Gamers gather for Dungeons & Dragons anniversary

Thousands of Dungeons & Dragons players gathered in game shops around America to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the grandfather of fantasy role-playing games – a pop culture phenomenon that has influenced a myriad of video games, books and movies.

An estimated 25,000 fans in 1,200 shops celebrated the anniversary Saturday, said Charles Ryan, brand manager for role-playing games at Wizards of the Coast, a Renton, Washington, company that owns Dungeons & Dragons.