March 24, 2003 (SEATTLE) -- Charles Taggart, a deputy sheriff in northern Virginia, knew he'd found the girl of his dreams.
Few of his previous girlfriends thought much of the time he spent playing the MechWarrior(r) collectable miniatures game. But Samantha Manuel not only approved, but she also encouraged him. In fact, one of the couple's traditions became opening new packages of the game's collectable pieces together, to see whether any of the highly prized Unique figures were inside.
So, when Taggart decided he'd pop the big question on his best girl, he knew the way to surprise her was during one of their MechWarrior "opening ceremonies."
"When I first saw it, I thought we must have found a very rare piece," laughed Manuel. "I said, 'This must be a good one because they put it in its own velvet box!'" But when she opened the box, she found a diamond engagement ring inside. When Taggart dropped to his knee, Samantha was truly delighted. The deputy's proposal was accepted, and the couple is scheduled to be married in 2004.
"We're very happy to see that our games really do help bring families together," said Martin Stever, executive vice president for marketing of WizKids, LLC. "Husbands get wives interested in the game, fathers get sons playing, uncles and brothers introduce the game to nephews and little brothers. Our games encourage discussion and build relationships. We're very proud of that."
Deputy Taggart got interested in MechWarrior as a boy, playing a pencil-and-paper precursor to the game with his father. "Dad and I used to play BattleTech(r) together when I was a kid," said Taggart, "so when I saw MechWarrior in the stores, I bought him a set for his birthday. We've been playing almost every week since." He predicts that their games will soon double in size. "He's gotten my mom interested in it, and now I have to teach Sam how to play. Then we can have 'couples' games."
The game is popular outside the Taggart family as well. A MechWarrior movie, based on the characters in the game, is currently being developed in Hollywood.
Taggart and Manuel were introduced by their mothers, who work together at Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC). They dated for about a year before deciding to tie the knot.
WizKids is an award-winning Seattle-based game developer and publisher. For more information, visit the company's website at www.wizkidsgames.com.
(c)2003 WizKids, LLC. All rights reserved. MechWarrior, BattleTech and WizKids are trademarks of WizKids, LLC.
