Konami toma el TCG: Conclusion

Lamento el retraso de notificar esta informacion, particularmente debido a estas fechas.Aun asi, todo el asunto termino anteayer y ya era hora de publicar aqui toda la informacion que ha circulado sobre el asunto.

Como recordareis, hubo una gran noticia, buena para muchos y mala para otros, sobre que Konami tomaba el control absoluto de Yu-Gi-Oh!, con el resultado de que tambien controlaria el mercado occidental.Aqui dicha nota como recordatorio:

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. to Take Control of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME™

Company Will Support All Aspects of Distribution, Gameplay, Customer Service and Marketing

El Segundo, CA - (Dec. 11, 2008) - Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.(KDE) today announced that the company is taking over all operationaland business aspects of the worldwide phenomenon, Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADINGCARD GAME™, effective immediately. KDE will take over distribution andcustomer support for the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME™ from Upper DeckEntertainment (Carlsbad), KDE's former exclusive distributor of thetrading card game. The Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME first took the Asianmarket by storm in 1996 and became a global sensation in 2002 as itreached the shores of North America, quickly followed by Europe andother territories. Today, the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME continues toreach new milestones as the game evolves.

"Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. is very pleased that the Yu-Gi-Oh!TRADING CARD GAME continues to be the number one TCG in the world. Weare fully committed to maintaining a very high level of game support,from sales to organized play, and to providing a seamless transitionduring this process," commented Kazumi Kitaue, Chairman and CEO ofKonami Digital Entertainment, Inc. "We look forward to havingdistribution of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME within our corporateumbrella as it allows us to take advantage of the synergies from ourexisting gaming platforms to ensure continued great products for theDuelists and for our retail and distribution partners."

For distributors and retailers wanting to set up accounts with KDE, please contact customer support at 310-220-8630 or card-po@konami.com.

Despues de esto, aparece una carta dirigida a los consumidores y jugadores del TCG de parte de la misma Konami en su pagina oficial:


Open Letter to Yu‐Gi‐Oh! TRADING CARD GAME Duelists

Dear Duelists,
This is truly a thrilling time for the Yu‐Gi‐Oh! TRADING CARD GAME. With the recent news regarding our decision to bring the Yu‐Gi‐Oh! TCG in‐house to Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., many of you are anxious to find out what is next for the brand. We are extremely excited to be the one who will now market and distribute the Yu‐Gi‐Oh! TCG as Konami has always been the worldwide creative and manufacturing force behind the brand. The intention of this letter is to let you know where we are headed next.

With the state of the economy today, this is a time of great change within the gaming industry and in the world. By handling all aspects involved with the Yu‐Gi‐Oh! TRADING CARD GAME, Konami expects to provide the highest level of customer and retail support. We also look forward to taking advantage of the existing synergies between our well‐developed gaming platforms to introduce exciting new Yu‐Gi‐Oh! TCG products and tournament opportunities. Duelists, organized play, and the property mean a tremendous amount to us. We are committed to the Yu‐Gi‐Oh! TCG, after all, we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the brand!

So where do we go next? We are currently evaluating all aspects of the Yu‐Gi‐Oh! TRADING CARD GAME – Organized Play (OP), SHONEN JUMP Championships, Sneak Previews, hobby store participation, and player rankings, to name but a few. As you can imagine, there are a lot of critical decisions to be made quickly as we look to the future. We are currently in a transitional period. Once complete, we will announce a series of new organized play events for the Yu‐Gi‐Oh! TCG. Meanwhile, Konami encourages all of you to join forces and keep Dueling to maintain the spirit and friendship within the Yu‐Gi‐Oh! TCG community.

Konami is enthusiastically counting down the days until the new OP and other Yu‐Gi‐Oh! TRADING CARD GAME‐related activities resume in the New Year.

Everyone at Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. would like to extend our deepest appreciation to all of you in the gaming community who have actively and passionately supported the Yu‐Gi‐Oh! TRADING CARD GAME over the years and we look forward to your ongoing involvement.

Sincerely,
Yumi Hoashi
Vice President, Card Business
Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.

Aqui teneis la carta para bajar en pdf.CLICK AQUI

Despues de todo esto junto a la alegria o la incomodidad de los jugadores al respecto, UDE publica una carta declarando de que dicha informacion es incierta de parte de Konami.

Upper Deck Panoceanic C.V. and Upper Deck International B.V. (hereinafter called: “Upper Deck”) wish to broadcast the following press release.

Recently several media have reported that Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. and/or Konami Marketing Inc. and/or Konami Digital Entertainment Inc. and/or its worldwide affiliates (hereinafter called: “Konami”) is/are taking over all operational and business aspects of the Yu-Gi-Oh!TM TRADING CARD GAME with immediate effect, based on an alleged termination of the distribution agreements with Upper Deck. According to this report Konami will also take over distribution and customer support for the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME

Upper Deck wishes to point out with great emphasis that the aforementioned reports are false, there is no legal ground or justification for this termination by Konami whatsoever and that this termination is therefore wrongful. Regarding the Yu-Gi-Oh! TM TRADING CARD GAME business Upper Deck is still the sole and exclusive distributor for the European territory and will continue providing the Yu-Gi-Oh!TM TRADING CARD GAME products to all its contractual customers. Upper Deck has already sent a warning letter to Konami demanding that Konami ceases the broadcasting of this misleading and unlawful information and to rectify accordingly forthwith. If Konami does not voluntarily comply with said warning, Upper Deck shall take all necessary legal actions forthwith.

Based on the foregoing, Upper Deck will continue to conduct business with all its counterparties as usual.

Kind regards,
On behalf of Upper Deck


Eric Burzle
President
Upper Deck Panoceanic CV

Nico Blauw
CEO
Upper Deck International BV

Y mas adelante, otra mas es publicada.

Dear Upper Deck players;
Upper Deck reiterates its commitment to the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelists, event organizers, and retailers. Upper Deck intends to continue supporting Organized Play (OP) programs and all organizers who wish to run events. This includes Hobby Leagues, Sneak Previews, Regional Qualifiers, and all Championship tournaments.

As part of our continued support for OP, Duelist ratings will be updated on Upper Deck’s Yu-Gi-Oh! website, as usual. Also, event organizers will still be able to use MANTIS®, Upper Deck’s proprietary software, to run their Yu-Gi-Oh! tournaments. Please visit WannaDuel.com for the latest information about Upper Deck’s sanctioned Yu-Gi-Oh! Organized Play events.

Thank you to everyone who took part in Upper Deck’s Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME Regional Qualifiers this past weekend. Upper Deck knows the vital role that Duelists play in helping to create the fantastic gaming environment that keeps the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG growing. We are unwavering in our commitment to you – the players, organizers, and retailers – and will do everything within our power to maintain the same high level of Organized Play during this uncertain time.

As a company, Upper Deck is committed to providing exceptional OP events for players of all ages and skill levels. 2009 will be a very exciting year, as we continue to grow our existing OP programs, introduce new formats, and roll out programs for our new games, such as the Dinosaur King TCG and the Huntik: Secrets & Seekers TCG. Upper Deck is also proud to offer a new, in-depth “Road to Worlds” OP program for the World of Warcraft TCG and Miniatures Game, which will culminate in the 2009 World Championship, featuring $250,000 in cash and prizes.

Without a doubt, 2009 will be a great year for Upper Deck players! To find out more about the OP opportunities for all of our great games, please visit UDE.com.


Here’s to happy gaming in the New Year!

A partir de aqui, UDE intentara defender practicamente su mayor fuente de ingresos.

Upper Deck Panoceanic C.V. and Upper Deck International B.V. (hereinafter called: “Upper Deck”) wish to broadcast the following statement.

Upper Deck files injunction against Konami. Upper Deck was given no other choice since Konami unlawfully terminated the exclusive distribution agreement for the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game.

“We need to protect our company’s interest but more importantly, we need to stand up for the Yu-Gi-Oh! brand, our customers and our players. Konami’s unfounded decision caught us all by surprise and their statement has seriously damaged the Yu-Gi-Oh! brand and Upper Deck’s excellent reputation in the marketplace. We worry for Yu-Gi-Oh!’s future as Konami has never really contributed anything to the brand”, according to an Upper Deck representative.

This injunction is planned for December 22nd in The Netherlands.

Aqui una pequeña carta basicamente sobre los torneos importantes debido a esto.

From: Jason Chai
To: *********
Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 3:49 PM
Subject: RE: About you taking over the Yu-gi-Oh! TCG side


Thank you for your email. We understand your concerns and we will definitely have Organized Play including Shonen Jump Championships and Sneak Previews moving forward. The new Organized Play program will roll out in early 2009 once the transition is complete. We will take your feedback into account and we will not change everything that our Duelists have come to enjoy and expect.


Regards,
Konami

Y por ultimo, la gran conclusion a todo esto.

Upper Deck International BV wins injunction against Konami

December 24th, 2008 - Netherlands - The Dutch Court has decided in favour of Upper Deck Panoceanic CV and Upper Deck International BV.
The termination of the contract between Konami and Upper Deck is unfounded and has been overruled by the Dutch Court. As of immediately, Konami needs to put all in place to respect all aspects of the contract. This means that with immediate effect, Upper Deck International BV has been and will be the exclusive distributor of The YuGiOh Trading Card Game moving forward for all European territories.

Mr Nico Blauw, CEO of Upper Deck International BV is pleased with the outcome of the Court: 'In these hectic economic times, this is a great Christmas present for both our customers, our employees and the player base'.

Bruno Van Speybroeck
Chief Operating Officer
Upper Deck International BV

En resumidas cuentas, seguiremos tal como estabamos y sin cambios aparentes en cuanto a distribucion y el precio del mercado del juego y lo que a algunos pocos mayormente le preocupaba, las conseqüencias que hubiera provocado el cambio al torneo organizado.