tech
Pokémon is booming as World Championships open in S.F. So are card thefts
Shohei Akamune of Irvine takes a picture of the trophies during the Pokémon World Championships and PokémonXP fan convention at San Francisco’s Moscone Center on Friday.
TL;DR
- Around 50,000 Pokémon fans gathered in San Francisco for the three-day World Championships at Moscone Center.
- The event celebrated the franchise's 30th anniversary and marked the first championship in San Francisco in a decade.
- The Pokémon Company's revenue has quadrupled in the past five years to $3.3 billion.
- The trading card game is experiencing record popularity, with rare cards selling for millions and local stores seeing high demand.
- A significant increase in Pokémon card thefts has been reported in the Bay Area, including burglaries at several stores and a theft from Tom Brady's store.
- The event included the first Pokémon XP fan convention with various exhibits and panels.