Videogames Dungeon-Made History

The history of video games stretches back before the actual invention of personal computers. These days, there is a lot of talk about hardcore games and casual gamers (usually broken down by the amount of time people play), but to get an understanding of what really drives this industry, it's important to get your hands around the history of Dungeons & Dragons, a role playing game created in 1974.

That makes this the thirtieth anniversary of the game, and consequently, there is a fair amount of press being generated, including this BBC News piece, which does a nice job of tracing the history of the game.

Understanding the social fabric that binds players together, though, is essential in understanding what makes video game communities click because so many of today's developers were directly influenced by this interactive and social game.