Missing Pages: An Investigative Podcast on the Book Publishing Industry
Paradigm Shift: Botched Initiative: The Dungeons and Dragons Story
Nov 6, 2023
Ben Riggs, author of Slaying the Dragon, joins us to discuss Dungeons and Dragons' rocky relationship with fans. We explore the game's origins, financial struggles, and the impact of acquisitions. We also delve into the transition to Pathfinder and the controversy surrounding the open gaming license.
25:45
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Quick takeaways
- The open gaming license revolutionized the D&D community, allowing fans to publish their own campaigns and products and fostering a cooperative and sharing culture among creators.
- The issue of ownership and control emerged in the D&D community, highlighting the tension between maintaining sole ownership and embracing the collaborative and creative potential of shared storytelling.
Deep dives
The Evolution of Dungeons and Dragons
Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) was created by Gary Gygax and Don Kay in a basement with limited resources. It became a tabletop role-playing game that gained popularity and attracted millions of players. The game's success led to a partnership with Random House, which helped with distribution. However, mismanagement and changing market conditions led to financial struggles for TSR, the company behind D&D. Eventually, Wizards of the Coast acquired TSR and reinvigorated the game with the release of the third edition and the open gaming license. This license allowed fans and third-party publishers to create and sell their own D&D content, leading to a surge of creativity and fan engagement.
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