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

 

[Umbran]

What is a ‘cis het white dude’?

Cisgender heterosexual Caucasian male.

(Cisgender - denoting or relating to a person whose sense of personal identity and gender corresponds with their birth sex.)

Meaning, "a member of the dominant, most privileged socio-economic class in the USA".

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

After everything else we've seen from LaNasa, personally I wouldn't give him the benefit of the doubt on that.

Or possibly just not particularly diligent data capturing from a longer list of donations.

 

[imagineGod]

So you've got nothing.

Especially as I could easily make the argument that leaving the hell-site that Twitter all too often is is a positive.

Yes I do, and the legal authorities are the ones to investigate cyber bullies. See how that works, in civilized socities.

The vigilante justice mindset of judge, hurry, execution by a crowd is not a system we should celebrate.

 

[DLIMedia]

I find it necessary to bring up Luke Gygax's comment earlier...

...and Dinehart's eloquent response...

 

[mythago]

Yes I do, and the legal authorities are the ones to investigate cyber bullies. See how that works, in civilized socities.

The vigilante justice mindset of judge, hurry, execution by a crowd is not a system we should celebrate.

Execution? That is a new definition of 'receiving public criticism for public statements' of which I was previously unaware.

 

[This Effin’ GM]

Yes I do, and the legal authorities are the ones to investigate cyber bullies. See how that works, in civilized socities.

The vigilante justice mindset of judge, hurry, execution by a crowd is not a system we should celebrate.

This feels more like witnesses letting him know how we feel about his actions. How that gets conflated into acting as judge jury and executioner is beyond me, since none of us have the power to kick him off his platform nor impart legal consequences on him.

 

[PsyzhranV2]

Yes I do, and the legal authorities are the ones to investigate cyber bullies. See how that works, in civilized socities.

The vigilante justice mindset of judge, hurry, execution by a crowd is not a system we should celebrate.

What cyberbullies? What execution? Is holding public figures accountable for uninformed and malicious statements not a thing now? Nobody is rolling up to Ernie's house or to the Dungeon Hobby Shop museum with torches and gasoline, and I haven't caught wind of a coordinated doxxing campaign being underway (which I would expect if it was anybody even remotely resembling an """SJW""" whose feet was being held to the fire here).

In other corners of the Internet, particularly among the young, we call what happened to TSR 3 as... "screwing" around and finding out; I can't post the actual phrase on the off chance that Eric or his grandmother still peruses these boards, but let's just say that the alliteration is left intact.

 

[Disgruntled Hobbit]

OK. If a man were to walk into a bar and start peeing all over people would you call them bullies for turning round and yelling at him to stop peeing all over them? It's a lot of people yelling after all. And it might not be good for his mental health for people to yell at him despite the fact he's peeing all over them.

And if he were to then apologise to people in the bar and pointedly exclude the ones he'd actually peed all over would it still be bullying if they were shouting and complaining and this pointed exclusion made things worse?

He could have chosen not to pee all over people and then there would be no complaint. He could have chosen to make an actual apology in which case things would have died down.

The difference is on Twitter, people who weren't at the bar and weren't there for the initial peeing, would also yell at the man
And friends of the people who were peed on would find that man when he was doing something else or just going about his day and yell at him
And the more yelling that happens, the more people who are unaffected but just oppose being peed on would also yell
And this happens continually, nonstop for the entire day, whether he's at work or home, awake or asleep

If you don't like someone running a business, you don't buy their product or shop at their store. You start a boycott. You advertise their competitor. You complain to their sponsors. You raise awareness and keep others from supporting them
You don't go to their house and insult them to their face. You don't confront them
It doesn't fix the problem. It doesn't change anyone mind, instead making the target feel victimized and double down on their beliefs
It just make you feel better because you vented your frustrations. It just makes you feel better because you made someone else feel bad
And that's flipping horrible

It's bullying plain and simple
You just need to ask yourself if it was justified because of what he said

 

[imagineGod]

Incorrect. They know what he said, since he did that in publicly available form. This isn't about what he does in the privacy of his home - this is about what he tried to use as a sales tactic.

The power of social media is great, but there is no "I get to use the power, but not feel consequences if I am a jerk" button. Power comes with responsibility - he failed in that responsibility.

And social media also gives rise to the cyber bullies that drove many entertainers to mental breakdown.

Firstly, we need to accept all human beings are equal. Then, with that in mind if a line individual commits a transgression, we balance our reaction.

In every martial arts class, self defense becomes assault when it crosses a threshold and the attacker becomes a hapless victim.

Everybody agrees, that when someone wrongs you, you react. It is the balance of the magnitude of the reaction. A crowd against a line individual tilts the balance of aggressor unto the crowd and victim on the individual. If all humans are equal, the crowd is punching down based on strength of numbers.

Social media by its nature of feedback of emotion, creates mobs. The many who piled into Ernie Gygax on Twitter with second hand knowledge of what he said are not good people.


Strange that almost everyone here seems to ignore the online violence by crowds of strangers on Twitter have driven people to the edge.

If something unfortunate was to affect Ernie Gygax, some of those Twitter bullies are in legal trouble.

 

[LordEntrails]

I won’t deny it’s possible, but that is some cartoonish levels of self importance

That's why I actually feel sad for Ernie. Disgusted, but sad.