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 claims are).

The IndieGoGo campaign was launched yesterday and has so far raised $675 (at the time of writing).

The action TSR seeks is a "Trademark Declaratory Judgement of Ownership" which is a court declaration about the status of something in dispute.

TSR has launched a campaign to stop Wizards of the Coast

Become a Champion of TSR and Support TSR’s campaign against Wizards of the Coast!

TSR is taking a stand against Wizards of the Coast (“WOTC”) and its wrongful bullying of TSR, our trademarks, and its public libeling and slander of all those who helped create TSR based Dungeons & Dragons and products.

Wizards of the Coast has continually bullied TSR regarding TSR’s legally owned Trademarks. Wizards of the Coast has refused to answer all of TSR's repeated requests that they show any proof of their claims. Wizards of the Coast has the vast resources behind them and is implying to bring them to bear down on TSR.

The new TSR suffered widespread pushback when it launched, which they blamed on WotC, claiming that they were under a "coordinated assault across various channels being mounted.... by [WotC]" The company announced itself earlier this year, having acquired the TSR trademark after the previous holder accidentally let it lapse. It was run by Ernie Gygax, Justin LaNasa, and Stephen Dinehart. After several weeks of controversy, the company split into two -- Wonderfilled (Stephen Dinehart), and TSR (Ernie Gygax and Justin LaNasa).

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...

www.enworld.org

The page also indicates an intention to "fight to have WotC's legacy product disclaimer removed" from older products (that's the disclaimer on the older books available on DMs Guild which indicates that those books are products of their time) by claiming that the disclaimer portrays the creators of those older products as "as supporting those alleged prejudices, stereotypes and bigotry, wrongfully claimed to be part of those products".

TSR will also Fight to Have the WOTC Legacy Disclaimer Removed

TSR is suing WOTC for Trademark Declaratory Judgement of Ownership . TSR will also pursue in the near future having WOTC remove the legacy content disclaimer placed on TSR based Dungeons & Dragons and other products, and retractions of any other libel and slander which alleges that racism and other heinous beliefs are incorporated into those products.

This disclaimer attempts to make a statement of fact argument, and therefore paints all of the writers, editors, artists and consumers of those products as supporting those alleged prejudices, stereotypes and bigotry, wrongfully claimed to be part of those products. This statement by Wizards of the Coast opens the possibility for the producers and players of these "Legacy Products" to face ridicule, and face the labeling as "bigots", "racists", "misogynists", and worse Cyber & Physical Attacks!

Wizards of the Coast legacy content disclaimer.

"We (Wizards) recognize that some of the legacy content available on this website does not reflect the values of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise today. Some older content may reflect ethnic, racial, and gender prejudice that were commonplace in American society at that time. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. This content is presented as it was originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed. Dungeons & Dragons teaches that diversity is a strength, and we strive to make our D&D products as welcoming and inclusive as possible. This part of our work will never end".

TSR3's Justin LaNasa spoke about the campaign in a YouTube video.

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

 

[Sacrosanct]

You know it’s pretty bad for them when a forum dedicated to the same “righteous battles” LaNasa proclaims to fight aren’t talking about this whole mess, but avoiding it like a green slime.

Justin, your “army” isn’t even supporting you.

Why should anyone ever buy a product from them if this is the level of competence they have at writing? Ignoring all the ethics differences, how do they expect sales if their stuff looks like it came from a Nigerian Prince’s email?

 

[5atbu]

I think that for all "old school interested" gamers (folks who are interested in playing TSR-era games, or the OSR games like Castles & Crusades), less than half of them are part of an "older demographic" (whatever that means; I'm guessing it refers to folks who played D&D in the 70s, so...folks aged 60 and up?).

And I think that for the older demographic of gamers, very few of them are actually "anti-woke" (again, whatever that means....I suppose it means Conservative?) I know that there is an ageist stereotype that says older people always pine for the "Good Old Days", and the Old Man Yelling At Cloud meme is a thing. But here on the west coast there are a lot (LOT!) of older "hippie" folks who defy that stereotype: they are incredibly liberal and progressive, went to Woodstock, played D&D in college in the 70s, and celebrate Pride. So here in Oregon, I'd estimate that the number of older gamers who oppose social progress to be less than 10%...and in Texas, it's probably 90%. Let's split the diff and call it 50%.

So applying some statistics to that:

In my Edition Experience surveys from last year: out of 939 total votes, only 41 people voted that they are still playing TSR-era D&D games (4.37%). If half of that number are the "older demographic," we are talking about 2.18% of players...and if half of that number are offended by social progress, that means we are talking about 1.09% of D&D players.

TL;DR: This is a lot of smoke and noise for only ~1% to 4% of the player base.

You may have forgotten Austin is in Texas and is known for roleplaying and being progressive.

 

[Umbran]

Why should anyone ever buy a product from them if this is the level of competence they have at writing? Ignoring all the ethics differences, how do they expect sales if their stuff looks like it came from a Nigerian Prince’s email?

Really. How about those guys at least put their text in MS Word and let it correct their grammar before posting it? Because, dayum, that's some inarticulate writing.

 

[J.Quondam]

Really. How about those guys at least put their text in MS Word and let it correct their grammar before posting it? Because, dayum, that's some inarticulate writing.

In LaNasa's defense, it appears he's corrected most of the spelling errors in one of the two updates he's made on his Indiegogo campaign page. But never fear! His actual "press release" remains riddled with typos, true to form.


(I just hope he spells better on clients' tattoos than he does on his "press releases.")
.

 

[tenkar]

 

[Kannik]

Ah, another classic move by team gri(f)ts. Claim the other side is really small and we are the one with the real majority -- because we are in the right and most people really do think like us and that would be right since we are right and thus only the haters are speaking up while the real not-haters (and though we are the one's complaining all the time we're not haters, no siree) who really are in the majority are not saying anything because they know we are right because we are right and....

As an aside, "clarifaction " is a neat sounding word, so I guess that is the one original, creative, and 'published' thing they have done.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Declaring your followers are an army.

Never a good side for anyone.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Declaring your followers are an army.

Never a good side for anyone.

 

[Umbran]

(I just hope he spells better on clients' tattoos than he does on his "press releases.")

We've been told he owns a tattoo parlor. Is he actually a tattoo artist?

Spelling? Heck, I'm not sure I'd trust that he was using a clean needle.

 

[Fenris-77]

Dirty needles actually explains a lot here...