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

 

[Sithlord]

I'm not even certain Ward's involved beyond using his ruleset, as the wording's a bit fuzzy there. All I know is that this is Ernie Gygax's gig, and he still hasn't delivered on a KS yet, after 5 or so years.

I love ward. And I have zero against Ernie and wish him happiness and beautiful wonderful life. But if Ernie is in charge of this based on past performance it will be a disaster. And I really want this product and love the works of the other people involved. Really hoping Earnie learned from past failures. Sometimes u have to fail to learn to win.

 

[pemerton]

They actually have to fight it. Failure to defend your copyrights and trademarks has been cited in court rulings as evidence of them being up for grabs.

This is not true of copyright, to the best of my knowledge

In the context of trademarks, a trademark must be able to distinguish a good or service in the marketplace. So if a trademark owner permits concurrent use, they are allowing the distinguishing function of the mark to be lost.

WotC is still selling Star Frontiers (via DriveThruRPG) with the old trade dress, but apparently have allowed the registration to lapse. There is thus a contest between a registered trademark and an unregistered trademark in use. My guess would be that the registered mark prevails at least to the extent that WotC can't deny the entitlement of the registered owner to use it, but I don't know if it would be exclusive as against WotC or if WotC would be permitted to engage in concurrent use. I suspect the latter (ie that the new TSR don't have a case against WotC) but I'm not sure.

 

[TerraDave]

So...I did really like Knight Hawks, their space combat expansion.

Wonder if this TSR will release something similar?

 

[teitan]

Yeah their attitude is very, umm, non chalant. They really think they are the original TSR back from the grave and blustery about it. I wish them well but it's going to be ugly as a baboon's behind. I had a short interaction with some of them on Facebook. They aren't coming across well.

 

[pming]

Hiya!

So...I did really like Knight Hawks, their space combat expansion.

Wonder if this TSR will release something similar?

Still playing KH and AD here. I'd like to see "TSR" be able to re-release the aforementioned (by me) fan-created "Star Frontiers Remastered" books, tbh. Then a compilation or three of the best of the articles from The Frontiersman (the fan-made e-mag that went to...24 or 25 issues ranging from about 30 pages to 60!). Of course, "TSR" would have to get permission and all that stuff from the original creators of any articles from The Frontiersman, but I'm sure they could.

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[Dioltach]

Never played Star Frontiers, but I remember seeing pictures of the cover back in the 80s (was it advertised in the BECMI boxes?), and really wishing I could get my hands on a copy. That one image was so evocative.

 

[aramis erak]

You don’t acquire companies who steal your IP; you sue them. That’s what will happen here if there is not some undisclosed licensing deal.

Most companies won't be able to afford the costs of losing a lawsuit. Offering the company as payment in full has happened in the past as a settlement. The other option usually involves bankruptcy and/or liquidation of IP. Note that infringing IP is only of value to the owner of the IP infringed upon, at least in the US, due to the rules on derivative copyright laws.

While I've not seen it in the RPG industry, I have seen some cases where a company was seized due to non-payment of award, resulting in transfer of the tangible and intellectual assets of the company. (The things you learn while doing holdings maintenance on the district courts records in the Archives.)

 

[aramis erak]

Maybe. And that's a big maybe. If James Ward is deeply involved, let's not forget a little company called Fast Forward Entertainment and how that ended. And, yes, I liked and bought many of those d20 books and still own the best ones.

But, the use of WotC's copyrights cost FFE and you would think that Mr. Ward (if not any of the others involved with this new TSR) would know better. Maybe, maybe those handling the marketing logistics didn't think before using the image, but fool me once...

Note that the images registered by TSR include the various TSR Hobbies and Tactical Studies Rules logos, including the stairstep TSR, the wizard-sun oval, and other images created in-house at the original TSR. And the Title Logo is from the title-page of the Expanded Rules booklet. Clear case of use of copyrighted material. The only important question really is, "Is it done under license?"

Well, that, and "Is Jim Ward actually up to working?"

 

[aramis erak]

Never played Star Frontiers, but I remember seeing pictures of the cover back in the 80s (was it advertised in the BECMI boxes?), and really wishing I could get my hands on a copy. That one image was so evocative.

Its available on DTRPG from Wizards.
It's not bad, it's a skill driven game, interesting races, decent setting material (especially for the era). Rules cover combat extensively, and a number of endeavors outside the combat sphere.

There are 3 very broad classes which determine skill costs, but have almost no other effects in play.
Skills being 6 levels each, most with multiple subskills; subskill percentile chances are derived from skill level and attributes.

The adventures I've played are pretty good, too.

Ship rules are in a separate product (Knight Hawks), which is playable as a board game as well as being a supplement for the RPG, and adding a 4th class of skills, but noting that those skills have insanely high prereqs.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Now we are talking about the title, but the IP, the characters, races, monsters and factions, all that is by WotC, aren't they?