Gary Gygax, father of the RPG, has died at 69.

[Omega Amen]

To put things in perspective, Gary Gygax created the tabletop game, Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), back in 1974, defining the game mechanics and rule system of the modern RPG. From there, the computer games Ultima and Wizardry were made, inspired by Gygax's creation, and those computer games inspired both Japanese and Western game developers to create video games with their own fantasy worlds and rule systems.

If it were not for Gygax, video game history, culture, and industry would be dramatically different. If you have ever enjoyed an RPG, no matter what type or sub-genre, a great deal of credit should be given to Gygax for establishing the foundation of the genre.

Wikipedia has an entry on Gary Gygax and you can easily search for a news article on his death.

Thank you, Mr. Gygax, for creating one of the most beloved genres of gaming. May you rest in peace.

[termyt]

I just saw this on the news. RPG's have had a profound affect on my life - for good or ill, I'm not sure

Gygax's contribution to that can not be overstated.

I hope he found peace in his life and the next.

[ClosetOtaku]

In the fall of 1977, a college student introduced a high school friend and me to the three paperback books that then constituted the core of Dungeons & Dragons. For the several years thereafter, almost all my Friday and Saturday nights were consumed with this game.

It is indeed hard to describe the impact this game had on society. Most affected, I believe, was the "geek" or "nerd" population -- before D&D, each circle of geekdom had its segment, be it collecting comics, constructing home made computers, playing chess, or reading sci fi. Afterwards, members of these segments joined over a table of paper and pencil, dice, and the ubiquitous Judge's Guild screen.

D&D brought an awareness of the subculture like no other event before -- to society as a whole, but more importantly, to the subculture itself. There was a sense of belonging brought to those who, previously, had been primarily characterized by not belonging.

I don't think Gygax foresaw that; he and Dave Arneson just made some rules designed for medieval miniatures more accessible and, wham! pent up demand in people responded. And it just kept spawning, as Omega Amen mentioned -- other RPGs, arcade and computer games, consoles, the CCG and MMORPG. Its timing, on the heels of the Tolkien revival and right before the Star Wars craze, only amplified its effects.

I had heard several weeks ago -- and have seen it repeated online -- that Gary accepted Christ late in life. I certainly hope that is the case. True or not, there is no denying that his creation, the RPG, transcended simply a new way to play games, and instead changed the way we thought about games. In some ways he even helped foster enclaves like this one, where passionate obsessives can share their interests with less fear of ostracism.

Thanks, Omega Amen, for setting up this topic. It's helped me reflect on something that has been such a significant influence in my life.

[uc pseudonym]

It says something about my online practices that this is at least the fifth tribute to Gary that I have seen. He was before my time, but I certainly acknowledge the effect he had on the field of roleplaying games.

[Omega Amen]

I had heard several weeks ago -- and have seen it repeated online -- that Gary accepted Christ late in life. I certainly hope that is the case.

Gary Gygax was a Christian, absolutely.

Check out this link where he spoke on the "Christianity and Gaming" panel at GenCon 2007, which was hosted by the Christian Gamers' Guild.

He was before my time, but I certainly acknowledge the effect he had on the field of roleplaying games.

I really started to respect the man once I had played a quick D&D board game and started playing D&D computer games like Neverwinter Nights.

I have noticed that JRPG fans seem not to appreciate the importance of Gygax's influence in creating RPG dominance in the Japanese gamers' market.

Check out this link where it discusses the very first RPG released in Japan, called The Black Onyx. The creator, Henk Rogers, moved to Japan in 1976, and was a huge D&D nut and liked the computer game Wizardry. Noticing that Japan had a good software market, but absolutely no RPGs, he went on to create this game, and even had to do a door-to-door tour with game magazine writers to explain the idea and mechanics of an RPG. Notice that Hisashi Suzuki wrote the manual of Black Onyx, and he would later become the president of... Square Enix.

Thanks, Omega Amen, for setting up this topic. It's helped me reflect on something that has been such a significant influence in my life.

Hey, no problem. Besides, the man deserves respect for inspiring so many people in a very positive way.