d20 = 1

E. Gary Gygax died on Tuesday aged 69.

For non-gamers, this means zip.

For gamers, it means the godfather of the hobby/modern gaming industry is dead.

Gygax was the co-creator of the UberGeek phenomenon Dungeons & Dragons. And what a phenomenon it was. Gygax created a whole new leisure activity, which captured and fostered the imaginations of millions (particularly teenage boys), spawned a huge wave of copy-cat and evolution products, and has been a driving factor in the success of a great many modern computer and video games: computerised versions of the classic D&D pen & paper mechanics still form the structures and cores of virtually all fantasy and character-driven computer games and RPG's today. Add in the piggy-back revival in fantasy literature and films, and Gygax's creation can hold its head up as an innovative and classic design that truly was ground-breaking.

Although I haven't played a RPG for decades, I am a gamer, and a lot of my interest was sparked by a set of D&D that a friend purchased and brought into school. It was the source of many happy memories and enduring friendships.

Thank you Mr. Gygax.