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.


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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.


 

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It does seem odd that LaNasa and Dinehart seem to be comparatively unscathed by all this.

Well, neither one of them is putting themselves out there as a face for nerds to connect to.

Folks are emotionally attached to the Gygax name, not the LaNasa name. Folks have expectations of a Gygax they don't have for LaNasa, so they feel more betrayed by Gygax.
 

Ernie, at least in recent years, does not believe in hard work. Luke has offered him all sorts of opportunities to make money over the years and Ernie has declined. This is his "dream" opportunity to do a minimal amount of DMing and front man stuff and get his dream money from the "General" in return. Weakness on several levels has fostered the circumstance.

Oliver Wendell Holmes: "Nothing is so common as the wish to be remarkable."

That is sad when you think of the many people who pour their soul and time into rpg projects wanting nothing more than others to open up the book and have fun.
 



Well, neither one of them is putting themselves out there as a face for nerds to connect to.

Folks are emotionally attached to the Gygax name, not the LaNasa name. Folks have expectations of a Gygax they don't have for LaNasa, so they feel more betrayed by Gygax.
And folks who have heard of LaNasa before this have expectations of a LaNasa they don't have of a Gygax and feel ... unsurprised. (I don't remember whether I'd heard of him in the context of weird politics or weird wrestling as his grits wrestling became briefly an issue in the North Carolina Republican Primaries in 2020).
 


That is sad when you think of the many people who pour their soul and time into rpg projects wanting nothing more than others to open up the book and have fun.
Well, yeah, but this is not what he experienced around him growing up, either from his mother or dad or others like me. I could go on about the influences, what he saw us doing with the Castle & Crusade Society, the investment in gaming and game design for the love of it, not knowing where it would lead to, other than fun and and a dream of, "maybe some day this board game will be published", etc. Even with D&D, especially, we didn't know, but we had this mass feeling that wouldn't let go, but what were we paid during its formative stages? The same--fun and a future hope. It's not that he didn't have all the examples he needed.
 

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