Kotaku: Dungeons & Dragons

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]

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

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 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.