'Dungeons and Dragons' could well be the pioneer of role-playing games. Mention the thirty-year old game and your dad might probably experience nostalgia -- that is if he spent 'good' hours rolling dice on the coy fantasy game. But hey, it is not an archaic game; the game has come a long way having been revised at least five times since its launch in 1974.
Lately the game was in the news with the sad demise of its co-creator Gary Gygax. Once again, it's making news -- this time though for all the right reasons. Publishers Wizard of the Coast are bringing out the 4th edition of 'Dungeons and Dragons' this June, they announced.
Games in the entire series have been far from easy; and to increase popularity, the new version is expected to simplify some aspects of the game for players -- this includes player roles. Also for the first time, the game will now have online features too. Players will have the same virtual 3D 'tabletop' with monsters, et al, and will be able to communicate through Internet voice chat. It is to be noted though that the online features of the new D&D will require enthusiasts to cough up a monthly fee of $14.95. If you choose to get yourself a one-year contract, then you could pay less -- $9.95 per month.
However armed with new online features, there's no escaping competition from the 10 million gamers-strong massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) World of Warcraft, for which users pay up $14.95 in monthly subscription fees in America.
Meanwhile, developers are hoping to recreate the 'social' aspect with this new game where people can get together and play for hours at length. Publishers are even setting up their own social networking Web site where players will be able to create fantasy characters for themselves with the help of online tools.
back
