Gary Gygax, co-creator of the influential role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons, has died aged 69:
Gygax and Dave Arneson developed Dungeons & Dragons in 1974 using medieval characters and mythical creatures. The game known for its oddly shaped dice became a hit, particularly among teenage boys, and eventually was turned into video games, books and movies.
Dungeons & Dragons players create fictional characters and carry out their adventures with the help of complicated rules. The quintessential geek pastime, it spawned a wealth of copycat games and later inspired a whole genre of computer games that’s still growing in popularity.
All role-playing games, right up to the modern computer games such as World of Warcraft, spawned from the seed planted by D&D. Certainly, a man whose creation became a touchstone for millions of people.
