Trading Card Game leader is set to host World of Warcraft® championships and demo its new Marvel Superstars TCG releasing in February!

Carlsbad, CA (August 10, 2009) – The Upper Deck Company will be the center of attention this week as it prepares to serve as co-sponsor of Gen Con Indy 2009, the world’s largest hobby gaming convention in North America. The trading card game (TCG) giant will be hosting its annual World of Warcraft® TCG and Miniatures Game North American Continental Championships, as well as unveil and demo its newest TCG brand launching in January: Marvel Superstars!

“We are ready for a great show,” said Dan Bojanowski, Upper Deck’s World of Warcraft® brand manager. ”The Continental Championships are the precursor to the World Championships in October, so we expect to see some great competitive play this week.” 

Here is a taste of what fans can expect from Upper Deck at Gen Con Indy 2009:

World of Warcraft TCG

Upper Deck’s World of Warcraft TCG will not go unnoticed at Gen Con Indy, thanks to a slew of events ranging from championship-level tournaments to beginner-friendly events.
 
Players from across the continent will flock to Indy for their chance to become the World of Warcraft TCG North American Continental Champion and win incredible prizes and invitations to the 2009 World of Warcraft TCG World Championship in Austin, Texas (Oct. 8-11). The North American Continental Championship will run Friday and Saturday, August 14 and 15, starting at 9:00 a.m. both days, with the finals on Sunday. The winner of the event will receive more than $10,000 in prizes, including a 17” MacBook Pro laptop, a $2,000 Amazon.com gift card, and a 30” Apple LCD monitor.
 
In addition to the Continental Championship, players can compete in tournaments in almost every format imaginable that will be running all day and night throughout the weekend. Whether you want to win Loot cards from the newest set, walk away with a new home theater system, or earn an invite to the 2010 Continental Championship, there’s something at Gen Con for you.

Upper Deck will also be hosting World of Warcraft TCG demos throughout Gen Con, with special promo cards being awarded to those who take a demo. Several new World of Warcraft TCG products that released during the summer will be available, including Arena Grand Melee, the Death Knight Starter Set, and Fields of Honor boosters.
 
For more information about the World of Warcraft TCG, including the full event schedule at Gen Con Indy, please visit www.wowtcg.com

World of Warcraft Minis

The No. 1 Miniatures game around will have an incredible presence at Gen Con Indy and will give out thousands of dollars in prizes and product.
 
Players have been competing all year for their Continental Championship invitations, and now is their time to shine. The inaugural World of Warcraft Miniatures North American Continental Championship will happen on Saturday and Sunday at Gen Con, and the winner will go home with thousands of dollars in electronics and product prizes, and an invitation to the 2009 Miniatures World Championship in Austin, TX (Oct. 8-11).
 
If you didn’t qualify for the Continental Championship, there are chances to qualify in one of six “Last Chance Qualifier” events being held on Thursday and Friday, August 13 and 14. If playing in the Continental Championship isn’t your cup of tea, there are many other Miniatures events to compete in at Gen Con Indy. From casual to competitive, you can find a Miniatures event that’s just right for you.
 
Upper Deck will also be selling its Summer Convention Exclusive World of Warcraft Minis figure: Fleet Master Seahorn, available for $9.99 while supplies last. This character introduces a new game mechanic to World of Warcraft Minis: Quests!
 
For more information about Upper Deck’s World of Warcraft Miniatures game, including the full event schedule at Gen Con Indy, please visit www.wowminis.com

Marvel Superstars TCG

Marvel Superstars, the newest addition to Upper Deck’s Trading Card Game lineup, is an action-packed TCG based on the Marvel Universe as envisioned by the movies. Bringing together blockbuster films such as Iron Man, Hulk, Fantastic Four, the X-Men Trilogy, the Blade Trilogy and many others, this will be the first time these movies will interact with each other in a Marvel game. Each player chooses to become a classic Marvel hero or villain, and then constructs a team around him or her to defeat the opponent.

The TCG’s official release, scheduled for February 2010, includes a Starter Deck, which will give gamers a great starting point to learn the quick and easy rules of the game. This will be followed a few weeks later by a full booster set release, with upwards of 300 unique cards available. There will be many different fun and entertaining modes of play, and gamers should be able to start playing quickly after getting just a few packs.

To get TCG enthusiasts pumped for the upcoming launch, Upper Deck will be hosting exclusive demos using an early beta version of the Marvel Superstars TCG during this week’s Gen Con. These demos will be available by swinging by the Upper Deck booth. They'll be obtainable on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last, so remember to get there early!