Gary Gygax, best known as the co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons and father of roleplaying games, passed away on March 4, 2008 at the age of sixty-nine. The Vault Network has posted a Garry Gygax memorial page to honour the father of role-playing games.

"Gary Gygax was a huge influence on the work we've done at BioWare over the years. I'm a big fan of his work. As one of the fathers of D&D he helped to lay down the fundamentals of pen and paper roleplaying, which in turn directly helped set the direction of roleplaying on personal computers and consoles. We, and the rest of the videogame community, have Gary to thank for the games we created here at BioWare and elsewhere based in the D&D universe; some of BioWare's past titles, such as Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights (both licensed D&D products), were directly based on the amazing work he started many years ago. I remember one time many years ago when I was demoing a BioWare product at a tradeshow, and I had the pleasure of meeting both Gail and Gary Gygax, and had the honor of signing Gary's copy of Baldur's Gate - and I still have his signed business card from that meeting, proudly displayed in my office.
-- BioWare general manager Ray Muzyka 

"We were very sad to hear of the passing of such an influential figure and can't but reminisce about the great experiences he brought us when we were young. I still remember my introduction to D&D with the Keep on the Borderlands. We'll never forget the epic feeling of battling in the Giants and Drow series and finally the many terrors we experienced in his Tomb of Horrors! He was directly influential on the work we've done here at BioWare and was very important to both us, and the fans of our games.
-- BioWare general manager Greg Zeschuk
 

"As someone who read through the entire AD&D Monster Manual, DM's Guide, and Player's Handbook when I was in junior high, I'd like to offer a farewell to one of the people who basically started the whole role-playing genre of gaming. When I first learned about D&D, I thought it was the coolest thing ever. It was a whole other world that only hardcore geeks knew about. I think it's fair to say that D&D continues to be a huge inspiration to everyone here at Blizzard and that Gary will be remembered and missed by all of us."
-- Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder, Blizzard Entertainment
 

"There aren't many modern figures who've single handedly forged an industry or effectively given birth to an entire culture. I have a confession: When some of my teenage friends were out egging cars, I was locked away with my brother, battling Yexils and the machines of the Ancients or exhaustively looting Tegel Manor. Gamma World, D&D, (or some Boot Hill for variety), all played a formative role in how I view game play and entertainment. Gygax's creations are arguably the predecessors of today's video games. Much of the foundation of this industry is built on his amazing work and continues to stand on the shoulders of his creations. That's a pretty cool legacy."
-- Brett Close, President and CEO, 38 Studios
 

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