Dungeonosophy
Legend
I think Paizo (or some other mid-sized, vibrant TRPG company, like Modiphius or Free League) ought to buy the trademark from Ernie...and make TSR5!
Now, hear me out...
Paizo is a major spiritual successor of TSR, since it began as a sort of out-sourced re-embodiment of WotC's magazine publishing division (DRAGON, DUNGEON, POLYHEDRON).
Besides Paizo, there are other vibrant mid-sized companies such as Free League and Modiphius who are lovingly devoted to TRPGS, and who are really making some cash flow, while producing awesome TRPGs.
One of these would have the PR finesse to turn this around.
And what would become of the present-day owners of TSR4?
Well, they would be bought out and move on.
And what would be the purpose of this TSR5?
Let's see...
It would be an imprint of Paizo (or Modiphius or Free League).
And it would serve as a focal point for growing this company into the true successor of TSR of old, also on par with that golden age of WotC during early 3.0 era (prior to its sale to Hasbro).
I mean, the TSR brand (minus the copyrighted logo design, of course) is a huge legacy. It is a brand which even non-gamers recognize.
Okay...so Paizo or Modiphius or Free League would strive to buy up all the TSR-related IP (game systems and worlds) which isn't owned by Hasbro, by any TSR-era creator, living or dead. For example:
-Gygax Estate's remaining IP, e.g. Castle Zagyg via Troll Lord Games
-Arneson Estate's remaining IP.
-Rob Kuntz's IP
-John Eric Holmes' Maze of Peril and Boinger & Zereth stories (this stuff is great!). His son and estate own the rights.
-Judge's Guild. Just buy the whole company.
-Rasmussen's new Top Secret game. Currently published by TSR2 > Solarion.
-Richard Baker's new Alternity game
-James Ward's Metamorphosis Alpha game (he owns it now)
-Margaret Weiss's various non-TSR worlds
-Timothy Brown's Dragon Kings (the spiritual successor of Dark Sun)
-Bruce Heard's Calidar (the spiritual successor of Mystara)
-David Megarry reportedly owns some rights to DUNGEON! (though probably not the name)
-Chris Pramas' Dragon Fist
-Larry Elmore's Sovereign Stone
-Douglas Niles' non-TSR novel settings
-R.A. Salvatore's DemonWars
-Ed Greenwood's various non-TSR settings (e.g. Band of Four novels)
-Frank Mentzer's Aquaria (after an extensive process of amends and PR healing)
...and, yes, even Ernie Gygax's Giantlands
Reach out to every TSR-era author, artist, and novelist, and offer to buy their home campaigns, their design notes and archival papers, and their total IP estate.
Ruleswise:
And...for all these products, TSR5 immediately (=as soon as feasible) shifts to dual-statted books, using that company's house-system (PF2, Modiphius' 2d20, or Free League's Year Zero)
Settingwise:
All these worlds would be officially added to the Pathfinder/TSR5 Golarion Multiverse (or Modiphius Multiverse or Free League Multiverse). Make a big Multiversal map showing how all these alternate worlds are reachable from Golarion (or Modiphius' or Free League's house settings). And begin tying their lore and timelines together.
And open all these setting IPs up to DMs Guild-style community-created content on DriveThruRPG. Paizo holds Golarion tight because its their only baby. But if their baby could get bigger, then their revenue model could change, and they'd have the confidence to open Golarion (and all these worlds) up to fan-created commercial content.
And, then, a decade from now, when the next edition of their house-system comes out (e.g. PF3, 2d20 2e, Year Zero 2e), all of the legacy systems are folded into a new multi-genre RPG system.
Voila! That would be a legit rebirth of TSR of yore. TSR5 would be something worthwhile.
Now, hear me out...
Paizo is a major spiritual successor of TSR, since it began as a sort of out-sourced re-embodiment of WotC's magazine publishing division (DRAGON, DUNGEON, POLYHEDRON).
Besides Paizo, there are other vibrant mid-sized companies such as Free League and Modiphius who are lovingly devoted to TRPGS, and who are really making some cash flow, while producing awesome TRPGs.
One of these would have the PR finesse to turn this around.
And what would become of the present-day owners of TSR4?
Well, they would be bought out and move on.
And what would be the purpose of this TSR5?
Let's see...
It would be an imprint of Paizo (or Modiphius or Free League).
And it would serve as a focal point for growing this company into the true successor of TSR of old, also on par with that golden age of WotC during early 3.0 era (prior to its sale to Hasbro).
I mean, the TSR brand (minus the copyrighted logo design, of course) is a huge legacy. It is a brand which even non-gamers recognize.
Okay...so Paizo or Modiphius or Free League would strive to buy up all the TSR-related IP (game systems and worlds) which isn't owned by Hasbro, by any TSR-era creator, living or dead. For example:
-Gygax Estate's remaining IP, e.g. Castle Zagyg via Troll Lord Games
-Arneson Estate's remaining IP.
-Rob Kuntz's IP
-John Eric Holmes' Maze of Peril and Boinger & Zereth stories (this stuff is great!). His son and estate own the rights.
-Judge's Guild. Just buy the whole company.
-Rasmussen's new Top Secret game. Currently published by TSR2 > Solarion.
-Richard Baker's new Alternity game
-James Ward's Metamorphosis Alpha game (he owns it now)
-Margaret Weiss's various non-TSR worlds
-Timothy Brown's Dragon Kings (the spiritual successor of Dark Sun)
-Bruce Heard's Calidar (the spiritual successor of Mystara)
-David Megarry reportedly owns some rights to DUNGEON! (though probably not the name)
-Chris Pramas' Dragon Fist
-Larry Elmore's Sovereign Stone
-Douglas Niles' non-TSR novel settings
-R.A. Salvatore's DemonWars
-Ed Greenwood's various non-TSR settings (e.g. Band of Four novels)
-Frank Mentzer's Aquaria (after an extensive process of amends and PR healing)
...and, yes, even Ernie Gygax's Giantlands
Reach out to every TSR-era author, artist, and novelist, and offer to buy their home campaigns, their design notes and archival papers, and their total IP estate.
Ruleswise:
And...for all these products, TSR5 immediately (=as soon as feasible) shifts to dual-statted books, using that company's house-system (PF2, Modiphius' 2d20, or Free League's Year Zero)
Settingwise:
All these worlds would be officially added to the Pathfinder/TSR5 Golarion Multiverse (or Modiphius Multiverse or Free League Multiverse). Make a big Multiversal map showing how all these alternate worlds are reachable from Golarion (or Modiphius' or Free League's house settings). And begin tying their lore and timelines together.
And open all these setting IPs up to DMs Guild-style community-created content on DriveThruRPG. Paizo holds Golarion tight because its their only baby. But if their baby could get bigger, then their revenue model could change, and they'd have the confidence to open Golarion (and all these worlds) up to fan-created commercial content.
And, then, a decade from now, when the next edition of their house-system comes out (e.g. PF3, 2d20 2e, Year Zero 2e), all of the legacy systems are folded into a new multi-genre RPG system.
Voila! That would be a legit rebirth of TSR of yore. TSR5 would be something worthwhile.
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