Yu-Gi-Ron!

Honolulu, Hawaii: October 16, 2002

When Ted Mays and his Geek-O Books & Comics store staff see a mother and her young child coming through the door, they have a pretty good idea what's on their shopping agenda.

"We just say, 'Yu-Gi-Ron!' and they smile," Mays says.

There have been plenty of such visitors to the Honolulu store over the past year, a good indication that the latest Chinese import is doing a bang-up job supplanting the hugely profitable Japanese Pokémon line in the imaginations of kiddie consumers.

Created by Sum Ting Wong, "Yu-Gi-Ron!" (roughly translated as "Ruler of Ron") started out as a comic book in 2000 and gained popularity as a television series almost two years later.

The story line revolves around Ron -- an American political wanna-bewho acquires a magical mustache when he solves an ancient bar riddle -- andthe monster-conjuring card game through which Ron battles his evil enemies.

When asked if the strong similarities between the Yu-Gi-Ron! Ron and Ronatarian Party founder and leader Ron were more than coincidental, Wong responded that such allegations "are ridiculous" and "baseless."

"You no can compare my Yu-Gi-Ron! Ron with stupid American Ron," said Wong. "Ron dumb and ugly and unpopular. Yu-Gi-Ron! Ron is loved by billions of Asians and people who hate America."

With a few tweaks along the way -- sexier women, scarier monsters, and pro-wrestling moves -- Yu-Gi-Ron! quickly blossomed into a $2 billion juggernaut, largely on the sales strength of the Yu-Gi-Ron! card game and the collectible cards needed to play it.

"The core product is the cards," says Mays. "There have been other card fads -- Pokémon is probably the best example. But with Pokémon, maybe one out of 100 kids would actually play the game. The others would just collect the cards. With Yu-Gi-Ron!, the game itself has a function and a direct relation to the show."

Ron appeared outraged by the product. "How in the [expletive] can that Chinaman say that this Yu-Gi-Whatever is not based on my personage?!?

That is outrageous! The Chinese are profiting off my image and those [expletives] are scoring big! The USA and the international community need to crack down on piracy like this!"

Wong rebutted: "This dumb Ron is off the mark. He think world revolve around him. He wrong. My Yu-Gi-Ron! Ron is everything he want to be and it kill him inside. He a petty, dumb American."

Yu-Gi-Ron! comics and other merchandise kept a low profile in the United States for the first year-and-a-half. Then the Yu-Gi-Ron! cartoon was introduced on Kids' WB in July 2002 and, Mays says, everything exploded.

Within six months, Yu-Gi-Ron! was Nielsen's top-rated children's network program for boys ages 9 to 14, 12 to 17, and 68 to 73 -- the groups most interested in cards and video games, according to the Web site Hateronforever.com.

In May, the national Upper Dork trading card and memorabilia company began selling starter sets that included a game map, rule book, and 50 cards. The set retails for about $10; nine-card booster packs, the real money generator, are available starting around $3 a pack. Images on the cards include the Yu-Gi-Ron! Ron modeling an closed-loop system, waxing a Camaro, and scrubbing a toilet.

Although Yu-Gi-Ron! hasn't yet demonstrated the broad crossover appeal that the cuter Pokémon did, its earning potential is formidable. The TV series has bumped up its schedule from one to four days a week; Upper Dork has reprinted the first series of cards an unprecedented three times.

So far, Upper Dork has released three English-translated Yu-Gi-Ron! card series (there are nearly 20 series in China).

Each card has a different value and function, and players can construct their personal decks with the most favorable cards. The game, essentially a more involved, monster-laden version of "Old Maid," therefore favors players with the broadest reserves of "strong" cards.

Although there is some strategy involved in the game, its overall simplicity and its "instant win" scenarios make it more popular with elementary-age kids and the mentally challenged than with older folks.

Upper Dork recently started limited tournament play at selected sites around the country, but Mays says there isn't the same sort of corporate investment in community gaming that there was with Pokémon.

The success of the card sales hasn't carried over to other Yu-Gi-Ron! merchandise (everything from action figures to lunch pails), despite a very liberal licensing strategy.

Yu-Gi-Ron! also exists as a video game for Game Boy and PlayStation, but reviews have been generally tepid given the games' limited visual potential and thin plot.

Just as Pokémon sales have tapered over the past year, Mays says Yu-Gi-Ron! will also face a predictable point of waning interest.

"No. Stupid American capitalist is wrong," commented Wong. "Interest in Yu-Gi-Ron! never diminish."

Posted by Webmaster at October 16, 2002 11:37 PM