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Role-playing game historian Ben Riggs unveils the secret history of TSR -- the company that unleashed imaginations with Dungeons & Dragons, was driven into ruin by disastrous management decisions, and then saved by their bitterest rival.Co-created by wargame enthusiasts Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, the original Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game released by TSR (Tactical Studies Rules) in 1974 created a radical new medium: the role-playing game. For the next two decades, TSR rocketed to success, producing multiple editions of D&D, numerous settings for the game, magazines, video games, New York Times bestselling novels by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, and R. A. Salvatore, and even a TV show! But by 1997, a series of ruinous choices and failed projects brought TSR to the edge of doom -- only to be saved by their fiercest competitor, Wizards of the Coast, the company behind the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering.



About the Author

Ben Riggs

BEN RIGGS's writing has appeared in gaming periodicals, books, and blogs. His podcast, Plot Points, is now entering its sixth year. His work has appeared in , the nation's premier horror gaming magazine, and on NPR's . His articles on Geek & Sundry are frequently among the most-read and most- shared work on the site. He lives and teaches in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with his son and dear wife Tara.



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