This afternoon, the employees of Upper Deck were treated to a day of food, gaming, and fun in sunny Carlsbad, California. The UDE department was out in full force, providing demos for Vs. System, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Shaman King, Marvel Super Hero Showdown, and Winx Club.

 

UDE Director Jeff Donais explained, “This is an event we put together at Upper Deck to thank the employees for the work they did all year. We were able to highlight all the cool products we have to offer, and it was so successful that the president of the company wants it to be an annual event.”

Employees from all departments were able to try out the games that UDE has to offer, and some sports activities were included to add an athletic edge to the afternoon. A pitch velocity booth got plenty of participants, as well as a football accuracy throw. Over to the side, a pair of basketball hoops allowed employees to challenge each other one-on-one against the clock.

Of course, no summer afternoon party would be complete without some barbecue. Tortilla chips with salsa fresca, ranch-style beans, barbecued chicken, sweet rolls and old-fashioned lemonade made sure everyone was full and happy while they gamed. A few hours later, snow cones and popcorn were a tasty snack. If employees needed an energy boost after hurling balls and flopping cards, the Red Bull folks were kind enough to hand out free cans of their delightful, uplifting drink.

Above all, this afternoon was a great way to get everyone who works on different aspects of UDE products to come together and enjoy the results of their labors. As Jeff mentioned, “It’s great to see people who work on the games interact with the sports people at Upper Deck, and vice versa. We’ve got people in UDE shirts throwing baseballs and footballs with the sports guys, and the employees who work on the sports products are at the tables learning the games that we’ve designed and continue to work on.”