TSR Now it’s WotC’s Turn: WotC Moves Against TSR3

I guess after you provoke somebody enough, they’ll eventually bite back. The company has begun trademark cancellation procedures against the newest TSR.

TSR3 briefly filed for a court declaration on Dec 7th as to their ownership of the TSR trademarks — with an IndieGoGo campaign to fund it — and then voluntarily dismissed it a couple of days later on Dec 9th.

This filing is dated Dec 6th, the day before TSR3 launched its campaign.

In WotC’s response, they cite fraud as one of the causes of action, alleging that TSR3 misled the trademark office in its original application.

Mike Dunford, on Twitter, breaks down the action.

TSR - TSR3.5 Voluntarily Dismisses Lawsuit

A lawsuit filed by TSR3 against D&D owners Wizards of the Coast a few days ago was voluntarily dismissed. Dismissal without prejudice means that the suit can be filed again. The suit lasted two days from the 7th to the 9th of December. The IndieGoGo fundraiser to fund it is still running...

www.enworld.org

TSR - TSR3.5 Launches IndieGogo Campaign to "Stop" WotC

The latest in the TSR3 saga, which has gone quiet for a while, is a new IndieGoGo campaign launched to "stop Wizards of the Coast". They cite wrongful bullying of TSR, and refusal to answer requests that WotC show TSR "proof of their claims" (although the campaign page doesn't mention what those...

www.enworld.org

 

[Dausuul]

I'd LOVE if LaNasa showed up on enworld

It'd be a short visit. Unless he displayed very uncharacteristic restraint, he'd get himself banned inside of a day.

 

[Bolares]

Honestly... I would rather not? Given the "anti-woke" sentiments they are trying to stir up...

I didn't say I'd like him to stay here...

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

At this point, I think the gaming community is divided into the following:

- People that actually agree with LaNasa's beliefs and think that this is the second coming of TSR that will bring back "true gaming" by sticking it to WotC. Somehow.

- People that either remember TSR fondly or have gotten curious enough to explore D&D history, but recognize LaNasa as a grifter, NuTSR as having nothing to do with the real TSR that once was, and find his view reprehensible. Or just like watching a good dumpster fire burn.

- People that have no idea about nuTSR, barely know what TSR was, and just like playing D&D.

By far, I think the gaming world mostly consists of the third group.

What value does TSR even have now as a brand? The company that it represents is long gone. Does the TTRPG community really want to see it become the gross characterture that Atari has become in the video game industry?

WotC is doing the right thing with the old TSR branded products, making them available still but with a disclaimer. They could have just yanked them from digital download entirely.

 

[jgsugden]

At this point, I think the gaming community is divided into the following:

- People that actually agree with LaNasa's beliefs and think that this is the second coming of TSR that will bring back "true gaming" by sticking it to WotC. Somehow.

- People that either remember TSR fondly or have gotten curious enough to explore D&D history, but recognize LaNasa as a grifter, NuTSR as having nothing to do with the real TSR that once was, and find his view reprehensible. Or just like watching a good dumpster fire burn.

- People that have no idea about nuTSR, barely know what TSR was, and just like playing D&D.

By far, I think the gaming world mostly consists of the third group.

You missed the fourth group:

- People that saw this as a dumpster fire / train wreck long ago and find it tragic becuase this rubbernecking feels a bit like the RPG community throwing a rave in the graveyard of their childhood.

 

[Umbran]

... the RPG community throwing a rave in the graveyard of their childhood.

Sounds like a pretty good place for a rave, honestly. We can play a lot of Dead Can Dance remixes, and it'll be a theme.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

At this point, I try to refer to them as "LaNasa & Company" rather than TSR, because what they're doing is so ugly, such a blatant scam, and I prefer to keep my memories of TSR from when I was a kid as isolated from their nonsense as much as possible.

You missed the fourth group:

- People that saw this as a dumpster fire / train wreck long ago and find it tragic becuase this rubbernecking feels a bit like the RPG community throwing a rave in the graveyard of their childhood.

I spent a not insignificant amount of my teenage years dancing in goth clubs to The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove as the fog machine blasted, mixing with the smell of clove cigarettes.

Sounds like a pretty good place for a rave, honestly. We can play a lot of Dead Can Dance remixes, and it'll be a theme.

 

[Mannahnin]

I spent a not insignificant amount of my teenage years dancing in goth clubs to The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove as the fog machine blasted, mixing with the smell of clove cigarettes.

I had tickets for Dead Can Dance for 2020. Then for 2021. Then 2022; and now, sadly, they've cancelled.

 

[Sacrosanct]

At this point, I try to refer to them as "LaNasa & Company" rather than TSR, because what they're doing is so ugly, such a blatant scam, and I prefer to keep my memories of TSR from when I was a kid as isolated from their nonsense as much as possible.

As someone who has a ton of nostalgia from those days, and still considers 1e my favorite edition, and Tramp and Holloway and Otis and Willingham my favorite artists, we have to admit the reality of it. And as much as it pains to admit, there were parts of the original TSR that fit exactly with LaNasa and the type of person he is.

Those parts include but are not limited to:
suing everyone over perceived slights to them
taking any criticism of the game as a personal attack on him
defending and fighting for problematic areas to be kept in the game (female strength caps, women aren't smart enough to play right, etc).

So yeah, we can't completely separate the two. He's taken what most people consider the worst parts of old TSR and built his entire reputation and business plan around those things.

It's like the movie, Twins. TSR birthed both Julius and Vincent, whether we like to admit it or not. LaNasa is those parts of TSR we like to forget and hide, but they did very much exist.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Oh, that hurts. Never saw them play, but they are one of the greats.

I had tickets for Dead Can Dance for 2020. Then for 2021. Then 2022; and now, sadly, they've cancelled.

I can't disagree in the slightest. There's a lot about TSR-era D&D that was pretty crappy. Not being able to see or admit that is how we get people like LaNasa. He got as far as he did in this grift by feeding on the worst parts of nostalgia for the worst things back then.

As someone who has a ton of nostalgia from those days, and still considers 1e my favorite edition, and Tramp and Holloway and Otis and Willingham my favorite artists, we have to admit the reality of it. And as much as it pains to admit, there were parts of the original TSR that fit exactly with LaNasa and the type of person he is.

Those parts include but are not limited to:
suing everyone over perceived slights to them
taking any criticism of the game as a personal attack on him
defending and fighting for problematic areas to be kept in the game (female strength caps, women aren't smart enough to play right, etc).

So yeah, we can't completely separate the two. He's taken what most people consider the worst parts of old TSR and built his entire reputation and business plan around those things.

It's like the movie, Twins. TSR birthed both Julius and Vincent, whether we like to admit it or not. LaNasa is those parts of TSR we like to forget and hide, but they did very much exist.

 

[Faolyn]

defending and fighting for problematic areas to be kept in the game (female strength caps, women aren't smart enough to play right, etc).

I'm rereading my old Dragon and was saddened to see a column by Gygax wherein he ranted at an earlier letter someone had sent in, suggesting that if women get a Strength cap they should also get a Dex bonus. Gygax's rant was along the lines of demanding proof of any "female" <grr> who was as agile as a male acrobat or Houdini. Sigh...