Upper Deck had several new announcements at the GAMA Trade Show, including a new license for The Crow, plans for a Firefly Dice Game, and a new Starter Box for Marvel Legendary, the Legendary: Marvel Villains Deck Building Game.
 
Upper Deck has signed an agreement with Pressman Film Corporation to have access to The Crow universe, which includes comics, TV shows, and movies.  "The Crow is a really cool license.  Everybody knows it, but not much has been done with it.  So that’s important," said Jason Brenner, Upper Deck’s Marvel Brand Manager.  "We want to bring to the table card games, board games, trading cards, limited edition posters, things like that."  The first products aren’t scheduled for launch until March 2015. 
 
When asked if the scope of the license includes material in the rumored movie reboot (see "James O'Barr Creates New Poster for 'The Crow'"), Brenner was pragmatic.  "Potentially.  Our current agreement is for anything that has already been created with The Crow, but that’s not to say that that door is shut in any way."
 
The Firefly Dice Game was announced, the first product from that franchise to come out of Upper Deck’s agreement with Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products revealed last fall (see "'Alien' Deck-Building Game"), which covered the Firefly, Alien and Predator franchises. 
 
The Firefly Dice Game is planned for November release.  "That’s going to be more of a fun, fast, 15-minute game.  It’s a press your luck-style game.  Firefly is all about getting a mission, trying to complete it, trying to make money, trying not to get caught, make sure nothing goes wrong, and inevitably things always seem to go wrong," said Brenner.  "There will be a card element to that as well.  We’re going to try to stay around the $20 MSRP."
 
On June 25th, the new Legendary: Marvel Deck Building Game box will be released.  Brenner confirmed that Legendary: Marvel Villains Deck Building Game is a reboot of the core set for the Legendary: Marvel Deck Building Game.  "When I say rebooting:  all new art, new mechanics and the catch is, you’re actually playing as the villains against the good guys, rather than the heroes against the villains."  He said the "Mastermind" role will be played by heroes like Professor X or Odin, but the "Mastermind" name will change.
 
"They have their plans they’re trying to accomplish as good guys, and as the villains, you’re trying to thwart that," Brenner explained.  "So it’s going to be more PvP-centric.  We renewed all the starting hands; they’re going to be Hydra hands; it’s going to be really interesting.  I liken (game play) to any time there was a cool Star Trek mirror universe episode, those were the coolest episodes on the planet."
 
Brenner went on to confirm that while this is a new starter, it will be compatible with all existing product, and that Upper Deck will continue to produce the first core product.  "The first set is not being retired.  We’re very sensitive to that.  I think this is a good starting point for new players.  I think it’s a good different way to play for current players.  It’s a fun alternative way to play the game," he said.  "These will both live on the shelf, at the same time."
 
Legendary: Marvel Villains Deck Building Game box will include 500 cards, a game board and a rulebook.  MSRP is $59.99.