ouch, I JUST started my grandkids playing the old red box set of basic
b3 the palace of the silver princess and then we'll go into b2 the keep on the borderlands (my first module, and most of the people I got started playing I ran them through it first, but hey my granddaughter has the typical little girl thing about princesses so...
b3 it is!)

I hadn't thought about it in years, and the kids found my collection of gaming stuff.
{yes the ubergeek collection, some of the most obscure systems around haha. including (sadly only a xerox after a battle over who would gain custody) a copy of the original bunnies and burrow by flying buffalo. That whole gurps thing is sad if you ever get your hands on the old one grab it; simple, well written, and just loads of fun.} So they asked.. the answer was met with 'You mean like diablo?'
Heh. I only await the teachers bringing me the report of what I did over summer vacation and it reads like a high fantasy short story.

It's more than a little sad to me when you consider all of the games people play today that kind of evolved out of those early concepts they had way back in the day. People may scoff at the old-time gamers, but seriously take old-school d&d out of the timeline and look at what would be different. I'm not saying that umpteen billion dollars and about as many man hours playing games is the most productive use of time, but then again... screw production. Hah!
I'm not in it to have a bunch of stuff that I don't need and costs too much so I can impress my neighbors. I'm in it to enjoy what little time I have on this planet. Good old fashioned pen and paper rpg's are a blast.

For the death thread:
Thanks Gary, good to hear you were playing damn near to the end, good for you! If they have dice in whatever afterlife you eneded up in, roll me up something and save me a spot at the table, I'll play anything... maybe you believed in re-incarnation, in which case good luck with the next, go battle next time!

edited for what I think is a little better article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/arts/05gygax.html?_r=1&ref=arts&oref=slogin