Archive for the ‘Card Games’ Category
Konami Digital Entertainment is hosting the Yu-Gi-Oh! national championships this weekend in Pittsburgh. Around 900 players are expected. After a Last Chance Regional Qualifier and TCG Side Events on Friday, the national championship games will be held on Saturday and Sunday.
The top four players will win a trip to compete in the world championships in Tokyo on August 8th and 9th and a variety of other prizes.
Source: ICv2
Those of you who are looking forward to “Bleach Trading Card Game: Infiltration” may not want to hold your breath long. It’s unfortunate that Score Entertainment states “Unfortunately, Score Entertainment, the TCG division of Donruss Playoff, LP, was not part of the Donruss assets purchased by Panini America, Inc. As a result, the upcoming Bleach Infiltration TCG launch will be cancelled.”
Source: ICv2
Image Source: ICv2
The next expansion for Fantasy Flight Games’ Kingdom Hearts TCG, titled Break of Dawn, will arrive in game stores this June. The expansion adds the villainous Nobodies and Organization XIII as playable characters, allowing players to choose between the forces of Light and Dark.
Break of Dawn adds 162 new cards to the TCG, coming in three new 41-card starter decks (MSRP $11.99) and 10-card booster packs (MSRP $3.99). Each starter deck contains a unique character and two unique support cards for that character.
Konami has announced three additional Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG releases for this spring including Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Duelist Pack Collection Tins and a Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Spellcaster Command Structure Deck, both of which will ship in March, and the Raging Battle Booster Set Expansion that is due out in May.
The Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Duelist Pack Collection Tins (MSRP $9.99) contain an assortment of booster packs designed to increase the complexity and power of Decks during play. The mini-tins will include 3 packs of Duelist Pack—Yusei (see “Konami to Release Duelist Pack—Yusei”); a Duelist Genesis booster; plus a three foil card preview pack of the upcoming Raging Battle boosters; and an exclusive card, the Assault Mode version of Yusei’s signature monster, the Stardust Dragon. The “Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode” card is sure to add a powerful boost to any deck.
The Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Spellcaster’s Command Structure Deck (MSRP $9.99) is the second themed deck to highlight the Spellcaster-type Monsters. This kind of constructed deck can add a powerful touch to the decks of intermediate and veteran players—and the Spellcaster’s Command Structure Deck comes with a “Dueling Guide” the demonstrates ways to improve the deck with existing boosters.
The Raging Battle Boosters, which add 100 cards to the game, take elements from the new animated series Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s that will appeal to beginners and anime fans and combines them with some of the best elements of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG to provide a great game experience for players of all levels. The Raging Battle Boosters include cards used by Yusei, Jack and Aki as well as key monsters from the “Earthbound Immortal” series that boost existing Decks and themes. Ten of the 100 cards are worldwide “premieres” that have never been released before, even in Japan where most Yu-Gi-Oh! cards debut.
Saying that it “refuses to abandon players,” Upper Deck has announced that it will continue to support Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG organized play programs. Konami announced that it was taking back distribution and customer support from Upper Deck, and Upper Deck sued Konami last week. Konami also announced that organized play was “in a transitional period” and urged players to continue to play informally, in an announcement last weekend.
Upper Deck’s announcement on Wednesday said that it would continue to support Hobby Leagues, Sneak Previews, Regional Qualifiers, and all Championship tournaments. Duelist ratings will continue to be updated on Upper Deck’s Website, and event organizers will continue to be able to use Upper Deck’s Mantis software to run tournaments.
“We will do everything within our power to maintain the same high level of Organized Play during this uncertain time,” Upper Deck’s statement said.
Source: ICv2.com
Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. has announced that it is taking control of “all operational and business aspects” of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game, effective immediately. This includes distribution and customer support, which were previously handled by Upper Deck, which was Konami’s exclusive distributor for the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG here. Yu Gi Oh! is the #2 CCG in the U.S. (see “Top Fall 2008 CCGs”).
Konami began operating in the tabletop game space directly in the U.S. earlier this year by releasing the Blue Dragon Roleplaying TCG.
We’ve also received word that Upper Deck has filed suit for $75 million against Konami in Nevada District Court.
Konami is in a similar position to Nintendo and Pokemon USA, which took control of the Pokemon TCG from Wizards of the Coast back in 2003. That separation also led to litigation