Long ago I blended everything I liked from OD&D-Mentzer into a home brew that seemed to satisfy everyone I gamed with, well, almost everyone.
As Mishler already drilled the bigger perspective, I'll stick to my own neck of the woods.
The game all but died for my age group in my area (MS, AL & GA) around '93 but had gone strong until that time. Younger kids got into and still play the later editions to this day but there was severe dropoff a couple years ago.
Strangely, in the last year I've seen pickup for the older systems especially and interest in the game, overall. When asked, the younger guys always say something like, "well, the video games are cool, so I thought I'd try things the old school way." Of course, they love it. The face-to-face fun and fellowship is what it's always been about for me, anyway but whatever gets 'em interested and keeps 'em playing.
So, in short--right now--in my area, things are looking up...but in a retro way. All the better to me.
"Surely you don't disbelieve the prophecies just because you had a hand in bringing them about?" J.R.R. Tolkien
