I found this article at Crispy Gamer about how computer games and D&D evolved together and in the author's opinion spawned the video games we play today.

Dave Thomas writes:

"If you were to randomly pick two influential titles out of the history of videogames and you ended up with Akalabeth: World of Doom and Quake, you'd be very lucky -- since you'd have plucked two games that have their roots in D&D. Richard Garriott's prototypical dungeon-crawler Akalabeth was his effort to hybridize his fascination with D&D and computers into an alchemical combination that would birth the computer role-playing game as we know it today. And Quake turns out to be the name of John Romero's D&D character, and the cult of multiplayer action that it spawned was a short 20-sided die roll away from the group fun of every dungeon party to venture into the mists of a D&D adventure."

As more and more people are exposed to video games and movies in the fantasy genre they are more willing to explore D&D. At least I think that is what Wizards of the Coast is banking on. I think that was a big part of why 4E exists.  They needed to drop the complexity of beginning to play D&D and make it seem a little more familiar to video game players. 

Thomas' premise is not new thinking for all of us who were "Playing D&D before it was cool". But I really liked his article and it does us all good to remember the origins of our modern video gaming culture. Why? Because, at least for me, it allows a glimse into the mind of Wizards of the Coast as they continue to evolve and expand the game.