Kotaku: Dungeons & Dragons

What Games Can (Continue to) Learn From D&D

Maggie Greene — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 10:30:00 MDT

Gamasutra has an interesting piece up that celebrates the art of thoughtful thievery — based around the idea that there are "no new ideas," so picking and choosing your sources wisely can at least lead to interesting new creations. Going off the recent release of the 4th edition of Dungeons & Dragons, Tom Smith looks at a couple of areas where game designers could take some lessons:

Being inspired by concepts is not just a good idea. When your skill reaches a high enough level, it becomes a state of mind. Start by analyzing games in similar genres for good ideas. Dissect those ideas and learn from them. Then jump to similar games in different genres. Pen and paper role playing games and board games are a great next step.

A true epic-level master of concept-yoinking like Shigeru Miyamoto can take gameplay features from abstract activities like gardening. Pay attention to everything you see, from movies to conversations with friends to patterns in the ceiling tiles. Where do designers get the inspiration for new games? It's all thievery.

OK, I'm not sure it's fair to say it's all thievery (it sounds so bad!), but certainly there's a healthy dose of borrowing and reinterpretation. Anyways, even if you're not a tabletop nerd, it's worth a read through - there are some interesting ideas contained within.

The Adventurer's Guide to Thievery [Gamasutra]

Turbine Talks Cross-Platform MMOs, Console DDO A Possibility

Mike Fahey — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 08:20:00 MDT

Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach developers Turbine recently received a $40 million cash infusion from Time Warner that they announced would go in part towards expanding the platforms they support. MMORPG.com has posted an interview with Turbine CEO Jim Crowley in which he further details the company's multi-platform plans, hinting that one or both of their existing titles will be heading to game consoles in the future.

"First, he told me that Turbine is investigating the world of cross-platform games, meaning consoles. “These worlds are so rich and robust, we do want them to be shared across platforms, both for existing and future worlds,” Crowley said. We should expect more details on the how and when “later on in the year”. He did make a point of clarifying that Turbine will remain dedicated to the PC, but want to make sure that people who want to enjoy the games (present and future) on the console will be able to do that."

So console MMOs are definitely in the cards for the company, and judging from a job listing posted over at Joystiq this morning, both the Xbox 360 and PS3 are in the running, but which games are making the move?

Joystiq points towards the DDO community forums, where developers have announced that a popular feature, Weekly Development Activities, will be going away for a bit due to several DDO projects that are currently under tight wraps, meaning they'd be unable to post what they've been working on. The same post also states that DDO would be the subject of renewed focus from marketing and PR teams in the coming months, hinting that big news is on the way.

While this could very well mean that Dungeons & Dragons Online is heading to consoles, it is by no means definite, and does nothing to rule out Lord of the Rings Online coming to consoles as well.

From my experience with the two titles, DDO would probably translate best to a console environment, and the game could definitely use the bolstering a new community of console gamers could bring to it. LotRO, on the other hand, continues to enjoy a relatively robust player base compared to its MMO sibling, so porting it would be less of a priority, but by no means out of the question.

As Crowley mentions in the MMORPG interview, we'll know more later in the year. Hopefully we'll have all of these questions cleared up once E3 hits this July.

Turbine - CEO Jim Crowley on New Investors [MMORPG.com - Thanks Asaron!]

D&D 4th Edition Called Forth From Fiery Pit

Mike Fahey — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:40:00 MDT

The game that launched a thousand role-playing games toady celebrates its latest incarnation as Wizards of the Coast announces the release of the Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Rulebooks. The new set of rules not only herald a more streamlined D&D experience, but also the first true joining of pen & paper D&D to the online world with the introduction of the D&D Insider service, which gives players and Dungeon Masters alike access to online tools for character creation, dungeon building, and even a digital game table to play on. In honor of the release of the three books - The Player's Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master's Guide - the D&D Insider service will be available for a free promotional period, after which a subscription will kick in. The books are currently available for $34.95 a piece, or in a bundle for $104.95.

In addition to the Insider promotion, Wizards of the Coast is sponsoring a Worldwide Dungeons & Dragons Game Day tomorrow, Saturday June 7th, during which locations around the world will be hosting special events to help ease players into the new ruleset. Hit the jump for to find out more about this worldwide celebration!

Dungeons & Dragons® 4th Edition Rulebooks Now Available

June 6, 2008 (Renton, WA) – Today Wizards of the Coast announced the release of the highly anticipated 4th Edition of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), with the retail availability of new core rulebooks. Tomorrow, June 7, players around the globe will have the chance to experience the new edition of the popular roleplaying game as part of a worldwide D&D event.

D&D 4th Edition is designed to offer more streamlined game play with exciting options for character creation and interaction, while the new rules framework will reduce the prep time needed to run a game and lower the barrier to entry for new players.

In keeping pace with the changing gaming landscape and striving to meet the ever-evolving needs of players, the new edition includes features that will appeal to players who venture into a dragon’s lair every week as well as those who haven’t delved into a dungeon in many years.

“The decision to introduce a 4th Edition of the game came out of the player feedback we’ve been gathering for years,” said Bill Slavicsek, R&D Director of Roleplaying and Miniatures Games at Wizards of the Coast. “We wanted to streamline the D&D game while enhancing the overall play experience. At its heart, it’s still an exciting tabletop game experience that’s now enhanced with online resources that make it easier for players to create characters, run games and interact with the rest of the D&D community.”

To celebrate the release 4th Edition, Wizards of the Coast is sponsoring Worldwide Dungeons & Dragons Game Day (WWDDGD) on Saturday June 7 to give players the opportunity to play 4E adventures with other gamers. Retail partners and special locations around the globe will be hosting events for players; one such location is the WWDDGD Headquarters in Seattle, where Wizards of the Coast staff is taking over Neumos in the Capitol Hill neighborhood to celebrate the 4th Edition launch. For more information on WWDDGD events, visit www.dndgameday.com.

Additionally, Wizards of the Coast is introducing 4th Edition online content in Dragon and Dungeon magazines and the first iteration of the D&D Rules Compendium on D&D Insider®. As additional resources and applications are developed, D&D Insider will grow to include tools for players to design their characters, dungeon, and adventure-building tools for Dungeon Masters and a digital game table for online play.

The Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual and Dungeon Master’s Guide are now available for purchase in retail locations around the world as a set for MSRP $104.95 or individually for MSRP $34.95. D&D Insider will be available for free during a promotional period and will move to a subscription-based fee system as additional components roll out.

Since its first release in 1974, the fantasy roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons has taken millions of players on imaginary adventures of epic scale. Today, D&D is universally regarded as the original game that created the roleplaying game category, and the inspiration for generations of game designers. D&D is enjoyed by millions of players worldwide, while countless more remember it with fond nostalgia.

Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS), is a worldwide leader in the trading card game and tabletop roleplaying game categories, and a leading developer and publisher of game-based entertainment products. The company holds an exclusive patent on trading card games (TCGs) and their method of play and produces the premier trading card game, Magic: The Gathering®, among many other trading card games and family card and board games. Wizards is also a leading publisher of fantasy series fiction with numerous New York Times bestsellers. For more information, visit the Wizards of the Coast website at www.wizards.com.

D&D Readies Another Kind Of Online Roleplaying

Mike Fahey — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:00:00 MDT

The 4th Edition of Dungeons & Dragons is heading our way in June, and Wizards of the Coast is gearing up to bring the game online in a big way. They're readying Dungeons and Dragons Insider - a suite of online software tools for the game - for release along with the new rule set, and it could change the way people play Dungeons and Dragons...for a price. Along with a character creator that allows you to keep track of your character's looks and stats and a dungeon builder that allows Dungeon Masters to craft 2D dungeon maps, the star of the suite is the Game Table, which lets the DM import their 2D creations into a 3D environment and run players through it online, complete with voice chat. What is all of this going to cost? While it isn't set in stone, Wizards is toying with a price range of $10-15 - a month. For the money you'd get a tight D&D experience, online tournaments, and lightning fast updates, but is it worth it? For that matter, what is D&D without being able to lob a D20 at your DM's head when he pisses you off? Hit the link to read a hands-on account of the new tools from Maximum PC's David Murphy, a geek after my own heart.

1d6 of New Dungeons and Dragons Apps! [Maximum PC]

Gary Gygax's Video Gaming Legacy

Mike Fahey — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:00:16 MST

In the fall of 1972, Dave Arneson gathered a group of friends around a table in Gary Gygax's Lake Geneva Wisconsin home and changed the gaming world forever. After that fateful weekend gaming session, Gygax took Arneson's notes, and using rules form his own fantasy miniatures game Chainmail, created the game that would go on to sell millions of copies around the world - Dungeons & Dragons. A huge accomplishment for a couple of gaming geeks, but it was only the beginning. Dungeons & Dragons spread beyond the tabletop into the hearts and minds of some of the earliest pioneers of gaming. Now one of the fathers of role-playing has passed on, but Gary Gygax's legacy lives on in the video games we play. In honor of this great man, let's take a look at the influence his work has had on our favorite pastime.

1971 - Gary Gygax and Jeff Peren create Chainmail, a fantasy miniatures game implementing rules from standard medieval gaming, adding elves, giants, halflings, and other elements borrowed from sources such as Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

1972 - Dave Arneson visits Gygax in order to demonstrate the game that would become Dungeons & Dragons.

1973 - Gygax and Don Kaye found Tactical Studies Rules - TSR.

1974 - TSR publishes the first edition of Dungeons & Dragons.

1976 - Willie Crowther, an early D&D player, creates a text-based game called Crowther's Colossal Cave, which would eventually morph into Adventure, which was a direct influence on the creators of the ultimate text-based game, Zork.

1977 - Young Richard Garriott attends a sumer computer camp, where he earns the nickname Lord British and is exposed to Dungeons & Dragons for the first time. Soon he would be hosting popular D&D weekends at his parents house.

1978 - Roy Trubshaw and Richard Bartle create the first MUD - Multi-User Dungeon. It is the precursor to the modern MMO.

1980 - Richard Garriott releases one of the first computer role-playing games, Akalabeth: World of Doom. This year also sees the release of Dungeons & Dragons Computer Labyrinth Game, the first computer game using the D&D license. as well as Garriott's Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness - a game that influences the RPG genre to this day.

1982 - The first Dungeons & Dragons console game is released for the Intellivision, simply titled Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Dragonstomper is released for the Atari 2600, widely considered to be the first console RPG. Dragonstomper included gathering experience points and gold, random battles, and multiple ways to solve problems in the game.

1985 - TSR lets developers know that the AD&D license is up for grabs, with big names like Electronic Arts, Origin, and Sierra being beaten out by SSI (Strategic Simulations, Inc.). SSI would go on to create 30 AD&D games.

1988 - SSI releases Pool of Radiance, the first in the Gold Box series of D&D games, which allowed you to import your characters into subsequent games to continue your adventure.

1991 - The first graphical MMORPG is released via America Online - Neverwinter Nights. Based on the Dungeons & Dragons setting The Forgotten Realms, the concept of clans and PVP in online role-playing started here.

1996 - Ultima Online is released, its popularity paving the way for the enormous glut of MMORPG games we're experiencing today.

1998 - A small company called BioWare gets put on the map when it releases the Forgotten Realms game Baldur's Gate - incidentally the first computer game I ever reviewed on a professional basis.

2002 - BioWare releases a new version of Neverwinter Nights, featuring the ability for players to create their own modules and run them via the internet, effectively bringing the tabletop experience online.

2006 - Gary Gygax lends his voice as the Dungeon Master to Turbine for certain quests in Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach, bringing the whole thing full circle.

While certainly not a complete listing, you can easily see how the creation of Dungeons & Dragons influenced the video game industry. Every time you gain hit points, or generate your numeric attributes, or choose what type of elf you want to be in the latest fantasy MMO, you're dealing with concepts that spawned from that weekend in 1972. Even when you play a game that isn't an RPG, there's a good chance that someone involved in the creation of that game wouldn't be here today if the works of Gary Gygax hadn't inspired them to dream up their own fantastical worlds. He will be missed, but more importantly - he will forever be remembered.

Portions of this article were referenced from Brad King and John Borland's excellent 2003 book Dungeons and Dreamers. The book explores gaming from those early days in Wisconsin up to today's massive online communities, and is a must read for anyone interested in the roots of gaming.

Gary Gygax, Co-Creator Of D&D, Dead At 69

Mike Fahey — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:20:33 MST

The rattling of dice across tabletops around the word falls silent today with the news that co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons and TSR, Gary Gygax, has passed away at the age of 69. The news came via the forums of Troll Lord Games, who publish Gygax's Lejendary Adventures and Castles & Crusades sourcebooks, delivered via his son Ernie Gygax. He died in his home, having been in failing health for some time, suffering several strokes and a near heart-attack. Gygax was an inspiration to the gaming industry, with his work directly or indirectly influencing entire genres - role-playing games and MMORPGs specifically. I probably wouldn't be writing this right now if the thought of missing my weekly D&D games hadn't kept me from allocating my 6'6" frame towards more sporting endeavors. Gary Gygax may have passed on, but the legacy he leaves to gaming will live on forever. Rest in peace, Dungeon Master.

Gary Gygax [Troll Lord Games Forums]
Photo by Alan De Smet

D&D Insider Is Real D&D, Only On Your PC

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 05:30:00 MST

Joel over at BoingBoing Gadgets got his hands on some screens for the upcoming D&D Insider app, which is not a new D&D-based video game. Instead, it's a program that lets you create and run real D&D 4.0 games on a PC. Which, OK, technically makes it a PC game, but whatever. Those worried D&D would lose its nerdy charms need not worry - just look at those character designs! Truly awful.

Dungeons and Dragons 4.0's "D&D Insider" Screenshots [Boing-Boing Gadgets]

Week in Games: Madden '08 Edition

fdemarco — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 18:00:00 MDT

Lots of new titles this week, but for me nothing really holds much appeal. I might be tempted to check out Heroes of Mana if my wallet wasn't so empty. Guess I'll just have to wait for BioShock next week. Oh well, back to Resistance for more training...

Madden NFL 08 (X360, PSP, PS3, WII, PS2, MAC, GC, PC, XBOX, DS)
Crack open a brewski and invite the boys over for a few rounds.

Heroes of Mana (DS)
More Mana, more better.

Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon (DS)
As if the regular Harvest Moon wasn't fantasy enough

Luminous Arc (DS)
An RPG with witches, mages and fighters. Imagine that.

Dungeons & Dragons Tactics (PSP)
Be an uber nerd on your PSP. Unfortunately there are no twenty sided die to make you really feel at home.

Fatal Fury: Battle Archives Volume 1 (PS2)
Fatal Fury 1-3 plus Fatal Fury Special all on one disc.

Operation: Vietnam (DS)
It brings the excitement of war torn Vietnam to you DS!

1914 Shells of Fury (PC)
The world's first WWI Submarine sim.

Billy the Wizard: Rocket Broomstick Racing (WII)
They may as well have called him Gary Dotter.

Ten More Years Of Atari D&D

Mike Fahey — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 08:40:13 MDT

Neverwinter Nights fans rejoice! Atari parent company Infogrames and Hasbro signed a new agreement that extends property rights for the Dungeons & Dragons universe for ten more years, up until the year 2017. Atari has been doing a lovely job with Neverwinter Nights as well as the Baldur's Gate series, crafting some of the best D&D video games since the glory days of the SSI gold box titles. The agreement also sees Hasbro buying back the rights to several of their popular board games, including Scrabble, Risk, Battleship, Boggle, and Simon...perhaps fearing Atari would pull a Jenga on them.

The rights to said games were originally transferred back in 2001 when Infogrames purchased Hasbro Interactive, which gave them MicroProse, Games.com, and the Atari name in the first place. So basically Hasbro is buying back rights they sold in a package deal six years ago.

I am wondering if this means the Hasbro buyback titles will all be disappearing from Games.com now and possibly moved over to the new Gleemax strategy gaming site recently launched by the Hasbro-owned Wizards of the Coast. Would certainly be a sound strategy for raising awareness of the fledgling gaming portal. We'll just have to wait and see.

New Strategic Agreement With Hasbro Concerning The Dungeons & Dragons Franchise

DIGITAL GAMING RIGHTS TO BE SOLD BACK TO HASBRO FOR 19.5 MILLION US DOLLARS

Lyon, France, July 18, 2007 - As part of the relaunch strategy announced by the Group on June 21 and the Group's plan to focus its investment on major franchises with significant potential, Infogrames Entertainment SA (Euronext 5257) today announced the signing of a new agreement with Hasbro concerning:

- the extension until 2017 of the exploitation of the intellectual property rights to the Dungeons & Dragons universe, under an exclusive license covering all interactive formats, including online and wireless.

The agreement covers all current and future products that are part of this universe, including NeverWinter Nights, Baldur's Gate, etc.

Two new games have already been announced for fiscal 2007-2008: NeverWinter Nights 2 Expansion Pack for PC and Dungeons & Dragons Tactics for PSP.

- the purchase by Hasbro of digital gaming rights (online and wireless) to nine franchises (Monopoly, Scrabble, Risk, Game of Life, Clue, Yahtzee, Battleship, Boggle and Simon), for 19.5 million dollars (*). This sale will have no significant impact on revenue for the current fiscal year.

"This agreement represents a reaffirmation of our partnership with Hasbro. It is an important step in our business strategy that will allow us to keep and strengthen a franchise with significant potential, while giving the Group additional resources to invest in the relaunch of its publishing business. Dungeons & Dragons is one of the Group's historic intellectual properties on which we plan to expand our business, relying on one of the largest and most active gamer communities in the world of video games," commented Patrick Leleu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

(*) of which, 4 million dollars shall be paid to Atari Inc

Couple Addicted to D&D Online Almost Starves Children

Mark Wilson — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 13:40:23 MDT

Amidst spending $50,000 of inheritance on computer systems and a plasma television, one young Nevada couple became so addicted to Dungeons & Dragons Online that they neglected their 11-month and 22-month children to the point of malnourishment and near-starvation. The prosecuting attorney had this to say about the parents:

They had food; they just chose not to give it to their kids because they were too busy playing video games.

The couple pleaded guilty to child neglect and face up to 12 years in jail. Unfortunately, the damage they have done may haunt their children for life, as the earliest developmental months are seen by many as the most important. But to put it in language shitty, rpg parents might understand: no 18 intellect for little Billy and Sara. [AP]

Gallery: D&D Tactics PSP

Mike Fahey — Wed, 09 May 2007 13:20:17 MDT

I have to say I'd be much more excited about Dungeon & Dragons: Tactics for the PSP if it utilized the beloved 1st and 2nd edition rules I grew up with, rather than the jumbled mess that 3 and 3.5 turned out to be. Heck, I was still getting used to 2 when 3 came out. Call me old-fashioned, but back in my day a Paladin with an AC of 17 was either stupid or had just had an unfortunate run-in with a rust monster.

For those of you unfamiliar with Dungeons and Dragons, I shall translate: They've screwed up the game since I used to play it - humorous anecdote.

Despite the ruined nostalgia factor, there is a certain allure to having grid-based D&D battles at my fingertips. The promise of alignment making an actual difference in gameplay is certainly novel, and the promise of downloadable content has a lot of potential. Well see when the game hits next month. For now, check out nine new screens of square dancing goodness. Michael Fahey

Free DDO Weekend

Mike Fahey — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 12:40:34 MDT

Thought I'd post this since I generally find out about these things the day after they end. Starting tomorrow, all inactive Dungeons and Dragons: Stormreach accounts in North America will be reactivated for free through Sunday, to allow former players a chance to come back ad see all the new changes that have come about since you left in a fit of boredom a month after the game came out. Maybe that was just me.

Current and returning players will also enjoy a +50% XP and +1 to loot all weekend long, as well as special live events.

Meanwhile all European players who left get a full 10 days reactivation, because a European is apparently worth roughly three North Americans. Michael Fahey

Welcome Back Weekend! [Dungeons & Dragons Online]

D&D Online Adds Solo Play Instead of More, New, Better Content

brownlee — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 13:40:40 MDT

In a bid to bring in more players to their sparsely populated and just as sparsely designed MMORPG Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach, Turbine's created a solo area for MMORPG gamers who prefer to play alone.

To which I ask: huh? I just don't get these people — the guys who base their decision on whether or not to buy an MMOG upon whether or not they can play the game solo. It's nice for MMOGs to be a bit solo friendly, allowing you to have some fun when you can't get a group or your buddies aren't around. But I know entire swathes of gamers who are perfectly happy to pay $15 a month so they can essentially play it like a single player game.

In addition to the new solo area, D&D Online is making the game easier: you can level with less experience. Considering many people are already very easily able to max their level in D&D Online's month free play time, this seems like a rather boneheaded move towards customer retainment. The game's failing because it needs more and better content, not because it's too hard. Florian Eckhardt

Dungeons & Dragons Online Adds Solo Play [1UP]

D&D Comes to the PSP

Brian Crecente — Tue, 02 May 2006 10:00:53 MDT

Atari just announced that they will be releasing a Dungeons & Dragons game for the Playstation Portable.

Dungeons & Dragons: Tactics will use the D&D 3.5 rule-set and let players take a party of six through a world of turn-based adventure. It sounds a little like LOTR: Tactics.

D&D: Tactics offers an original, intriguing DUNGEONS & DRAGONS storyline. Players take on the role of a mortal child caught in a conflict of two competing dragons striving for godhood. Alignment is critical, as it affects the end of the story and allows players to change from good to evil, or the other way around, depending on which quests they choose. Gamers will play through a series of adventures, completing various objectives along the way. D&D: Tactics offers all the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS base character classes including Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer and Wizard. Five Prestige Classes are available, as are two Psionic classes, the Psion and the Psychic Warrior. Players will be able to customize their characters and store as many as their memory stick can handle.

D&D: Tactics will support wireless play and include a multiplayer modes. Gamers can play through the campaign in Co-Op mode or take each other on in deathmatch mode in a series of special arenas. The game will also suport downloadable maps.

Check back tonight for the first screens.

Dungeons & Dragons MMO Goes Gold

lsmith — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 15:30:15 MST

Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach is gold, as of today according to the press release sitting on the Kotaku desk, and is on target to meet its Feb. 28 launch. It's always tricky to gauge how an MMO will do, but an existing, noteworthy intellectual property like D&D should get at least a little momentum out of the gate.

300k Sign Up for D&D Beta [Kotaku]

300K Sign Up for D&D Beta

Brian Crecente — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 08:18:58 MST

The Dungeons & Dragons Online Stormreach Beta community just topped 300,000 beta testers. Sadly, if you're not one of them you're out of luck because they've stopped sending out invites.

If you really must have a taste of the game before it launches you can still get 10 days of beta play by pre-ordering the game. But you better get on it, because it looks like it wraps up on Feb. 19

Pre-Order Program [DDO]

* 10-day Beta pass entitles holder to free admission into the preorder Beta program for up to 10 days, subject to continuation of the program (scheduled to close February 19, 2006) and network and server availability.

I've Got the Dungeon Master's Guide

lsmith — Thu, 03 Nov 2005 06:40:51 MST

I've got a twelve-sided die.
Regardless of my tabletop Dungeons & Dragons habits, pretty soon we can all gather around the digital table with the MMO Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach Beta. The closed beta is taking applications to begin testing the waters. The readers who apply and get in will get a +5 to comment value and could provide Kotaku readers with insight from beta.