The first game to incorporate an electronic reader called The PlayGrid, NFL Showdown 2002 features the fun of trading card games, the collectability of traditional sports cards and the strategic elements of fantasy sports and sports matchups.

The PlayGrid, developed in conjunction with Tiger Electronics (also a division of Hasbro), is a handheld scanning device that reads, decodes and stores information from cards that are swiped through its electronic scanner. It then computes each individual play result from the information it has stored.

Player cards include full-color images of NFL players, as well as characteristics and abilities taken from bar codes containing actual season statistics and other vital information that is interpreted by The PlayGrid. The PlayGrid card reader is available only in the NFL Showdown 2002 two-player Starter Set.

This game is the first ever to receive an endorsement from the National Football League Coaches Association (NFLCA). The NFL Showdown 2002 sports card game simulates an actual football game and allows players to act as owners, coaches and players of their own NFL teams by drafting and building teams, calling plays and developing overall game strategies.

"(The NFL Showdown sports card game) is the only game that challenges you to be more than a player. Successful coaches know that drafting a team, building a playbook and developing game strategies are the keys to winning," said Mike Martz, head coach of the St. Louis Rams, in a press release.

The NFL Showdown 2002 sports card game is available in two-player Starter Sets (MSRP $19.99), draft packs (MSRP $9.99) and booster packs ($3.29). For more information on the NFL Showdown 2002 sport card game or the NFL Showdown League or to view an online demo of the game, go to http://www.wizards.com/Showdown/.

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