Published in the summer of 2022, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the license, the One Piece card game caused a real tidal wave among fans. This collaboration between the giants Bandai, Toei Animation and Shueisha, available for the moment in two languages, Japanese and English, is already a success in terms of esteem and commercially. Kohei Goto, the game’s producer, agreed to answer questions from Linternaute.
After 25 years of existence, One Piece, the adventure manga imagined by Eiichiro Oda has become the best-selling manga in the world. It was likely that publisher Shueisha would celebrate this anniversary with great fanfare. Among the many events that marked the year 2022, one of them particularly caught the attention of fans: the launch of the first collectible card game One Piece . This game was born following the desire of the publisher Shueisha, the animation studio Toei and the giant of toys Bandai to create a new card game around the license of the famous pirate crew in the straw hat.
Kohei Goto, game producer at Bandai Card & Banpresto, agreed to answer questions from the Internet user.
Linternaute.com: Can you tell us about the birth of the game? One Piece Card Game ?
Kohei Goto : It all started 2 years ago when Shueisha, Toei Animation and Bandai started their joint project to produce a new card game.
Who had the idea ?
There is no particular entity behind this project. It really is a decision and a team effort.
How long did the design phase last?
Work on the game began as soon as the project was launched. Designing the cards took about 6 months.
How did you decide on the type of game?
We made different game prototypes before arriving at the one we used. As we wanted it to be easy to learn for many people, we kept the core system of the game as simple as possible. We also wanted to have lots of back and forth between players as well as lots of choices so players could have fun using their imaginations. In the One Piece series, a memorable onomatopoeia for fans is “Don!” which was also included in the game.
How did you come up with the idea of associating the life points of the player with those of the chosen “captain”?
We decided to use a leader card in the game, as it allows players to compete with different characters. It also sets the game apart from others. Giving each leader a different number of hit points expands the uses; we also thought it would make it more fun.
One Piece is a license that has an incredibly rich bestiary. Impossible to adapt all the characters at once. How did you choose the cards for the first edition?
From the start, we wanted ‘Straw Hat Crew’, ‘Worst Generation’, ‘The Seven Warlords of the Sea’ and ‘Animal Kingdom Pirates” (the Pirates of the Animal Kingdom) be the first starter decks. We wanted any fan to know the themes of this first edition. Plus, by offering players 4 different deck types upon release, they can enjoy choosing their characters for battle.
What is the schedule for the next editions?
In Japan, we have already released the 3th booster and we are currently working on the 6th.
The first booster was released after that of the 4 starter decks. The cards in this first expansion were designed with the intention of strengthening starter decks. We chose the characters with this intention. Of course, we also paid special attention to the release date. We have thus included characters that appear in the arc that was in progress in the Manga and the Anime (Wano Country) so that fans can appreciate the characters of the moment. 5th starter deck was released around the same time as the last film. We have therefore chosen to orient it on characters from the last film and previous ones. 6th starter deck came next; it features Navy characters. So we decided for the second booster, to focus on the War at the Summit arc, in which the Navy played an important role.
What was the biggest difficulty in making this game?
We thought long and hard about how to make this card game as fun as possible and what kind of products would make One Piece fans want to play it. We have studied previous card games and are confident that this is a game that card players will enjoy. In addition, the game mechanics around the “Donate!” cards and the different styles of illustrations will allow fans to One Piece easy to enjoy the game.
At what point in the creation of this game did you say to yourself “that’s it, we have the right concept”?
It is difficult to say at what stage this happened. Everyone was extremely anxious until the game was released, wondering if consumers would like it and play it.
The cards (magnificent) use illustrations from the manga, anime, but also original works by different artists. How do you choose the visual of a card? (iconic scene? need for gameplay?)
We choose iconic scenes that will stay in everyone’s memory. We have adopted a map composition that allows us to draw the characters of One Piece attractively. The most important point in this selection is the adjustment between the illustration of a card and its text so that they correspond as well as possible.
We imagine that everyone dreams of drawing maps One Piece original. Is it possible one day to imagine Franco-Belgian comic or comic strip authors as guest stars?
As One Piece Card Game is a game that is sold worldwide, we want the design to appeal to all fans around the world. We are interested in cooperating with illustrators from other countries in the future, but we invite you to wait for further developments.
Mats, sleeves, card holder, there are many around the license. Tell us about the selection and creation process for each of them.
We plan to continue producing accessories for card games. Wait impatiently for the next sleeves, carpets etc.. that will arrive. We usually focus on necessary accessories for card games. It is best to keep products of the same genre and consider what products and images users desire and like.
One Piece is a world famous license, do you plan to expand the game to new locations? If yes, when is the French scheduled?
We don’t have any concrete plans for other languages at the moment, but we are considering it.
For all TCGs, there are different levels of card rarity. How and why do you decide on a card’s rarity?
Rarity is decided at the same time as character selection. We determine the rarity of the character based on the theme of the deck or booster.
Some cards are already selling in hundreds of dollars even in thousands. Are you surprised by this enthusiasm?
Yes, we are pleasantly surprised by the popularity of the game around the world.
How do you work on a map?
First we decide on a theme, then we choose a composition that suits that theme. Finally, we create the card text. Once the text and artwork are ready, a designer creates an image to get the printable data needed to create the card.
How do you choose which card will have variants or effects?
We mainly choose characters that have strong ties to the main theme of the expansion.
Printing techniques have evolved a great deal since the 1980s. What is the technology that makes you dream the most today?
Printers are continually working on new methods to improve card quality. Personally, I like cards of the “Secret” rarity or those with alternate artwork, because the surface is textured.
Is there a printing technology that is still a bit expensive but that you think has future potential to explore now? ?
There really are many techniques. We hope to use some of these in the future, so look forward to any updates on this.
For example, an “enriched reality” mode to include animations when a user scans a map with their smartphone?
We aim to continue creating products that will amaze users.
What is your favorite card, and why?
My favorite card is Charlotte Linlin from 3th Booster (OP03). Its effect increases your life points and reduces those of your opponent. I like that it’s both easy to understand and powerful.
What is the first map that was made?
The first card we ordered from the printer was the Monkey D. Luffy alternate illustration card from the first booster (OP01).
Let’s talk a bit about numbers if you don’t mind (readers are big fans of numbers). Today, which bandai card game has sold the most cards? Is it possible to have this figure?
Each title has a different history and area, so it’s hard to answer. The Battle Spirits card game, which celebrates its 15th anniversary, is the one with the longest history. We will also be releasing the renewed English version in April, titled Battle Spirits Saga. There is also Dragon Ball Super Card Game and Digimon Card Game, which are well received around the world and we are happy about it.
Do you know the number of players worldwide?
Since the game is available all over the world, we are not sure of this number, but there are enough players for us to consider a TCG World Championship One Piece for 2024.
What’s the most popular so far? Pre-built decks or decks created by hand via boosters?
Starter decks are mostly purchased by people who are just starting out. This is also what we recommend to potential new players. Most experienced players build their own deck by combining a starter deck with cards from booster packs. Currently in Japan, the third booster which features the Whitebeard Pirates is popular for decks. I can’t wait to see which deck will be popular in other countries.