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WORLD'S FINEST PROFESSIONAL MAGIC: THE GATHERING PLAYERS CONVENE IN SAN
DIEGO TO COMPETE FOR MORE THAN $350,000

Tournament for One of the World's Best-Selling Trading Card Games Draws More Than 300 Pro Players From Over 30 Countries

January 7, 2002 (Renton, Wash.) -- Hundreds of the world's finest
professional _Magic: The Gathering_(R) trading card game (TCG) players
from more than 30 countries will gather in San Diego, California, January
10 - 13, to compete for over $350,000. This invitation-only event marks
the first time that the $3 million _Magic_(R) _Pro Tour_(TM) circuit,
which travels around the globe annually, has made a stop in San Diego. 
Other stops on the tournament circuit this year include New York City,
N.Y.; New Orleans, La.; Osaka, Japan; Nice, France; and Sydney, Australia,
the site of the 2002 Magic World Championships.

Regular rounds of play, in which players compete for $200,000, will take
place at the San Diego Concourse Center on Friday, January 11, through
Sunday, January 13. A $150,000 Masters Series event, a special tournament
for 32 select players, will take place on Thursday, January 10. Many of
the top players will be present in San Diego, including the Magic game's
all-time leading money winner, Jon Finkel of Fanwood, N.J.; 2001 U.S.
National Champion, Trevor Blackwell of San Francisco, Calif.; 2001 Pro
Tour Player of the Year, Kai Budde of Germany; and former Magic World
Champion and San Diego native, Brian Selden.

Pro Tour - San Diego will also feature a battle of the titans, when
_Deckmasters_(TM) box set designers Richard Garfield, creator of the
Magic: The Gathering TCG, and Jon Finkel, the all-time leading money
winner on the Pro Tour circuit, go head to head with decks of their own
design to see whose deck is stronger. They will battle it out on Sunday,
January 13, at 2 p.m. in the Feature Match Area.

In addition to enjoying the intense competition of the Magic Pro Tour,
spectators and amateur players are invited to participate in a wide
variety of exciting side events, including the chance to qualify for Pro
Tour - Osaka, to be held March 2002. Attendees will also have the
opportunity to meet and have their cards signed by well-known Magic
artists Daren Bader and Mark Brill.

Events are open to the public and will be held at the San Diego Concourse
Center, located at 202 C Street in San Diego, during the following hours:

Thursday,January 10 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. (Master Series)
Friday, January 11 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Saturday, January 12 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 13 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.*
*An awards ceremony will immediately follow the final round.

For more information, the public can call (800) 324-6496.

With an estimated fan base of more than six million players, the Magic
game is played in social and competitive settings, including the
prestigious $3 million Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour circuit. Played in
more than 52 countries worldwide, the Magic game is supported by the
_DCI_(TM) players' organization, the governing authority for all
officially sanctioned Magic tournaments. Helping both amateur and
professional Magic players track their rankings, the DCI players'
organization currently sanctions more than 80,000 Magic tournaments around
the world each year.

Wizards of the Coast Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro Inc. (NYSE:HAS), is the
worldwide market share leader in the TCG and tabletop roleplaying game
categories. A leading developer and publisher of game-based entertainment
products, as well as the owner and operator of one of the nation's largest
specialty game retail chains, the company holds an exclusive patent on the
play mechanic of TCGs and produces the world's best-selling _Pokemon_(R)
and Magic: The Gathering TCGs. Headquartered near Seattle, Washington,
Wizards of the Coast has international offices in Antwerp, Paris, Milan,
London, Beijing and Sydney. For more information on Wizards of the Coast,
visit the company's website and electronic retail store at wizards.com.

Pokémon is a registered trademark of Nintendo.
Wizards of the Coast, Magic: The Gathering, Magic, MAGIC: THE GATHERING
PRO TOUR and DCI are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast Inc., a subsidiary
of Hasbro Inc. (Copr.)2001 Wizards.