Upper Deck Entertainment and Konami to Release Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game Down Under; Yu-Gi-Oh! The World's Most Popular Trading Card Game On Store Shelves Now!

Business Wire, Sept 24, 2003

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CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 24, 2003

Trading card game publisher and distributor Upper Deck Entertainment, a division of The Upper Deck Company, LLC, and Konami Corporation, the game's manufacturer, have announced exclusive rights to market, distribute, and oversee the implementation of organized play leagues of the latest Japanese and American trading card craze, Yu-Gi-Oh!, throughout Australia and New Zealand. The popular cards are available now at mass-market retail stores and participating hobby outlets throughout Australia and New Zealand. This launch comes on the heels of July's highly successful release of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME in Montreal, Quebec.

With the release of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME in Australia and New Zealand, millions of trading card game enthusiasts will be able to participate in organized play tournaments held at retail locations. Retailers will be hosting organized play tournaments where players or duelists can come battle and collect the world's most popular card game. In addition, each retailer will be providing tournament participants with highly collectible cards that will enable them to create hard to beat decks and earn points toward attending next year's Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship event.

"Retailers and duelists alike have been anxiously waiting for a chance to play the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME in Australia and New Zealand," said Rich Henry, Upper Deck Sr. VP of Worldwide Sales. "There is a very high demand already for these cards and for organized play tournaments, there is no doubt that the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME franchise will be a huge success."

The object of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME is to win a Match (which consists of three Duels) by reducing an opponent's "Life Points" from 8,000 to zero. This is accomplished through a series of turns using a deck with a minimum of 40 cards and a combination of strategy and skill. Three main types of cards are used in Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME: Monster, Spell, and Trap Cards, with each category being further divided into sub-categories. For more information on the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME or Upper Deck Entertainment, please visit www.yugioh-card.com or www.ude.com.

The Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME is distributed by Upper Deck Entertainment, a division of The Upper Deck Company, a worldwide sports and entertainment company based in Carlsbad, California. For years, Upper Deck has been hailed as the industry leader in quality sports cards and collectibles, and the same level of excellence can now be seen in the full line of Upper Deck Entertainment products.

According to the Associated Press, Reuters and KB Toys, the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME topped the list of the most coveted gifts. The game was also nominated for three Toy Industry Association 2002 Toy of the Year awards; Game of the Year, Licensed Toy of the Year, and the coveted People's Choice Toy of the Year award.

For more information on the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME or Upper Deck Entertainment, please visit www.yugioh-card.com or www.ude.com.

About Yu-Gi-Oh!(TM)

The Yu-Gi-Oh!(TM) franchise is based on the Yu-Gi-Oh!(TM) comic series from artist Kazuki Takahashi that first appeared in Japan in 1996. It is currently being serialized in SHONEN JUMP, the monthly manga magazine published by VIZ, LLC. The comic spawned a hit cartoon TV show, a top-selling collectible card game, several videogames and other licensed merchandise. Yu-Gi-Oh!(TM) follows the adventures of Yugi, a young boy who possesses the "Millennium Puzzle" that allows him to transform into the "Game King" whenever he is challenged.

About The Upper Deck Company

For years, Upper Deck has been hailed as the industry leader in quality sports cards and collectibles, and the same level of excellence can now be seen in the full line of Upper Deck Entertainment products. For additional information about the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME and Upper Deck Entertainment, please visit the company's Web site at www.ude.com or www.upperdeckstore.com. The Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME is distributed by Upper Deck Entertainment, a division of The Upper Deck Company, a worldwide sports and entertainment company based in Carlsbad, California.

About KONAMI CORPORATION

Konami Corporation is a leading developer, publisher and manufacturer of electronic entertainment properties, specializing in the home video game market. Konami Corporation's action and adventure titles include the popular franchises Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill and Castlevania, among other top sellers. The latest information about Konami can be found on the Web at www.konami.com. Konami Corporation is a publicly traded company based in Tokyo, Japan with subsidiary offices, Konami of America, Inc. in the U.S. and Konami of Europe in Frankfurt, Germany. Konami Corporation, the parent company of Konami of America, Inc. is traded in the United States on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol KNM. Details of the products distributed by Konami of America, Inc. can be found at www.konami.com/usa.