TSR TSR3 Blames Widespread Pushback On WotC

In an unexpected turn of events, the primary individuals behind TSR3 have claimed the pushback they've received on social media and elsewhere was orchestrated by .... D&D publisher Wizards of the Coast (a company which has thus far remained completely silent on recent events).

TSR3 is run by Justin LaNasa, Stephen Dinehart, and Ernie Gygax. The controversy has been raging for over a week, since TSR3 announced itself with a press release.

TSR - Companies & Freelancers Distance Themselves From The New TSR

The new TSR (which I refer to as TSR3 to avoid confusion) has doubled down on its stance--which has been widely condemned online--via an ongoing series of tweets and replies from its TSR Games, Giantlands, and Dungeon Hobby Museum social media accounts (possibly operated by Justin LaNasa) in an...

www.enworld.org

Stephen Dinehart and Ernie Gygax have since deactivated their Twitter accounts; Justin LaNasa doesn't appear to have one, but it is believed he is the person operating TSR3's Twitter account. A couple of days ago, Ernie Gygax posted about recent events on Facebook (note that he edited the post, but the original can be seen here).

I wish to state in the strongest terms that I never meant to hurt anyone of any race, creed or color. My video From the Bunker caused some to feel that they would not be welcome or would be looked down upon. That was never the intent, I was reacting to focus of modern role play into a more background and Role Play rather than the wargame that so made so many lives happy over 40 years ago.

As a gamer it meant that most of us were not worthy of any attention from others of our own age. We were Nerds. We were brainy-acks and others would snicker. Older classmen would ask to "borrow" something of ours to then pass back and forth a game of keep away. I used to receive some special attention from about 4 Juniors in my Freshman year. I played the Violin and often I began to wish that I had Super Powers, perhaps become a Giant.. I was far to shy and then embarrassed as attractive ladies would just lower the eyes while the jocks or other socially vibrant fellows had some fun at another geeky nerds expense. Thank goodness I grew 4 inches my junior year.

The only real comfort zone we all could share was a table in the lunch room. At least the fledgling TSR found fertile minds in those who had only those like us - gamers. Rather than have to risk embarrassing myself, since Phy Ed was going to force us to dance with those wonderful and yet scary girls. Well to get my Diploma I had to slave for a month to Mr. Gerber the head of the Phy Ed department. Fortunately I knew all about janitorial work as before D&D and TSR dad only made $5,000 as a Cobbler (five children) and we had food stamps and even free school lunches. Yes you had to go to the councilors office every week to collect your free lunch passes. Obviously you could feel all the eyes on you and the talk about....

Everyone has been welcome at my gaming table and multitudes of new friends have been created by the time spent playing the games we Love. Look at pictures of gaming on my site or anywhere I run games. Everyone is welcome, just like a Boot Hill game leave your guns at the bar until you leave town. If you come to the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum Jeff R. Leason will show you courtesy and a smile and you will see that gaming with elder gamers is a safe and entertaining environment.

TSR - Ernie Gygax on New TSR, WotC Beefs, Trademarks, Licensees, 5E, & More

A YouTube channel, 'Live From the Bunker', interviewed Ernie Gygax about the new TSR. I've watched and decided to try to transcribe the most relevant parts of it, but the full hour-long video is below if you want to see the whole interview and full context. Ernie Gygax is one of D&D...

www.enworld.org

 

[Dausuul]

Finding the trademarks of old TSR lying in the gutter was far sweeter than found money; to them, it must have felt like stealing fire.

And after having stolen that fire, imagine if your next actions were then to take that stolen, glowing ingot of scorched eldritch metal and heave it straight into the Ocean above the Marianas Trench.

What a cluster^%#@.

Conan's father: "But in their rage, the gods forgot the secret of steel and left it on the battlefield. And we who found it are just men. Not gods, not giants. Just men."

Young Conan grabs the sword, pees on it, then bashes it against a tree until it breaks

Young Conan: "Crom made me do it. It's his fault."

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

Wait, did Lanasa just announce to the public Ernie is on the spectrum?

This seems pretty bad as I do not believe that was well known, even among close associates of Ernie. Outing someone as being on the spectrum without their consent is … I guess it is on brand for this new TRS3 moneybags grifter.

 

[Dessert Nomad]

I did not say both sides stuff.
And I prefer not to be quoted out of context.

I quoted you making a 'both sides' argument about the need for "Dialogue" with outright bigots instead of condemning them in this very thread. I did not take anything outside of context, and if I did you could point to what relevant context I ignored instead of just making a bland and baseless 'out of context' dismissal.

Please direct me to the passage, where Ernie said such things or associated with those. Then I immediately take back everything I said and apologize for even hinting at dialogue.

Because that is way out of the spectrum of people I would want to talk with.
What I need is facts. If I missed them, I apologize in advance.

Ernie's statements on gender have been quoted over and over. If you're in this thread defending his words, you should probably have an idea of what he has said, the fact that you don't even know what he has said but are jumping in to complain that people are being mean to him by objecting to what he said speaks volumes on it's own.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Sometimes, plain text are confusing without the refrent, which is... ironic on this one.

View attachment 139445

Ah! This I do remember!

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I quoted you making a 'both sides' argument about the need for "Dialogue" with outright bigots instead of condemning them in this very thread. I did not take anything outside of context, and if I did you could point to what relevant context I ignored instead of just making a bland and baseless 'out of context' dismissal.



Ernie's statements on gender have been quoted over and over. If you're in this thread defending his words, you should probably have an idea of what he has said, the fact that you don't even know what he has said but are jumping in to complain that people are being mean to him by objecting to what he said speaks volumes on it's own.

Read all my statements. I don't ever defend him. I am sorry that you think I do.
As I said, I am no native speaker, maybe I have not made myself clear.
If something sounds like defending, point me to it and when I have more time I go through it and edit it.

And please explain, what you mean with "both sides"... I seem to not get it.

If you mean that I said both sides are valid, then I wasn't clear enough.
I think that as long as certain lines are not overstepped and someone has some time to think about what they have done and come back with a sincere apology (which was defined in this or a fellow thread before) should be allowed to get a second chance.
If those lines are overstepped is not for me to decide*. As I get it they seem to be in this case.

Edit: I edited my post you quoted in hope that I made my opinion more clear. You have the original post saved in your quote. If that is still unclear, I try to do better. If I made myself clear and you don't like my position... then I am sorry.

 

[cmad1977]

Finding the trademarks of old TSR lying in the gutter was far sweeter than found money; to them, it must have felt like stealing fire.

And after having stolen that fire, imagine if your next actions were then to take that stolen, glowing ingot of scorched eldritch metal and heave it straight into the Ocean above the Marianas Trench.

What a cluster^%#@.

More like winding up and smacking yourself in the jumblies.

 

[Libertad]

Wait, did Lanasa just announce to the public Ernie is on the spectrum?

This seems pretty bad as I do not believe that was well known, even among close associates of Ernie. Outing someone as being on the spectrum without their consent is … I guess it is on brand for this new TRS3 moneybags grifter.

Speaking as an autist, outing someone's neurodivergent identity in such a way is really crappy. Doing it to win fake internet points is even worse, but a lot of people for various reasons don't announce this due to the fact that a lot of people end up treating them differently. Ernie's claims and reactions are his own to bear, for good or ill. What LaNasa is doing is trying to get people to 1.) associate bigoted statements with the autistic community and 2.) put Ernie in an even tougher spot because people ARE going to treat him like a mental invalid with no filter as a result of #1. Framing any criticism as 'picking on him' also removes agency from Ernie and the consequences of his actions, infantilizing him further.

Granted, I doubt Ernie's going to get many business opportunities in tabletop regardless, but it is going to create a new set of complications in his life even among the chud demographic that LaNasa's trying to appeal to. On the off-chance that some edgy reactionary gamer wants to do business with nu-TSR, they're going to think "uh oh, Ernie's brain isn't working right, I should approach LaNasa instead."

 

[cmad1977]

Conan's father: "But in their rage, the gods forgot the secret of steel and left it on the battlefield. And we who found it are just men. Not gods, not giants. Just men."

Young Conan grabs the sword, pees on it, then bashes it against a tree until it breaks

Young Conan: "Crom made me do it. It's his fault."

A Big Steel conspiracy to cancel All real Cimmerians

 

[Yaarel]

Two wrongs make a right?

Ernie was wrong and I strongly disagree with his opinions and beliefs
I support the people who decided not to work with TSR3 and will be more likely to buy their products in the future
But that doesn't mean I approve of the treatment of Ernie

Why let yourself be dragged down to the same level as the bigots?
Love is wise; hatred is foolish

Those who turn compassion into cruelty.

If someone is cruel, like Ernie and his company are,

then to be compassionate to Ernie means to enable him and to become cruel oneself.



Ernie is cruel and remorseless.

To hold him accountable for his cruelty is to become compassionate oneself.

One is defending the innocents who Ernie harms.

 

[Yaarel]

This appears to be who Ernie Gygax is.

The inner circle of these guys? Ernie, Justin, Dinehart, and the rest? These are a group of people who have said, publicly on forums or twitter, comments like:

LGBT people are mentally ill with brain deficiencies
PoC are genetically inferior to white people
Women secretly want men to control them and secretly love being depicted in chain mail bikinis because no one wants to be a fatty in the game

Ernie is lockstep.

And when people start calling them bigots on twitter, we have people trying argue that it's these guys who are the victims of bullying. What utter horse pucky.

Ernie is a bully.