They gather to play cards, though not with your typical deck, but a special series of collector cards with the exotic name of Yu-Gi-Oh.
In this game the stakes are high, for ‘play’ involves challenging one another to duels using a wide a range monster, spell and trap cards.
This particular Friday evening, they are crammed into a small, second-story apartment, to play, trade, talk, socialize and share a common interest. Most are in their late teens, some are younger, a few are in their early 20s. They are intelligent, articulate, courteous and respectful to one another, and although the whole point of taking part in the game is to win, they are, for the most part, remarkably non-competitive.
Looking around the room, one could surmise that most of these young people are not a part of the so-called “in-crowd,” but then again, they have made their own in crowd. They are also a part of a wave that has swept around the world and across North America.
For some who are admittedly shy, it’s a way to improve their social skills while being among people who are non-judgemental – who are willing to accept you for who you are. For others, it’s a way to improve other skills such as mathematics, which is a large part of the gaming aspect.
The Yu-Gi-Oh card game, evolved from a Japanese (magazine) fantasy series created by Kazuki Takahashi about a fictional card game. The series followed the story of a boy named Yugi Mutou, who solves an ancient puzzle and awakens a gambling alter-ego within himself that resolves various conflicts by taking part in a fictional trading card game called Duel Monsters (originally known as Magic and Wizards), where players use cards to duel each other in mock battles.
The Yu-Gi-Oh card game is, in effect, the real-world counterpart to the fictional card game played in the fantasy. Players start out by buying a “starter” deck, and then proceed to acquire more cards. Different cards have different powers and certain cards are highly sought after. Players collect cards which they can play or trade. By improving your deck you improve your chances of winning in a game. There are a number of online strategy sites as well as online game sites. There are also sanctioned and non-sanctioned tournaments.
Local monthly tournaments, which take place at the SASCU Downtown Activity Centre, usually involve a number of small prizes ranging from simple collector tins (with cards) to playing mats. Every attempt is made to match skill levels, especially for players that are just starting out. One rule that is strictly enforced is that there is no gambling allowed.
“Part of the game is to beat your opponent… it’s also a way to improve your deck,” says Steve Porterhead, one of the weekly Yu-Gi-Oh players and monthly tournament organizers. “Sometimes you attain cards you want by gaming, other times it’s by negotiation and trading. But there’s always a respect factor,” he says. “You don’t take advantage of someone and you always treat your opponent with respect.”
For almost all of a core group of 20 or so local players, it’s obviously more about socializing, meeting people and making new friends than it is about winning. Or as Dakota Simpson puts it, “At least it’s something productive to do on a Friday night.”