Ready to take the country by storm, the smash hit from Japan
Visit the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game Homepage Here
(February 11, 2002) — Upper Deck Entertainment has announced exclusive rights to market and distribute the latest Japanese trading card craze, Yu-Gi-Oh!, in North America. Wildly popular in Japan, Yu-Gi-Oh! is finally on its way to the U.S. Backed by multi-million dollar marketing campaign, Upper Deck will ship the first edition trading card game to retail stores March 1st.
"We are extremely excited about the opportunity to introduce the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game to North America," said Upper Deck Founder and Chairman Richard McWilliam. "Yu-Gi-Oh! is a proven success in Japan and there is no doubt that this franchise will create the same excitement here."
Yu-Gi-Oh! made its stunning debut in 1996 in Japan. To date, it has sold over 23 million comic books (over 33 million when including non-comic book related Yu-Gi-Oh! titles), 7.5 million video games and a staggering 3.5 billion cards.
The target audience for Yu-Gi-Oh! is kids 10 and above. "The look and attitude of the property is edgy and cool, with a myriad of monsters with magical powers, this is the ultimate trading card game," said McWilliam.
Upper Deck will market and distribute the trading card game and conduct extensive game tournaments throughout the country. The animated TV series debuted in the U.S. in September on the Kids WB! and consistently ranks #1 in its Saturday morning time slot. Consumer goods companies have already lined up to deliver to market Yu-Gi-Oh! products that include video games, toys and apparel.
Yu-Gi-Oh! is the story of a high school freshman named Yugi who unlocks the secret of the "Millennium Puzzle," and ancient Egyptian artifact. Infused with ancient magical energies, Yugi must now protect the world from the return of the destructive Shadow Games using cards containing legendary monsters and magical spells.
According to McWilliam, Yu-Gi-Oh! Starter Packs will retail for $9.99, and nine-card Booster Packs will sell for $2.99. Starter Decks include 50 cards, a rule booklet, and a "duel field." Two Starter Decks will be available; a Yugi deck and a Kaiba deck.
Booster packs include eight common cards and one rare card. There are 82 common cards, 22 rare cards (1:1 pack), 10 super rare cards (1:6 packs), and 10 ultra rare (1:12 packs).
The Upper Deck Company, LLC is a premier sports/entertainment publishing company that delivers a portfolio of relevant, innovative and multidimensional product experiences to collectors and sports and entertainment enthusiasts. Founded in 1988, The Upper Deck Company, LLC is located in Carlsbad, Calif.
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