DDOCentral

In this post, I’m looking specifically at the two different formats of boxes TSR used in the late 70s and early 80s.

[This is a re-do of an earlier post I made in 2014. It was on my old blog and Google+, which are gone.]

In the D&D Basic Set (1977-9; Eric Holmes, editor; David C. Sutherland cover art), TSR used a box blank with the graphics as a glued-on sheet, both top and bottom.

When TSR transitioned to the 1981 Basic and Expert Sets (Tom Moldvay / Dave Cook, editors, respectively; both have Erol Otus cover art), this “glued sheet” box format was retained for a brief time, before being replaced with a box with the graphics printed directly on the paperboard.

Both formats of Expert Set, side-by-side.

Below is the inside corner of Basic Set, later-format box.

More TSR box format switch examples:  Boot Hill early…

Got in a bunch of original D&D books and 2 of the White Box sets. Wanted to get a photo of them together before they disappeared.

–> Reference site link: www.WaynesBooks.com/DungeonsDragons.html
–> Sales site: www.Waynesbooks.net [scroll down a little to see these D&D items in New Arrivals]

* White box on the right is the OCE (“Original Collector’s Edition”), the last printing of the White Box, and the least rare.
* White box on the left is a 4th print, the first of the White Boxes (after they discontinued the woodgrain-style set).
* Chainmail
* Swords & Spells
* Volume 1: Men & Magic; Volume 2: Monsters & Treasure; Volume 3: Underworld & Wilderness Adventures; Reference sheets – these come in the white boxes or are sold separately.
* Greyhawk (Supplement I)
* Blackmoor (Supplement II)
* Eldritch Wizardry (Supplement III)
* Gods, Demi-Gods, & Heroes (Supplement IV)

See Also:

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Microsoft has an incredibly strong catalog of first party video game properties. With 14 internal studios, and decades of experience, Xbox Game Studios has a plethora of tried and true franchises to work with. You wouldn’t necessarily know that from looking at the Xbox One generation though.

There have certainly been stand outs such as Sea of Thieves, Forza Horizon, Ori and the Blind Forest (and it’s sequel), and Gears 4 & 5. But for each success there have been once great franchises that have lost momentum (Halo 5), new IP that failed to reach commercial success (Recore), and series that have laid dormant for years (Fable).

Microsoft has stated repeatedly that with the upcoming Series X, they are committed to avoiding the mistakes of the past. With multiple studio acquisitions and the…

Dungeons & Dragons Pinball – Bally Midway

“The Realm of Fantasy Enters the World of Reality…”

Advertisement, back cover of Dragon Magazine, Issue 131, March 1988.

See Also: The first four Endless Quest books

The New Dungeon board game (1989)

Wizardry Trilogy (1987)

Ad: Planescape: Torment videogame