I've been reading a lot lately about the newest edition of Dungeons and Dragons (I refuse to call it 4th Ed because Shadowrun beat em to it). Lots of, "This is the greatest thing since sliced bread!" and "OMG (or whatever intertube meme you currently favor) this is the largest piece of (EXPLICATIVE DELETED) I've ever seen." Essentially lots of ranting and raving on both sides extolling/vilifying peoples various opinions.
Now I will be the first to admit I come down on the latter side of the argument, but before you stop reading because you disagree, hear me out. I also have to admit, ahem, I've never played it and don't plan to. So that said, I guess the truth is, I have nothing more than my gut reaction to base my opinion on. That's when a series of disparate thoughts coalesced into an epiphany for me.
This is all MTV’s fault.
I know, I know, what does that have to do with anything.
To defend this, you need to know some things about me. I am 41 years old, I started gaming in 1979 and not only do I understand the relevance of the song Video Killed the Radio Star, I was also there, sitting in front of a friend’s TV on August 1, 1981.
More importantly, I remember the day, my senior year in college when I realized MTV wasn’t for me anymore. I was watching Remote Control and thought, damn this is a stupid show. Just like that I turned it off and almost never watched it again. Several months later I saw a documentary (or news show of some kind) that pointed out that MTV was more popular at the time than it ever had been. How was this? They posited when the first MTV generation (Me) no longer watched (and there were hardly any music videos on anymore). The answer was quite simple, I was no longer in MTVs demographic. So the shows they showed and the music they played were not for me.
The same thing happened to me for video games. First they were only in places like 7-11 or Circle K, then consoles came in, you could play them in your home! Then came computers and finally MMO---, that’s where they lost me. I simply couldn’t justify paying monthly for a game that, well, I ALREADY BOUGHT!
Thus, the crux of my rant, that’s what’s happened to D&D. They always were the introductory game for us (much like original MTV and video games). I’m just no longer in the demographic they’re interested in.
That makes me a whole lot less mad about the whole thing.
Think I’m gonna go watch Video Killed the Radio Star on YouTube.
Mark
But just so you know, you youngsters playing the new D&D, STAY OFF MY LAWN!
