A TSR Announces a Star Frontiers Reboot

One of the new TSRs (yes there are now two TSRs!) has announced a reboot of Star Frontiers, the sci-fi game made by the original TSR back in the 1980s. Star Frontiers was a percentile dice roleplaying game set in a galaxy with four races (Human, Dralasite, Vrusk, and Yazirian) which were re-used by WotC in d20 Future in 2004.

Happy to announce that in addition to our flagship new world and game system by James M. Ward & Dinehart, GiantLands, and Justin LaNasa's children's RPG Tales & Tots, our next internal project "Star Frontiers", a reboot of the original, is currently in preproduction and has Larry Elmore attached. Stay tuned for more details!

It appears that one of the new TSRs registered the trademark in April. More if I hear it!

You can currently buy the game from WotC on DriveThruRpg, so I'm not sure how that works. When asked about this on Facebook, one of the TSRs answered:

Of course, Evil Hat Productions registered the Star Frontiers trademark, too, back in July 2017.

Is Evil Hat Republishing TSR's Star Frontiers?

Last year, Sasquatch Game Studio announced that it had acquired the trademark for TSR's old Alternity science-fiction game. At the time, it was mentioned that they did not have the Star*Drive, Dark*Matter, Gamma World, StarCraft Adventures, or Star Frontiers, properties owned by WotC. This may...

www.enworld.org

 

[Arilyn]

For some reason you saying, "One of the TSRs" makes me giggle.

 

[Morrus]

For some reason you saying, "One of the TSRs" makes me giggle.

Mission accomplished?

 

[sevenbastard]

I played a heck off a lot of Star Frontiers as a kid. Definitely interested in an update.

I'm just going to assume the legal stuff was already figured out and they aren't just hoping it all works out.

 

[darjr]

Newbiedm shows the copyright is still WotCs which I expected.

So it won’t have the setting or characters? It’ll have a facsimile?

or maybe they license? Is this a ploy to force one?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm no lawyer, but I'd imagine not? Dunno!

I think it's a huge assumption to think that lawyers are involved in any of the stuff TSR 3.0 (?) is doing.

 

[aramis erak]

I'm no lawyer, but I'd imagine not? Dunno!

It's worth noting that there are at least 3 TSR's in Wisconsin... One's a management consultant, just down the street from the original TSR offices and the TSR LLC offices.

The Trademarks are to a TSR LLC, registered to a Mr. Nugent.
Said TSR LLC happens also to have registered most of the older TSR trademarks.

I don't know if that TSR is the same one as Mr. E. Gygax is running.
As I said on RPGG, I'd find it hilarious if TSR LLC is a WotC IP holding company.

Either way, the graphical logo registrations are of art for which the copyright is now owned by Wizards of the Coast, as part of the TSR Hobbies, Inc., corporate IP.

And art which is in continued use by WotC, since the reissues are scans, not relayouts.

 

[R_Chance]

I think it's a huge assumption to think that lawyers are involved in any of the stuff TSR 3.0 (?) is doing.

It's almost like we're being trolled...

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

And art which is in continued use by WotC, since the reissues are scans, not relayouts.

I had never thought of that before. That explains a lot about DMs Guild and how they do those products.

 

[lyle.spade]

Just bring back the full-page cover of the original boxed set. When Knighthawks came out they began printing the original set with that horrid purple border and clipped the Elmore cover to fit. Lame layout. The original was what got me to dump DnD until 3e - no kidding. I can thank Star Frontiers for enabling me to skip 2e entirely.

 

[aramis erak]

I had never thought of that before. That explains a lot about DMs Guild and how they do those products.

The other thing to remember: The relevant laws are those of Wisconsin, Washington, and US Federal. WotC is in Washington, the registration is by a company in Wisconsin, and it is both federal trademarks and interstate. There are a lot of varying rights issues that laymen like us can observe, but don't know the actual details of.