Is D&D a Secret Architect of Global Culture? | Gaining Advantage 038
This episode explores the cultural significance and far-reaching influence of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) through an insightful interview with Premeet Sidhu and José Zagal, editors of the book “50 Years of Dungeons & Dragons.” It offers insights into how the iconic tabletop RPG has influenced various aspects of global culture, from gaming and entertainment to education and beyond.
The discussion covers D&D’s historical roots, examining its evolution from a niche hobby to a mainstream phenomenon. Sidhu and Zagal shed light on the game’s unexpected crossovers with diverse fields, such as interactive storytelling, solo journaling, and educational applications.
Key points covered include:
- The book’s approach to celebrating D&D from a scholarly yet accessible perspective
- Surprising insights into the game’s evolution, such as the progression of combat systems
- D&D’s influence on other media and how it has been influenced by culture in turn
- The game’s potential in education and fostering critical thinking
- Speculative discussions on D&D’s future, including the role of AI and emergence as a mainstream entertainment genre
Links
- Wyrmworks Publishing Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wyrmworkspublishing
- Wyrmworks Publishing Nexus: https://books.inclusiverpg.com
- Fifty Years of D&D: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262547604/fifty-years-of-idungeons-and-dragonsi/
- Get it at the Wyrmworks Publishing Nexus & support the show: https://bookshop.org/a/103322/9780262547604
- University of Utah’s Division of Games – https://games.utah.edu/
- José Zagal Academic Profile – https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=a4a3GTMAAAAJ&hl=en
- Seeing Red: Nintendo’s Virtual Boy – https://bit.ly/3UIHvmb
- Premeet Sidhu Academic Profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=WGI4GlUAAAAJ&hl=en
- Premeet Sidhu Twitter: https://twitter.com/premeetsidhu
0:00 Introduction
0:19 Wyrmworks Publishing Updates
03:18 Interview with Premeet Sidhu and José Zagal
06:12 “50 Years of Dungeons & Dragons” Book Overview
10:41 Insights and Revelations
15:58 D&D’s Cultural Influence
18:33 Future of D&D
36:01 Upcoming Projects
43:57 Patreon Showcase & Closing
Manually captioned. Transcript available at our website.
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