Fantasy gamers gather in San Diego

By: DARRYN BENNETT - Staff Writer | Friday, November 30, 2007 10:23 PM PST ∞

SAN DIEGO -- Eric Fletcher, in the middle of a heated card game Friday, said the face-to-face competition at his table was hands down more thrilling than the online versions he's played.

The 25-year-old data specialist from Carlsbad was one of more than 1,100 role-playing game enthusiasts who earned the chance to compete for a $100,000 grand prize at the World of Warcraft trading-card game championship tournament this weekend.

The competition got under way Friday at the San Diego Convention Center with about 400 players from more than 30 countries. By today, eliminations will leave only 96 competitors battling for the biggest payout in trading-card game history and the coveted title of world champion, said Don Williams, a spokesman for Upper Deck, the Carlsbad-based company that is sponsoring the tournament.

Many trading-card gamers said Friday that while they relish the competitiveness of the game, they mostly play for the face-to-face interaction, something online role-playing games can't offer.

"I'm somewhat opposed to the online games," Fletcher said between rounds. "It eats your time while your just at home, staring at a computer."

In the card game, released in October 2006, players assume the role and strategies of fantastical heroes to conquer formidable enemies. It's based on the hugely popular World of Warcraft online role-playing game, but many card-playing devotees said they are opting out of the social isolation they say comes with being "glued" to a computer screen.

With more than 9 million players worldwide, World of Warcraft is one of the most popular online role-playing games, a computerized twist on classic role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons.

In the online version, players log onto their computers to meet other players and quest across vast mythical realms, forging alliances and fighting computer-generated beasts. For Fletcher, who said he spends "many hours each week" playing fantasy trading-card games such as Warcraft, online friendships leave much to be desired.

"Usually about 12 of us meet up at a game store and start a game and between rounds we're joking and talking, and we're out of the house," he said. "That doesn't happen on the computer."

Chad Lathrop, a 28-year-old competitor from Austin, Texas, said he got into the Warcraft card game to meet new people in a laid-back environment.

"I moved to Austin and I was able to jump right into a group without having to go to a bar or something," he said. "I like that there are no social status issues, too. No one cares what you do for a living when you're playing."

Lathrop and Fletcher, who both said they got involved in role-playing card games as teenagers, said they play online versions sometimes, but cards are their format of choice.

"I like that the cards seem elegant and simple, and they (the characters) have a lot of room for growth," Fletcher said.

Many of the people invited -- who already dominated in regional and national competitions -- didn't attend the world tournament, and only the best 30 players had travel expenses paid as part of the prize package Upper Deck awarded, Williams said. On Friday, about 150 international players from Europe and Asia were in San Diego.

Upper Deck, which makes the cards for the game, was originally known as a seller of sports card memorabilia. Last year it teamed up with the online World of Warcraft creator Blizzard Entertainment to bring out the card version.

The tournament continues though Sunday. The second-place finisher gets $25,000; third and fourth, $10,000 each; fifth through eighth get $4,000 each; ninth through 16th each get $2,000 each; and 17th through 100th each get $1,000.

Contact staff writer Darryn Bennett at (760) 740-5420 or dmbennett@nctimes.com.

First name only. Comments including last names, contact addresses, e-mail addresses or phone numbers will be deleted. Attempts to misrepresent your identity or impersonate any person will not be approved. All comments are screened before they appear online, so please keep them brief. Comments reflect the views of those commenting and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff writers. Click here to view additional comment policies.