There is talk on Twitter that Twitter is doomed. I am ambivalent.
essay
Rage against the dying of the light
Wraith: The Oblivion is that game about ghosts. More so than other games, Wraith: The Oblivion is a game about death and dealing with death. The game did not enjoy the popularity of the other White Wolf lines. But it did enjoy enough support that a Kickstarter for a lavish 20th-anniversary edition succeeded. Exploring the Wraith: The Oblivion is like looking into Nietzsche's abyss. But among other things, I am the kind of man who will toss a lit flashlight into the abyss to get a better look.
But is it art?
The artifact considered in this essay is a pop culture item. Specifically, the fifth edition of the Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) rules set. D&D has remained in publication for more than 40 years. This fantasy game inspired the creation of the entire role-playing game (RPG) hobby, influenced the development of computer games, inspired movies, and triggered political movements according to Aaron Trammel and his history of the hobby. The game is a part of American popular culture, with an impact difficult to measure (Trammell, 2013). The question is, can RPGs – as typified by D&D fifth edition – be considered an art form unto themselves?