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<blockquote data-quote="WizarDru" data-source="post: 1465914" data-attributes="member: 151">I beg to differ.&nbsp; In the 70s, no one even really knew that much about D&amp;D.&nbsp; It was an obscure, virtually unknown hobby in the public consciousness.&nbsp; The core D&amp;D and then AD&amp;D books were oddities, carried in very few places...and this predated the advent of comic shops and big bookstore chains like B&amp;N and Borders.&nbsp;The myth of the loser geek gamer didn't take hold until the early 80s, with the sudden surge caused from Basic D&amp;D and it's entry into the zeitgeist.&nbsp; This was the same era where video games and computers were starting to take hold in the home...but were considered 'geeky' to some extent.&nbsp; But computer classes were on their way to being mandatory, back then.&nbsp; Today, kids are taught to use computers in pre-K, and are considered as much a part of their lives as TV or the phone.&nbsp;D&amp;D, like various other hobbies , has joined the mainstream.&nbsp; Skateboarding was a fringe hobby in the late 70s...now it sits in the garage next to the inline skate and the mountain bike.&nbsp; D&amp;D remains an esoteric hobby, to be sure...but it has recognition and general acceptance.&nbsp; The idea that the general demographic of the D&amp;D gamer hasn't changed isn't really held up by the evidence, IMHO.&nbsp; The advent of PC and video RPGs, especially MMORPGs, has given D&amp;D and it's ilk high visibility, as well.&nbsp; No one thinks anything is out of the ordinary about playing Final Fantasy X, or that a TV commercial for Draakengard is out of the ordinary.&nbsp;And as for Star Wars enthuisiasts, they've migrated to the same place that Trekkies are...viewed as eccentric, but normal.&nbsp; They get the same look as historical war enthusiasts or cowboy recreationists.&nbsp; Slightly off-center from them are the cosplay crowd and the SCA.&nbsp; When people want to cite truly odd behavior, they tend to look to the fuzzy crowd.&nbsp; 'nuf said.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="WizarDru, post: 1465914, member: 151"] I beg to differ. In the 70s, no one even really knew that much about D&D. It was an obscure, virtually unknown hobby in the public consciousness. The core D&D and then AD&D books were oddities, carried in very few places...and this predated the advent of comic shops and big bookstore chains like B&N and Borders. The myth of the loser geek gamer didn't take hold until the early 80s, with the sudden surge caused from Basic D&D and it's entry into the zeitgeist. This was the same era where video games and computers were starting to take hold in the home...but were considered 'geeky' to some extent. But computer classes were on their way to being mandatory, back then. Today, kids are taught to use computers in pre-K, and are considered as much a part of their lives as TV or the phone. D&D, like various other hobbies , has joined the mainstream. Skateboarding was a fringe hobby in the late 70s...now it sits in the garage next to the inline skate and the mountain bike. D&D remains an esoteric hobby, to be sure...but it has recognition and general acceptance. The idea that the general demographic of the D&D gamer hasn't changed isn't really held up by the evidence, IMHO. The advent of PC and video RPGs, especially MMORPGs, has given D&D and it's ilk high visibility, as well. No one thinks anything is out of the ordinary about playing Final Fantasy X, or that a TV commercial for Draakengard is out of the ordinary. And as for Star Wars enthuisiasts, they've migrated to the same place that Trekkies are...viewed as eccentric, but normal. They get the same look as historical war enthusiasts or cowboy recreationists. Slightly off-center from them are the cosplay crowd and the SCA. When people want to cite truly odd behavior, they tend to look to the fuzzy crowd. 'nuf said. [/QUOTE]

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