Back then, this badge of honor meant you were part of the official Pokmon tournament scene, and snagging one often meant doing pretty well in those events
For example, if it ends up that creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn, but you don't control any, you're out of luck
As the company put it, for releases on the Pokmon Center, it is "committed to providing a smooth purchasing experience and employ technology that helps get products into the hands of fans first and foremost." Currently, the Pokemon Center uses a virtual queue for some products during periods of increased site traffic
Where TCGs like Magic or Digimon use a lettering system the symbol will determine what rarity card you're looking at
That said, the bottom line of MTG is always going to have an influence over environmentally conscious ideas like this