What is the background of calling the social panic that the original ancestor of RPG "Dungeons & Dragons" is the main cause of murder, rape, suicide?

It was released in 1974 from the American Tactical Studies Rules, and the table talk RPG which is also the world's first role-playing game is "Dungeons & Dragons"is. Dungeons & Dragons have been playing new versions as early as 2016 when about 42 years have elapsed since the original launch, but when the game was released, the contents of the game led to devil worship, a murder by youth And suicide as a major controversy took place in the United States. Retro Report has released a movie that summarizes the background of how Dungeons and Dragons were recognized in the United States as a game that adversely affects children.

Dungeons & Dragons: Lessons from a Media Panic | Retro Report - YouTube


It is James Dallas Egbert's missing case that caused Dungeons & Dragons to be accused of being associated with devil worship. Mr. Egbert (15 years old at the time of disappearance) suddenly disappeared from the student dormitory of Michigan State University that passed at that time in 1979, parents concerned went to the detective consultation.


William Dear is the detective that Egbert's parents asked. Mr. Deer received a request and actually went to Michigan State University to start searching to find Egbert.


As I was investigating your room in Egbert, a cork board stabbed with a push pin was found. Although it does not feel uncomfortable at first glance, Mr. Deer presumes that this is a hidden message left by Egbert.


It seems that the shape of the pushpin is arranged randomly ... ...


It was thought to be a steam tunnel deployed in the basement of the university. The other students got the testimony that "Egbert was entering and leaving the steam tunnel" also said that Mr. Deer was pushing down the reasoning.


Because there was news just saying "One student was missing on a steam tunnel", Egbert's disappearance case will be picked up in the newspaper in a blink of an eye in a blink of an eye. Mr. Deer found out that there is an important thing that connects the steam tunnel with Egbert while continuing the survey.


That is Dungeons & Dragons.


Dungeons & Dragons is a table talk RPG with fantasy as a theme, and dark fantasy elements such as demons and witches appear in the game.


Dungeons & Dragons are imaginative games that, unlike board games where all players move pieces on the board, each player assembles a story in his / her head while taking notes of scores. Adults at the time thought that the dark fantasy elements that said this imaginative game property and witch and devil had bad influence on children's thought, and Mr. Deer of the detective was one of them was.


"Going to the world of fantasy away from the real world, doing acts of murder or shoplifting, can you say that this is a healthy game? How do you interpret it can be a healthy game?", As of 2016 Dear says.


Mr. Deer inferred that "Egbert was playing Dungeons & Dragons in the steam tunnel" and thought that Dungeons & Dragons had some influence on Miss Egbert's disappearance. The speculation that "one student played Dungeons & Dragons in the steam tunnel that is considered not good for education, disappearing" is topical enough, and many newspapers show up the disappearance of Egbert's dungeons by Dungeons & I reported it in connection with the dragons. In the media reported, "There was also a pretty polarized one," Egbert who was the victim of Dungeons & Dragons ". However, a contact that Mr. Egbert was discovered in a completely different place enters Mr. Deer, and the investigation in the steam tunnel will be discontinued.


Although the reason why Egbert's disappearance was not revealed, it is a boy who closed the mind from the beginning and suicide in a few months after the missing case.


Later, Mr. Deer wrote a book claiming that Dungeons & Dragons are related to Mr. Egbert's disappearance case. Tim Casks, who was involved in the production of Dungeons & Dragons and edited the official guidebook, criticized him as saying, "He published books for simply making money."


However, after Ekbert's disappearance incident, sales of Dungeons & Dragons explodedly increased. It is thought that the incident increased the awareness of the game and attracted the interest of children.


While getting explosive popularity, opponents who tried to stop selling Dungeons & Dragons appeared.


Professor Gary Arran Fine of the Northwestern University sociological department who has been investigating the influence of Dungeons & Dragons for many years said, "Christian fundamentalists believe that Dungeons & Dragons contain elements of demonic worship and influence on children I thought it was a game to worry about. "


Dungeons & Dragons were taken up as "demon worship, witch's thought, voodoo, murder, rape teaching game" on television, and opponents will increase steadily.


Mr. Gary Geigerux who worked on the creation and sale of Dungeons & Dragons hired a psychologist to analyze the game in an effort to hold down the voice against the game somehow, and radio that the game does not adversely affect children It broadcasts with the water condition to the rocks. Furthermore, every time a murder, rape, or suicide by a youth occurs, such as "a rape victim was playing the dungeons & dragons" "suicide high school student is a dungeons and dragons player" was reported covered with dungeons and dragons , It is said that the voice of wanting banning publication of Dungeons & Dragons among parents with children increased.


Furthermore, parents of children who committed suicide said on TV that "Dungeons & Dragons were playing the cause of suicide, Dungeons & Dragons give violent ideas and negative thoughts to children" Dungeons & Dragons have become a major critic, and it became a big uproar that involved society as a whole.


"At the time I was playing the Dungeons & Dragons were children who were called otaku instead of going to dance parties or dating at the weekend.The young people committed suicide by various factors and the Dungeons & Dragons My direct investigation of suicide was not my survey, "Fain analyzes.


While getting explosive popularity, on the other hand, Dungeons & Dragons that existed many opponents were picked up in the media, and the movie "Tom Hanks' Great Labyrinth" that not only the books but also Egbert's disappearance case was a young It was released as a starring Tom Hanks during the time.


Mr. Koryi Doctorow, who has the titles of science fiction writers, bloggers and journalists said, "The media and the people's confusion centering on Dungeons & Dragons were very funny Christian fundamentalists combined Dungeons and Dragons with devil worship It was truly ridiculous that I was doing it. "


As of 2016, there is no voice that links dungeons and dragons with violence and demonic worship. on the contrary……


I won the Emmy Award three timesStephen ColbeaHe was awarded the Pulitzer Prize Fiction Division as a novelistJuno DiazBecause Mr. Dungeons and Dragons were enthusiastic players, it is thought that games can develop creativity, leadership skills and negotiation skills and have a positive impact on children.


"My mother who saw me playing Dungeons & Dragons panicked and I was worried about myself so much, but I learned passion and courage from the game and how I taught you very important things in the real world of judging good and evil, "Mr. Diaz said.


Mr. Fine said, "Many people were worried about how the children would see movies in a dark cinema, after thirty years since then, the children grew up I am worried about becoming an adult and what my child is doing in my free time.SextingThat's the problem such as bullying. But this is not a new social phenomenon. Just the behavior of children in their free time has just changed due to the emergence of new technologies. "


As of 2016, Dungeons & Dragons who communicate by grouping with friends are welcomed by parents with children, and are expected to become a tool to solve contemporary social problems such as sexting and bullying.