Join thousands of fans from around the world to converge on Indianapolis July 24 - 27, 2003 for The Best Four Days In Gaming.(TM)

One of Gen Con's biggest attractions is the celebrities who attend, and this year Gen Con Indy has pulled out the likes of Lord of the Rings' Sean Astin and John Rhys Davies, Traci Lords (Blade, Crybaby), Eugene Roddenberry (Star Trek, Earth: Final Conflict), Jason Carter (Babylon 5), Richard Biggs (Babylon 5), Virginia Hey (Farscape) and Robin Atkin Downes (Babylon 5, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter). In addition, C2 Ventures will present a special Star Wars autograph area, featuring celebrities from all five Star Wars films. All celebrities will be on hand to meet fans and sign autographs.

"We are thrilled to bring the rich tradition of Gen Con and the booming game industry to the city of Indianapolis," says Peter Adkison, CEO of Gen Con LLC. "With more events, exhibitors, new games and celebrity guests than ever before, Gen Con Indy will show why it is the best four days in gaming!"

Join Gen Con Indy and Co-Sponsor Wizards of the Coast in celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Magic: The Gathering Trading Card Game. All convention attendees are invited to the Magic: The Gathering 10th Anniversary Party in the Plaza (Pan Am Plaza), July 24 to celebrate the game that started the TCG craze. Co-Sponsor of Gen Con Indy, Upper Deck Entertainment, will bring their highly-successful Yu-Gi-Oh card game tour to town and to their booth in the exhibit hall.

To go along with the new location, there will also be many new activities and events debuting at Gen Con Indy, including the first Gen Con Costume Ball. Taking place Saturday, July 26 from 9 - 12 p.m., the Gen Con Costume Ball will feature dj music, prizes, and entertainment. Tickets are required. Another new exciting addition is the Ultimate Extreme Gamer Abuse-O-Rama , Gen Con's version of reality TV. Over the course of the Best Four Days of Gaming, six gamers will be locked in a room and put to the test with wild antics, all while being broadcast inside the convention hall. Convention attendees will be allowed to vote on their pick for Ultimate Extreme Gamer. Join in True Dungeon(TM): A Life-size D&D Adventure. True Dungeon is a d20 variant that allows players to experience their D&D adventure within a life-size dungeon environment. A new online registration system for events and seminars will make attending your favorite events even easier!

Gen Con Indy is pleased to announce that the show will be the new home of DecipherCon, brought to you by Decipher. You'll find the World Championship for The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game and the Star Trek Customizable Card Game -- players will compete for a cash prize purse of $40,000.

Alderac Entertainment Group's renowned L5R World Championships are being held at Gen Con and the Warlord Medusan Lord Tournament Challenges return for their second triumphant year.

Old favorites will be there too. Look for the return of Gen Con's biggest event, Time Warp II. Open to all attendees, those who solve the weekend-long, convention-wide mystery puzzle will win membership to the new Gen Con VIP club. Check out the Gen Con Art Show for one of the best displays of fantasy and sci-fi art. The Klingon Jail 'n' Bail will be in operation all weekend, raising money for Gen Con's select charity. A $5 donation will send the warriors off to publicly arrest and incarcerate anyone you choose. Gen Con Indy 2003 will have two full rooms of anime for your viewing pleasure. And don't forget about the collectible game auction, the miniatures paint-and-take workshop and the costume contest!

Gen Con Indy will be open to the public daily beginning Thursday, July 24 through Sunday, July 27 from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. with a 24-hour Computer Gaming Area. The convention will take place in the Indianapolis Convention Center, a 620,000 square foot state of the art facility in downtown Indianapolis. On site registration fees are as follows:

Four-day admission: $60

One-day admission: $23

Children under the age of 8 receive complimentary admission if accompanied by a paying adult. For more information, the public can call 800/529-EXPO or visit www.gencon.com.

About Upper Deck

The Upper Deck Company, LLC is a premier sports/entertainment publishing company which delivers a portfolio of relevant, innovative and multi-dimensional product experiences to collectors, sports and entertainment enthusiasts. Founded in 1988, The Upper Deck Company, LLC is located in Carlsbad, Calif.

About Wizards of the Coast

Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., is the worldwide market share leader in the trading card game and tabletop roleplaying game categories. A leading developer and publisher of game-based entertainment products, the company holds an exclusive patent on the method of playing trading card games (TCGs) and produces the world's best-selling Pokemon(R) and Magic: The Gathering(R) TCGs. Publisher of adventure games, family card and board games and electronic media products, Wizards of the Coast is also one of the world's premiere book publishers of fantasy series fiction. For more information, visit the Wizards of the Coast(R) website at wizards.com.

About Gen Con

Gen Con, LLC and The Best Four Days in Gaming(TM) are wholly owned by Peter Adkison, former CEO and founder of Wizards of the Coast. Now in its 36th year, the Gen Con Game Fair has become the largest annual consumer fantasy, sci-fi and adventure game convention in North America. Each year, game enthusiasts converge to share a common enthusiasm and a long weekend of interactive play, to participate in hobby-related events and meet celebrity guests. With more than 23,000 attendees each year and more new product introductions than any other consumer game convention in the U.S, Gen Con is an annual destination for fans of adventure games, fantasy and science fiction. This year marks Gen Con's debut in Indianapolis, IN.