R.I.P. Gary Gygax, Co-Creator Of Dungeons And Dragons

I try to stray away from talking about non-electronic gaming topics here at SlashGear, despite the fact that I've spent many a night playing games like Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. However, I do want to take a moment to inform you of a sad loss to the gaming world. Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax has passed away at the age of 69.

While some of you will scoff at the mention of D&D (and how dorky it is) I have a great respect for the game. Not only have I enjoyed playing it (I actually still carry a D20 on a keychain), but I can't even imagine what a sad state the fantasy gaming world would be in, had this game never been created. Not only have there been plenty of video games based on the D&D realm, but many were also heavily influenced by long nights in a dark basement armed to the teeth with dice of all shapes and sizes.

While we don't know the exact cause of death, it was well known that Gary had heart troubles. I had the pleasure of seeing him at Gen Con 2007 when I attended last year. Since he was the founder of Gen Con, it's hard to imagine what it will be like this year without him.

[via Crave / Photo credit : Alan De Smet]