<P> The game was launched by Konami in 1999 in Japan and March 2002 in North America . It was named the top selling trading card game in the world by Guinness World Records on July 7 , 2009 , having sold over 22 billion cards worldwide . As of March 31 , 2011 , Konami Digital Entertainment Co. , Ltd. Japan sold 25.2 billion cards globally since 1999 . The game continues to gain popularity as it is played around the world , mostly in Japan , North America , Europe and Australia , and has been expanded with new rules and additions as the franchise grows . </P>
when did the yugioh card game come out
in 1999 in Japan March 2002 in North America