Gary Gygax, 1938 - 2008. RIP

March 5, 2008 · Filed Under News, Sam's Stuff 

For most people, role-playing games are the weird little diversions that nerds and geeks enjoy with their friends in the basements of their parents’ houses. For some, RPGs bring to mind funky little dice and badly painted plastic and metal models. Others see gaming as that strange, exhausting hobby that takes a hundred books and thousands of hours to play.

But for some of us, role-playing games are a way to connect with friends. They are a method for exploring concepts, a tool for envisioning our own imaginations, and a map for finding brave new worlds.

For me, role-playing games, and specifically Dungeons & Dragons, were the hobby that changed my life. I started gaming when I was eight. They taught me about math, and statistics, and strategy. They taught me that I had a real talent for writing and about the power of telling stories. They shaped my ideas about the world and launched my career as a writer.

On March 3rd, one of the co-creators of Dungeons & Dragons passed away at the far-too-young age of 70. Gary Gygax helped to create a style of game that reached far beyond the tabletop. Dungeons and Dragons wasn’t just a game - it was a cultural change, a shift that led the way for many to create their own stories and explore their own worlds in new ways..

Even if you’ve never played a table-top role-playing game, Dungeons and Dragons has probably touched your life. Computer games were not only influenced by D&D, most of them would probably not exist had D&D not been created. Modern fantasy writing has likewise been influenced, and it’s a rare corner of geek culture that hasn’t felt the touch of Gary’s work.

So, let’s take a couple of minutes of silence to remember what Gary gave to us all, and be thankful for what he did those long years ago in Lake Geneva.

Gary Gygax, GenCon, 2004

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One Response to “Gary Gygax, 1938 - 2008. RIP”

  1. momo on March 6th, 2008 12:14 am

    Well put, Sam. He’ll be remembered for who paved the way for RPGs.

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