Nintendo of America has formed a Trading Card Division to produce the Pokemon trading card game.  Nintendo will begin producing the game with the Ruby and Sapphire releases, which will be released in June.  Pricing is not yet finalized.  Wizards of the Coast announced last week that it would no longer be producing Pokemon; its bid for the next phase of the license was rejected (see 'No More WotC Poke-Bucks'). 

 

We spoke to long-time Decipher employee Dean Irwin, who's recently become National Sales Manager for the new Nintendo division.  Of Nintendo's plans for Pokemon, he said, 'We're committed to do whatever it takes to support the hobby and to support a trading card game.'  That will include an organized play program, which will attempt to build on the robust program built by Wizards of the Coast during its time on the brand.