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A '''trading card game''' (トレーディングカードゲーム) ('''TCG''') is a game which involves physical "trading" cards.

The concept of trading cards dates back to "trade cards", used in the 17th century as a form of advertising. Collectible sets of cards rose in popularity during the 1880s, fearuting in packets of cigarretes and by the 1950s, chewing gum, and by the 1980s they were being sold as stand-alone products.

[[Sega]] claim to have been the first to combine the concept of trading cards with arcade video games with the release of ''[[World Club Champion Football: Serie A 2001-2002]]'' in early 2002. This spawned a sub-genre of arcade games, in which physical cards are read by the machine to manipulate the (usually multiplayer) game. Players buy packs with the hope of receiving cards that will give them the edge over other players, or indeed complete their collection.

''WCCF'' was followed by ''[[Kouchuu Ouja Mushiking]]'' and ''[[Oshare Majo Love and Berry]]'', both of which became a phenomenon in Japan, and would lead to games such as the long-running ''[[Sangokushi Taisen]]''. While attempts have been made to bring these styles of trading card game to the West, Sega (and other manufacturers) have been far less successful.

Sega and its partners have produced billions of trading cards since 2002. In 2020 were suggesting that, if stacked up, enough ''WCCF'' cards had been produced to reach the International Space Station{{ref|1=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2bQDnD5D5E}}.

==List of games==
{{BulletPointGameList|category=Trading card games}}

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Sega]]
[[Category:General interest]]