MILWAUKEE - Gary Gygax, who co-created the game Dungeons & Dragons and helped start the role-playing phenomenon, died Tuesday, March 4, at his home in Lake Geneva. He was 69.
He had been suffering from health problems for several years, including an abdominal aneurysm, said his wife, Gail Gygax.
Gygax and co-creator Dave Arneson developed the fantasy role-playing game in 1974. It became one of the best-selling games ever and influenced video games, books and movies.
Gygax's wife said he always enjoyed hearing from the game's legion of devoted fans about how Dungeons & Dragons influenced their lives. Many would stop by the family's home in Lake Geneva, which is about 55 miles southwest of Milwaukee, she said.
"It really meant a lot to him to hear from people from over the years about how he helped them become a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman, what he gave them," Gail Gygax said. "He really enjoyed that."
Dungeons & Dragons players create fictional characters for themselves and describe their adventures with the help of complicated rules and unusually shaped dice.
The quintessential geek pastime, it spawned a wealth of copycat games and later inspired a whole genre of computer games that are still growing in popularity.
Gygax had been in declining health for several years but as recently as January he hosted weekly games of Dungeons & Dragons at their home, Gail Gygax said.
In addition to his wife, Gygax is survived by six children.
5 comments:
I never understood that game, but had a bunch of guy friends who played it all the time--and yes, they were geeks! :)
I admit it. There was a time in my life that was filled with Saturdays of D&D. We'd go to a friend's house toting crock pots filled with chili, soup or stew in the cold of winter and spend the day playing and eating. Sometimes I miss the socializing aspects, even if we were geeks.
FF, all my friends are geeks. They're good people.
Trixie, how cool! Me, too.
I am NOT a geek! :) Started playing DnD in 1980. My first boyfriend got me started. Lots of late night/all night games in the basement of Bennett Hall. I've never regretted it. Gary Gygax rest in Valhalla or whichever of the seven heavens is your favorite.
Those were good times, Amber. I miss them.
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