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It is with the greatest sorrow and utmost respect that I report this article that appeared in the New York Times:

Gary Gygax, a pioneer of the imagination who transported a fantasy realm of wizards, goblins and elves onto millions of kitchen tables around the world through the game he helped create, Dungeons & Dragons, died Tuesday at his home in Lake Geneva, Wis. He was 69.

Gygax was, as stated, one of the co-creators of Dungeons & Dragons and a major inspiration in my life. He was game designer from a day and age where games consisted entirely of moving pawns around a linear board and dumb parlor games like Yahtzee and Pictionary. At that time, no one had even conceived of a game where your imagination truly takes center stage. Dungeons & Dragons revolutionized gaming. Not only did it spawn umpteen copycats but the rules and game design that he helped create form the behind-the-scenes basis of almost every video game created since.

Despite the geeky image that Dungeons & Dragons has been associated with, none can deny its timeless potency. Even now, as the Wizards of the Coast prepares the release of the games fourth iteration, thousands have reaped the benefits of the innovation Gary Gygax forged.

Having had the distinct privilege of talking at length with his partner in crime, Dave Arneson, I feel I have a pretty good idea of the way his generation thought about games and where they're going. Even todays most advanced video games cannot come close to the level of interaction offered by a living, thinking human being and these guys recognized that.

Gary Gygax was one of the very few gaming legends. If he believed in God, then I hope that he is in a better place. If not, then I certainly hope he rests in peace. He was the first generation of the modern day gamer and every great game designer from this day forward will have to answer to him when they get to the Great Beyond. I don't think they'll topple him anytime soon.

Gary will be dearly missed. Godspeed.