D&D History Page #4

This is an article that was on the GameSpot web site

Redemption?

It looked like all was lost on the PC, but in the post-Wizards era of D&D, Interplay surfaced as the new holder of the license. There was an abortive attempt at a game by Acclaim, but it became evident that Interplay would be the new standard bearer for AD&D CRPGs. Unfortunately, Interplay got off to a most inauspicious start with Blood and Magic and Descent to Undermountain, two atrocious titles that would not make us soon forget SSI's gold box RPGs. However, in 1998, with the release of Interplay's Baldur's Gate, the AD&D legacy finally looked like it might be redeemed.

And now we have come full circle. At this year's E3, it was announced that Mindscape, the parent company of SSI and now a division of Mattel, had reclaimed the license, and that the original developers of Pool of Radiance would now develop a sequel. Now Interplay and SSI would both have a hand in forging ahead with a new franchise of AD&D games. We have indeed emerged from dark times to witness the beginning of a new era. As the game of Dungeons & Dragons has been revived by Wizards of the Coast, so too has the AD&D legacy on the computer witnessed the promise of rebirth. It is of course too early to tell, based on the success of one game in the midst of several recent failures, if the AD&D CRPG has returned to prominence, but we shall see.

In the meantime, let us take a look back at the legacy of AD&D, and reflect on all the computer games produced under the AD&D license. We've organized this reflection on the legacy by year, starting with 1988 and leading up to the present, with a few peeks into the future.