Gary Gygax

It's taken a couple of days to process this, but I have to post something about the passing of E. Gary Gygax at the age of 69. Gygax was the creator of "Dungeons and Dragons" (D&D).

Gygax was a huge influence. It can be argued that D&D was a primary driver in the fantasy genre, inspiring movies, TV shows, games, role-playing conferences and MMO games. Any game that is set in the fantasy setting is either trying to be like "D&D" or trying to do something different than D&D to stand out. It is the de facto standard for role-playing, with well over 30 million people that have at least tried the game (even if they won't admit it!).

A game that owes Gygax a huge debt is World of Warcraft - and they know it!. Here is the official announcement from Blizzard on Gygax's passing:

In Memoriam: Gary Gygax

Many of us here at Blizzard got our start in gaming with Dungeons & Dragons or one of its computer adaptations and have fond memories of rolling dice, poring over rulebooks, braving dark caverns and castle keeps, battling kobolds and hill giants. Gary Gygax's work on D&D was an inspiration to us and in many ways helped spark our passion for creating games of our own. As avid D&D players and fellow game developers, we were all saddened by the news of his passing; we feel we've lost a true adventuring companion. Thanks for everything and farewell, Gary. You will be missed.

For my part, I trace much of my love for the fantasy and sci-fi genres back to role-playing sessions in high school. It was a gateway drug to other fantasy outlets, like novels or movies and to non-superhero graphic novels. Indeed, much of what I *enjoy* in entertainment stems back to the D&D. Rest in peace, Mr. Gygax - and thank you for enriching my life.

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