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 astonishing PR campaign which makes the original interview which sparked off the controversy look mild in comparison. Various entities are moving to distance themselves from the company and its activities, including TSR2, the company founded in 2011 by Jayson Elliot, which has now declared that it will not be using the name TSR any longer. Other companies including Gen Con and freelancers such as Jeff Dee have also made statements.

For reference -- TSR1 is the (no longer existing) company which launched D&D in 1974, TSR2 is the company founded by Jayson Elliot in 2011 to create Gygax Magazine and which currently publishes the Top Secret RPG, and TSR3 is the newly launched company.

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Catch up on my previous coverage of this story:

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

TSR - TSR (2) Confirms TSR (3)'s Acquisition of Trademark (Updated!)

Jayson Elliot registered the TSR trademark back in 2011 and used it to launch Gygax Magazine along with Ernie and Luke Gygax. The two Gygax's left the company a few years later after Gary Gygax's (co-founder of TSR (1) back in the 1970s) widow, Gail Gygax, forced the closure of Gygax Magazine...

www.enworld.org

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...

www.enworld.org

TSR - TSR Is Back.... Again!

TSR is back... again! A new company, using the name and logo of the original publisher of Dungeons & Dragons has just been launched, along with a limited edition new game called Giantlands, and a theme park! But first, some history! Because this isn't the first time TSR has been resurrected...

www.enworld.org

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TSR3's social media accounts initially sought to distance the company from Ernie Gygax's statements, but within a few hours had reversed course and doubled down on his stance. Note that there have been dozens of social media posts from the company over the last few days, and still continuing as I type this, and I don't intend to share them all here.

(Thanks to Daniel Fox for sharing screenshots below via Twitter).

TSR2 -- "Update to our earlier tweet - we will NOT be licensing anything from the new company claiming rights to the TSR logos. We are not working with them in any fashion."

Gen Con -- "Gen Con is not associated with TSR Games and we don't support their recent statements. While the foundation of Gen Con is tied with the history of TTRPGs, our goal is to build off the good, acknowledge the bad, and work toward a present free from racism, misogyny, and homophobia."

Gen Con has also indicated that they do not intend to allow TSR3 at the convention.

GAMA (the Game Manufacturers Association) -- "We’re aware of the appalling statements published by TSR Games and their founder - GAMA does not condone nor agree with any part of it. We pride ourselves on supporting and promoting inclusivity always. Our motto is “A game at every table, a table for everyone”. Transphobia, racism, and sexism will not be tolerated. That means that TSR is not welcome at Origins Game Fair, GAMA Expo or any event affiliated with our organization."

Jeff Dee -- "There is a rumor going around that I am part of this new TSR company. That is not accurate. I have done some work for them as a freelance artist. That’s how I make my living, and spreading the misinformation that I’m now employed full-time by one particular client could stop other clients from approaching me and hurt my business. So, please do not spread that rumor. If I ever become a full-time employee anywhere again, I will announce that myself. Thanks. UPDATE: After investigating reports about statements made by representatives of this new TSR, I have determined that I can no longer do business with them in good conscience. I've returned their downpayment on the next piece of art I was scheduled to do for them. And yeah, I could sure use some new commissions to make up for this big hit on my cashflow"

Jim Ward, an original TSR alumnus and who wrote Giantlands, TSR3's flagship product -- "At the present time I know little or nothing about the relaunch of TSR. Right now I don't see how anyone could pick up where the old company left off. Yes it's a name with some logos, that is all I know."

Luke Gygax -- "FYI- I am not involved with any TSR company nor is Gary Con nor anyone else in my family outside of Ernie. Full stop. That is all ... I have reasons for distancing myself. The way TSR treats people online in their public exchanges is rude. The museum is a for profit business and was asking for donations. Using names of people to promote without their knowledge. Going out of the way to talk gender/woke stuff ... Also basically jacking the TSR logo from Jayson Elliot. The bombastic press releases and claims to old IP. Making a quick nostalgia money grab based on my fathers name and not much else. So I’m making it clear I don’t like this style and I have ZERO to do with TSR"

TSR3 responds to Luke Gygax​

Tim Kask, an original TSR alumnus who worked at the company until 1980, spoke at length on this topic in a YouTube video (below). I've transcribed some bits, but he says a whole load more (ellipses represent sections I have not included, for reasons of brevity), so check out the video for the whole thing.

"There has been bandied about in social media over the last several days several claims about what's going on in Lake Geneva right now. Ernie Gygax made a most egregious mistake in an interview he did on a podcast. He basically waved his bare ass in front of everybody that's concerned about pronouns, and woke, and all that right now in the industry and thumbed his nose at them. The transcript of his podcasts are there for everyone to read. That they were men, and they didn't give a sh*t, and la la la.

But right there they alienated three quarters of the gaming industry. Probably more than that, I don't believe that there's a quarter of the gaming industry that still are the neanderthals that he would make us out to be.

That's another thing. This whole thing has brought the OSR (the old school revival) into serious disrepute. Now there are some little Karens going on some of the social media and painting with the same brush all of us that were there back then based on the stupid ass sh*t that Ernie just said. No. We weren't all like that. And we aren't all like that now. He's a troll, a troglodyte, a neanderthal, if he really means that. It's a foolish person that doesn't wet his finger once in a while and feel the wind shift.

Now there've been claims in a couple of posts, one of which is by Ernie, about how the stalwarts, the old TSR are flocking to the banner. Bullsh*t....

... There is no one of the creative side of TSR from the early days involved with the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum. No one. Not one creative person. No matter who might be claiming what, they simply do not have the credentials. Being named DiMaggio does not mean you can hit a lot of home runs. Or that you even hit any home runs ....

... Just because you say you're TSR doesn't mean you are."

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[Whizbang Dustyboots]

No. This is not going to happen, because we are not going to allow it to happen. The OSR was founded upon an ethos: not this sorry display, but upon the belief that D&D belongs to the people who make D&D, and that a good reputation is earned by people who do the work and do their best work so that someone else can do better.

If Ernie could do that, he wouldn't be doing this. The OSR has nothing to fear from him. He still has his seat at the table... and he's still got some good years left in him. I hope he's sincere about doing good work, and I'll have the opportunity to pay him for it.

Yeah, I think the DIY ethos of OSR is something he doesn't engage with, if he's even aware of OSR at all. (It honestly seems like he may have been kept in cryogenic stasis for decades.)

He's skipping some key steps. Give Ernie an early-OSR-style blog, tell him to start designing stuff and putting it out there, and he'd soon have people lining up to buy from him -- indeed, that's the primary way OSR folks have made the jump to being commercially successful.

If he puts stuff out there that's even half-way decent, the 1970s TSR pixie dust sprinkled all over it would be enough to sell it to many folks. (Or it would have been; he may have permanently poisoned that well, although time will tell.)

But it all comes down to putting stuff out, which he's so far shown no inclination to actually do. The folks who toss homebrew stuff onto ENWorld and RPG.net threads are more prolific RPG creators than he is.

 

[thirdkingdom]

Sorry, who did this?

Edited.

 

[CleverNickName]

The folks who toss homebrew stuff onto ENWorld and RPG.net threads are more prolific RPG creators than he is.

 

[Nefermandias]

Uhh... we are responding to what he posted here...

Yes, but I feel like some of the responses are being overly aggressive. We are very lucky to have one of the first D&D players interacting with us on a daily basis. I would be very upset to lose that on account of politics. Which by the way, shouldn't even be allowed here at EnWorld. I come here for the gaming discussion.

 

[Gradine]

I don't think I have a response to this that wouldn't end without me ending up in posting timeout

 

[BookTenTiger]

Yes, but I feel like some of the responses are being overly aggressive. We are very lucky to have one of the first D&D players interacting with us on a daily basis. I would be very upset to lose that on account of politics. Which by the way, shouldn't even be allowed here at EnWorld. I come here for the gaming discussion.

If someone is being overly aggressive report them to the mods.

Rob added his voice to this conversation, it is okay for people to disagree with him and respond with their own perspectives.

 

[Sir Brennen]

And again, this time on an article in which The Alexandrian attempts to justify their previous use of Jennell's deadname:

I think the compromise Jenell proposes is key: "writing as". As she says, at this point anyone familiar with the name "Jaquays" in the gaming community probably knows her story. She also seems to mainly be taking offense at those who use deadnames as the primary reference to a trans person, which is completely understandable.

For public figures, I think, from a purely academic, historical standpoint, it's helpful to associate works done under the given name at the time proper accreditation. Such as when I see IMDB list an actor's role in a movie listed as "credited as" for previous work. Unfortunately, not every reference to a person's work on the internet, even prominent ones, will be updated with their chosen name, so being able to search by both is helpful.

As a person who hopes they have at least a modicum of sympathy for others, I can see where even doing such accreditation can be cause for concern, as it does make prominent the fact that the person being referenced is trans, which potentially opens them up to bigoted and prejudice views and reactions. I know that's not the only reason for avoiding deadnames, but I feel that's likely a big part.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Yes, but I feel like some of the responses are being overly aggressive. We are very lucky to have one of the first D&D players interacting with us on a daily basis. I would be very upset to lose that on account of politics. Which by the way, shouldn't even be allowed here at EnWorld. I come here for the gaming discussion.

There is no way to discuss this trash fire without politics being involved.

"I don't like this thing, so it should be removed from my environment" is ironically spot-on for this discussion.

You are not compelled to read this thread if it makes you uncomfortable.

 

[Nefermandias]

The false claim you're making here is a bit of a stretch, yes. And 'it just seemed to me' followed by something that wasn't said is a pretty standard tactic in this sort of thing.


People are responding to his comments in this thread. He's not being dragged in, he chose to join in himself.

False claim? You said it yourself on page 12, unless you've edited it?

 

[Sacrosanct]

If the inclusion of a group of people is part of a political agenda, then the comment "keep politics out of gaming" is directly discriminatory and exclusionary of that group.