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

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I like it because

a) I can keep up with my friends who don't live close
b) I can make new friends in the industry
c) I'm a huge introvert, so it allows me just the amount of social interaction I want without going overboard and being overwhelmed or drained

Yeah. That's their business model. Provide value, so that people keep using it. "But how will I ever find out about that my high school classmate's cousin's daughter got married if I didn't have it!"

Of course, what you're giving up is considerable. But you don't think about that. And you don't think about all the ways that you have been monetized. Facebook isn't one of the most valuable companies on the planet because it's altruistically helping people connect.

Nope- it's selling you (and the people you know). It's monetizing you. It's continually looking for ways to drive engagement (by promoting things that will keep you involved in the platform ... and as local news will tell you, "If it bleeds, it leads," aka, negative emotions and anger are much better at driving engagement). It helps spreads nonsense and conspiracies. It sells your data to all sorts of third parties without your consent.

In short, those small choices people make ("I'm just keeping up with old friends") can come at a huge cost. And to tie this into the actual topic ....

When people ask themselves, well, why are we getting so much nonsense like TSR(cubed) and the people behind it now? There's some pretty simple explanations as to why we are seeing it. And there's a pretty simple reason why these people seem to inhabit a different universe than you do- because they do. Their "feeds" aren't the same as your. They aren't getting the same information. They, quite literally, disappear down their own rabbit holes with their own cohorts, and this will keep repeating.

 

[Bolares]

Facebook advertising is the best ads platform on the planet. Hey yeah I need Facebook!

I thought the best plataform was LaNasa shouting you out

 

[Morrus]

Yeah. That's their business model. Provide value, so that people keep using it. "But how will I ever find out about that my high school classmate's cousin's daughter got married if I didn't have it!"

Of course, what you're giving up is considerable. But you don't think about that. And you don't think about all the ways that you have been monetized. Facebook isn't one of the most valuable companies on the planet because it's altruistically helping people connect.

Nope- it's selling you (and the people you know). It's monetizing you. It's continually looking for ways to drive engagement (by promoting things that will keep you involved in the platform ... and as local news will tell you, "If it bleeds, it leads," aka, negative emotions and anger are much better at driving engagement). It helps spreads nonsense and conspiracies. It sells your data to all sorts of third parties without your consent.

In short, those small choices people make ("I'm just keeping up with old friends") can come at a huge cost. And to tie this into the actual topic ....

When people ask themselves, well, why are we getting so much nonsense like TSR(cubed) and the people behind it now? There's some pretty simple explanations as to why we are seeing it. And there's a pretty simple reason why these people seem to inhabit a different universe than you do- because they do. Their "feeds" aren't the same as your. They aren't getting the same information. They, quite literally, disappear down their own rabbit holes with their own cohorts, and this will keep repeating.

We get it. You don’t like Facebook.

 

[BookTenTiger]

We get it. You don’t like Facebook.

Snarf has never gotten over the death of MySpace...

Snarf, Tom will always be your friend!

 

[Cadence]

Snarf has never gotten over the death of MySpace...

Alas poor livejournal, we knew thee well. (Holy cow, does it still exist?)

 

[Sacrosanct]

Yeah. That's their business model. Provide value, so that people keep using it. "But how will I ever find out about that my high school classmate's cousin's daughter got married if I didn't have it!"

Of course, what you're giving up is considerable. But you don't think about that. And you don't think about all the ways that you have been monetized. Facebook isn't one of the most valuable companies on the planet because it's altruistically helping people connect.

Nope- it's selling you (and the people you know). It's monetizing you. It's continually looking for ways to drive engagement (by promoting things that will keep you involved in the platform ... and as local news will tell you, "If it bleeds, it leads," aka, negative emotions and anger are much better at driving engagement). It helps spreads nonsense and conspiracies. It sells your data to all sorts of third parties without your consent.

In short, those small choices people make ("I'm just keeping up with old friends") can come at a huge cost. And to tie this into the actual topic ....

When people ask themselves, well, why are we getting so much nonsense like TSR(cubed) and the people behind it now? There's some pretty simple explanations as to why we are seeing it. And there's a pretty simple reason why these people seem to inhabit a different universe than you do- because they do. Their "feeds" aren't the same as your. They aren't getting the same information. They, quite literally, disappear down their own rabbit holes with their own cohorts, and this will keep repeating.

I don't look at ads. I completely ignore all of that. I use it solely for the purposes I gave earlier. Yes, it requires some effort to limit it to a specific scope, and I understand most people don't use it that way, but it can be done if you manage the tools appropriately.

 

[Mannahnin]

Alas poor livejournal, we knew thee well. (Holy cow, does it still exist?)

Sort of. Last I recall a Russian company bought it out and stuffed it to bursting with ads, making it painfully unwieldy to navigate. I have a couple of friends who had lifetime upgraded memberships; I should ask one if their functionality is still ok.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

We get it. You don’t like Facebook.

A little more than that, Morrus.

I think it's just kind of remarkable that people here are mocking (correctly, and I'm one of them) LaNasa and TSR(cubed) ... without pausing to think about how and why we keep having the same systemic issues.

In terms of the gaming industry (because this is about RPGs), isn't it remarkable that there are people who not only don't understand certain things, but also lack a shared framework to even begin discussing it?

Even on this thread, you've seen people talk about how they've seen some youtube channel or person praising this lawsuit (???), and noting that they occasionally get re-directed to that. Imagine that! Imagine if the news sources and information you received were determined by an algorithm, and that it just kept feeding you what you wanted to hear? Probably end up causing a lot of polarization, and people talking past each other without a common frame of reference.

Which would be terrible .... you know, for the TTRPG hobby. Probably end up with people talking past each other. Maybe even conservative ... gamers raising money through obvious grifts.

But yeah, I guess I just dislike Facebook. ¯\(ツ)/¯

 

[Cadence]

A little more than that, Morrus.

I think it's just kind of remarkable that people here are mocking (correctly, and I'm one of them) LaNasa and TSR(cubed) ... without pausing to think about how and why we keep having the same systemic issues.

In terms of the gaming industry (because this is about RPGs), isn't it remarkable that there are people who not only don't understand certain things, but also lack a shared framework to even begin discussing it?

Even on this thread, you've seen people talk about how they've seen some youtube channel or person praising this lawsuit (???), and noting that they occasionally get re-directed to that. Imagine that! Imagine if the news sources and information you received were determined by an algorithm, and that it just kept feeding you what you wanted to hear? Probably end up causing a lot of polarization, and people talking past each other without a common frame of reference.

Which would be terrible .... you know, for the TTRPG hobby. Probably end up with people talking past each other. Maybe even conservative ... gamers raising money through obvious grifts.

But yeah, I guess I just dislike Facebook. ¯\(ツ)/¯

I wonder how much longer Facebook and Twitter would have been less obnoxious if it wasn't for 4chan and 24 hour news stations.

 

[ad_hoc]

Facebook isn't that bad if you put people who post lots of politics or whatnot on mute, block obnoxious people, and just have your eyes gloss right over the ads without them even registering (except for those stupid cool looking maps! - dammit. But I'm not buying any).

Just putting this out there as it might help.

I use "Ad Guard" and don't get ads on Facebook or YouTube.

Highly recommend.