

[Regiruler]

That's a very large size for a TCG worlds.

Yugioh's worlds is incredibly exclusive to my understanding. Only, what, 40 or so get to go? Not counting all its side events which are more open.

 

[kirblar]

That's a very large size for a TCG worlds.

Yugioh's worlds is incredibly exclusive to my understanding. Only, what, 40 or so get to go? Not counting all its side events which are more open.

MTG's "real" worlds are 24 people, the "World Cup" is a 3-4 hundred.

 

[Onaco]

This seems too sudden. Could they have received threats and don't want to risk it after last year's attempted shooting? Maybe a bomb threat or something?

 

[Bakkus]

POS move.

 

[Regiruler]

MTG's "real" worlds are 24 people, the "World Cup" is a 3-4 hundred.

World Cup is what I assume is the qualifying event for the "real" worlds? Yugioh is more generous for invites to those, I would estimate the totals for the 3 big qualifying events (japan, NA, Europe) is around 4k or so.

 

[JoeM86]

This seems too sudden. Could they have received threats and don't want to risk it after last year's attempted shooting? Maybe a bomb threat or something?

Na, they have a venue which allows for about 9000 people at most. Less considering tables etc.

3000 invitees, let's say another 500 from Japan/Korea. Then about 500+ staff. Then guest passes for family members for the younger players, that's around another 500 or so.

It adds up

 

[Firestorm]

This seems too sudden. Could they have received threats and don't want to risk it after last year's attempted shooting? Maybe a bomb threat or something?

Nope.

There should be a system in place for Niantic to easily create/remove Pokestops. That's really all they need.

The staff could just have a lure going 24/7 for the event.

What? They don't want more people there. They don't want lures though I'm sure any lures in the area will be on the entire weekend by players. They want people to stay away and are informing them there will be no special events like legendary birds or whatnot.

 

[JoeM86]

And Pokkén LCQ badges only allow access on Day 1 now

Source: https://twitter.com/Yumeka36/status/765566716436885504

What a mess