A Classic Reborn
As you may know, Wizards of the Coast is in the process of redeveloping Dungeons and Dragons, the company’s flagship role playing game. Dungeons and Dragons was first released in 1974, and in many ways is responsible for the role playing game hobby as we know it today. Although WOC is working on an ambitious redesign of the classic game (i.e., their 5th edition), it hasn’t stopped the company from going back to the game’s roots with an upcoming reprinting of three of the original hardcover books from the 1st edition. On April 17, 2012 WOC is releasing the Dungeons and Dragons Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master’s Guide — the original books written by Gary Gygax that were instrumental in making D&D a household name. The books are a faithful reprinting of the originals with the same artwork and content (only the covers have been changed — a redesign to commemorate the special reprinting). Known as the Premium Edition, these books are being released in limited quantities. Classic gamers should expect to feel a certain amount of nostalgia with the reprinting, while newer gamers will gain valuable insight into what made Dungeons and Dragons a phenomena in gaming and pop culture. The game’s creator, Gary Gygax, passed away in 2008, and the Premium Edition books will help honor his legacy. WOC announced they are donating a portion of the books’ profits to the Gygax Memorial Fund whose goal is to raise money to build a statue of Gary in his hometown of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
