A phrase commonly used in conversations about role-playing games is “genre emulation.” One might say that Call of Cthulu emulates Lovecraftian cosmic horror or Feng Shui emulates Hong Kong martial arts action films. Role-playing games do not emulate a genre. Role-playing games are one of many medium
Blade predates Vampire: The Masquerade by almost 20 years. V:TM was 1991. Blade was introduced in 1973. The iconic look of Blade was firmly established by the time V:TM was published; it’s far more likely that V:TM was at least partially influenced by Blade than vice versa.
The hierarchy of vampires also predates V:TM. Underworld came after, but the foundations of vampiric society were laid at the very least in Anne Rice’s œvre (the “Vampire Chronicles”) beginning, again, in the '70s. 1976 to be precise. And while Rein-Hagen claims (and I believe him) that he deliberately didn’t read Anne Rice until late in the development of V:TM, he also acknowledges that the vampire movies whose look he was borrowing from were likely very strongly influenced by Rice.
As was Underworld.
I think the “Grumpy Wizard” is grossly overstating the influence of RPGs on popular culture.
