BBC News Reflects on Dungeons and Dragons
Posted Monday, April 26, 2004 - 23:11 CET by chevalier

BBC News have posted a large article in which they ponder the development of D&D since creation by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson through the breaking point in the eighties up to the downfall in late nineties and the current moment. Among others, they discuss the variety of options that makes this system so enthralling, but here's the catch: enthralling to the point of substituting mundane and unattractive real life self with an entirely imagine fantasy alter ego, braver, stronger, wiser, smarter, faster, handsomer, and just generally more than the original, able to perform miracles, save damsels, slay dragons, cast spells, right wrongs, raid tombs, drink ale, and live dangerously whenever he feels like it. A vast collection of player memories and opinions follows.

In 1974 two men in the US Midwest, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, created Dungeons and Dragons, the first ever role-playing game.

Developed out of war gaming using table-top miniatures, the paperback rule books were an instant success, a genuine phenomenon which spawned an industry and influenced a generation of film-makers, writers and videogame developers.

An estimated 20 million people worldwide have played D&D since it was created, with more than $1bn spent on game equipment and books.

"I thought we would sell about 50,000 copies," says Gary Gygax.

Co-creator Dave Arneson recalls: "When we started playing we thought we were kind of crazy. It seemed to start quite well and sold better, and better and better."

Read the whole thing at BBC News.