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

 

[TechOgre2000]

I've known Ernie since 1971. I like Ernie.

I am sad.

I do not know Ernie, but when someone does and says things like he has said, it saddens me as well. Especially when it could have been a fun revival and nostalgia generator. Likely not a gold mine for them, but maybe a silver mine or copper mine. I hope EGG jr gets his head on straight, gives a sincere apology, and can get a product into the hands of those who want that sort of thing.

 

[Eubani]

Between what I have seen from interviews, past activities and Rob Kuntz's words here I now can unfortunately only see Ernie as a lazy tone deaf man child who has spent his life trying to live his life off the back of the work of others. As terrible as that sounds that is the picture that all this has painted and he has naught to blame but himself.

 

[Umbran]

Honestly, it is kind of depressing to realize that many people are flocking to try and support TSR3 because they either A) hear the dog whistles and are gathering or B) Heard that little TSR is being bullied by Twitter and WoTC and so they rush to defend them with no idea what is going on.

Yeah, well, a tweet is cheap. Supporting TSR3 on social media is slacktivism - no actual commitment, low barrier to entry, low impact stuff.

 

[billd91]

Yeah, well, a tweet is cheap. Supporting TSR3 on social media is slacktivism - no actual commitment, low barrier to entry, low impact stuff.

For that matter, so is condemning them. The internet makes all of this low barrier.

 

[darjr]

For that matter, so is condemning them. The internet makes all of this low barrier.

I don’t completely disagree. However TSR getting banned from GenCon NTRPGCon Gameholecon Origins and probably more, is a nice result.

 

[Umbran]

For that matter, so is condemning them. The internet makes all of this low barrier.

Sure. The point was mostly that folk supporting on social media now may not materialize into customers later.

 

[Vael]

And that, my EnWorld friends, is how I discovered I’ve been running a queer table most of my life. This really is wonderful. Thank you.

Thaumaturge.

I, otoh, have discovered to my horror that my dungeon crawling table of fellow queers is incredibly straight. The only Tiefling PC I've seen was played by the token straight guy!

 

[The-Magic-Sword]

We're... lets see, everyone listed here is in their 20's if only just shy of 30 in some cases, though at the beginning of that range in others:

- One Translady Lesbian, who is also that Thinker player who likes to sit down and solve elaborate problems, they play Paladins and have a really hard time not forcing the party to be lawful good. Total Power-Gamer too, and a decent roleplayer to boot.

- One Cis Pansexual person who also happens to be a furry, another one of my power gamers, has an intense fear of character death, currently running a really cool FF inspired campaign I'm playing in.

- One Straight Cis dude, closest to queer he gets is if you count his non-neurotypicality (ADHD) which is something that comes up sometimes in our somewhat radical circles, our king power gamer who can roleplay just fine and enjoys the story, but can't do dialog that meets his standards so doesn't actually RP.

- One Bisexual Cis Woman who is my partner-in-worldbuilding since we met at Pax Unplugged 2018 through a mutual friend.

- Another Cis Straight dude, although I'm actually not clear on if he's fully straight now that I think about it, he makes a lot of jokes to the contrary, he is in fact a worshipper of Odin and a really cool accepting dude.

- Me, nonbinary (I reject Gender, rather than as an identity of its own) Bisexual (interchangeable with Pan, but I prefer the term Bi) dude who started out with 4e in 2010, I lead our merry band as our usual Forever GM and come down like the wrath of god on people who aren't respectful of pronouns on our server (doesn't happen much, thankfully.) Super left wing, but also very critical of the movement in a very academic 'we suffer from systemic facism as well, and this is how its expressing itself' sort of way. Did I mention I'm poly, though acutely single?

Outside of the current campaign our extended group, who will be rejoining for the autumn west marches includes:

- A... Woman (they didn't used to identify as one, but they've been ambigiously leaning into it more recently, girlfriend of the first person I mentioned) who is super good at roleplaying, but not the best with the rules stuff, also very pagan.

- A fine nonbinary lad (yes I know, don't worry about it), who seems to prefer women and other nonbinary people, my main partner in crime when it comes to discussing complex relationship to the idea of masculinity.

- Another fine nonbinary lad dating the previous one who is pagan, they're a great DM with a lot of experience and a love for writing up their own rules.

- Transman? They may have leaned back into nonbinariness, they make a lot of jokes about their gender being 'clown' and their partners are equally so.

There's actually a few more people, but I have to run! Sometimes I forget some people would consider my group abnormal.

 

[Faolyn]

- One Straight Cis dude, closest to queer he gets is if you count his non-neurotypicality (ADHD) which is something that comes up sometimes in our somewhat radical circles, our king power gamer who can roleplay just fine and enjoys the story, but can't do dialog that meets his standards so doesn't actually RP.

Sexuality and neuro(a)typicality are pretty different things.

--Signed, an aroace who is also an Aspie with ADHD.

 

[The-Magic-Sword]

Sexuality and neuro(a)typicality are pretty different things.

--Signed, an aroace who is also an Aspie with ADHD.

Queerness is not a construction of sexuality or sexual orientation, though in the right context those things can produce it, this is a whole thing and suffice it to say the majority of my academic experience, as well as my lived experiences involved examining queerness as it relates to a broad intersections of identity and notions of normativity.

Thats an explanation, but I refuse to be dragged into a debate over this, this is not a space equipped to meaningfully engage with this question.