Our Deepest Sympathies
 

From the folks over at SOE, summing it up quite well for all of us:

Gary Gygax, co-creator of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game has passed away today. We here at Sony Online Entertainment count ourselves amongst the millions of people influenced by this mans ideas, dreams, and hard work. Many of our games are a part of the grand legacy of fantasy worlds inspired by our first steps into the lands of Greyhawk, Krynn, Toril, and countless others, made possible by Gary's game.

In his lifetime, Gygax was the creative mind behind not just the Dungeons & Dragons gaming system, but a host of other fantasy role-play systems such as Dangerous Journeys, Lejendary Adventures, and more. He lived and worked as a game designer, novelist, editor, businessman, gamer, and husband and father.

Over the years Gary has received numerous awards for his contribution to the gaming industry including entry into the Origin's 'Adventure Gaming Hall of Fame,' tying with J. R. R. Tolkien on GameSpy's '30 Most Influential People in Gaming' list in 2002, as well as serving as the Premiere Guest of Honor at Gen Con in 2007.

From the beginning of the RPG industry to his very last days, Gary has continued to contribute to a wealth of games and supplements that can be found in game shops everywhere.

Our condolences go out to the Gygax family, and to all our fellow gamers with the passing of this gaming legend. Thank you Gary, for your work and influence over the years.

R.I.P Gary Gygax
 

If you ever played a RPG in any form, rather it be PC, consol or pen and paper, Gary Gygax had an impact on you. In fact since his passing, I have gone back and been reading my old D&D books again. I remember 1st edition when I was quite young, the old Deities and Demigods, the white book with the Crusader on the cover, the OLD Player's Handbook, the OLD DM Guide, Monstrous Compendium - I still have my binder with the tomes of monster info in it. I also have the 2nd edition Arms and Equipment guide, Psionics book, you name it.

I bought the game in 1981, and played with a relative before that, so yes, Gary had a huge impact on my gaming life and in fact am getting into game development myself. I enjoy a good RPG and we all know Gary and Dave were so good at what they did at TSR when D&D was made. It has undergone several different forms as for rules - 1st, 2nd (AD&D) and 3rd edition as well as 3.5. 4th Edition is due out this summer which will be such a blast. I always saw the name on the book and thought, "who is this Gary Gygax, and what an unusual last name that is." We sure found out, he was a genius at what he did, for right or for wrong, he was the founding father of the RPG genre.

You will be missed Gary, and yes I still have the books.

Sandcaster Silverstar
74 Wizard