In news that has thousands of wives saying "who?", Gary Gygax died this morning at the age of 69.
Gygax is well known by former teenage boys everywhere as the co-creator of the classic fantasy role playing game Dungeons and Dragons. While I was never into it as much as some (and some really get into it), I did play somewhat regularly through jr. high and into high school and have fond memories of late nights and epic campaigns.
This is also the second obituary type post here in as many days. I don’t like these and I think I have had enough of them for a while – so no more dying!!
Although my son does play D & D occasionally, he’s more involved in the military simulation games I can never remember the names of…he started out with War Hammer or something like that. He paints all the figures and everything. And I agree. Enough with the dying.
I think it’s great that these kind of games are still so popular be they fantasy or military or sci-fi.
While online games like World Of Warcraft and such are good, getting together with real people and playing these campaigns is great and I’m glad that it isn’t lost.
SB
Teenaged boys everywhere will mourn this. I never understood this game!
But, I hope he RIP anyway!
I think the cool thing is that even if you don’t understand it, you are aware of it. The impact it had on kids (and adults) and how ingrained into our culture D&D and the fantasy RPG in general has become.
It wasn’t the first but it really is the standard by which anything of that nature is measured against.
SB
I’m one of those who really get into it.
I’ve been playing D&D for 10 years, and it’s more than a simple game for me and my friends.
I hope the fight for the good game and not the commercial game that Hasbro has made of D&D will not die with Gygax, some of us still play with fantasy and imagination and not like in 4th edition… with PC’s!?
I make everything in a PC that’s my real world now, why play fantasy here too?
RIP Gary Gygax You made too much for us.