Despite the fact that the world needs another massive multiplayer online RPG like it needs an army of unstoppable Richard Simmons clones, developers Turbine and publishers Atari are working on an MMORPG based on the classic pen-and-paper RPG Dungeons and Dragons. Players will have the opportunity to meet other people in a gigantic game world, go on quests, level up, visit lots of places with baffling inverted commas in the names and all the usual stuff that goes on in RPGs. Question is, what new features will this game bring to the market? To be honest, I’ve absolutely no idea, but you can read some articles about the game on Gamespy.

I very much doubt a computer game will be able to have the features that I liked best when I used to play D&D. You won’t be able to sulk and throw dice at the DM until he agrees to let you have another saving throw, and you probably won’t be able to make up new rules as you go along. Once we came up with a rule wherein ten magic objects could be combined to make Magic Pants, a much sought-after artefact, which brought about devastating destruction when the wearer leapt to their feet, made pelvic thrusts and chanted “Pants! Pants! Pants!” until the DM pronounced themselves satisfied. Ah, the blissful folly of youth.