<Tr> <Th> Skill (s) required </Th> <Td> <P> Card playing Arithmetic Basic reading ability </P> Basic trading skills </Td> </Tr> <P> Card playing Arithmetic Basic reading ability </P> <P> The Pokémon Trading Card Game (ポケモン カード ゲーム, Pokemon Kādo Gēmu, "Pokémon Card Game"), abbreviated to PTCG or Pokémon TCG, is a collectible card game, based on the Pokémon video game series, first published in October 1996 by Media Factory in Japan . In the US, it was initially published by Wizards of the Coast; The Pokémon Company eventually took over publishing the card game in June 2003 . The game has sold 23.6 billion cards worldwide . </P> <P> Players assume the role of a Pokémon trainer and use their Pokémon to battle their opponents' . Players play Pokémon to the field and attack their opponent's Pokémon . A Pokémon that has sustained enough damage is knocked out, and the player who knocked it out draws a Prize card . There are usually six Prize cards, and the primary win condition is to draw all of them . Other ways to win are by knocking out all the Pokémon the opponent has on the field such that the opponent has none left, or if at the beginning of their opponent's turn there are no cards left to draw in the opponent's deck . </P>

When did the pokemon card game come out