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...

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[VelvetViolet]

A few inaccuracies and omissions that I fixed.

Otherwise, this is the long and short of it.

I’m honestly annoyed with myself for even asking this, but was he was calling her “disgusting” for being trans or for demanding he repeat her words exactly?

That in a post all by itself is bad. Including it in a non-apology post where you're trying to garner sympathy from the readers of it is just mind-blowing. He clearly sees himself as the victim in this situation.

More gasoline for the fire. He’s an idiot.

 

[Randomthoughts]

I'll wager they did finally get Hasbto CDO, hence the weird panic.

If they did, I would have expected them to publish it, pointing out how evil they are. So my bet would be on they didn’t.

 

[Stephen Shomo]

I wish I could say I was surprised. This is exactly the sort of maladjusted social misfit who uses Twitter

He posted it on FB as well. So what? Its the internet's fault?
What do want to say about twitter so badly that you keep bringing it up?

 

[Olaf the Stout]

I'd bet something flat earth-related?

Surely a hollow earth conspiracy would be more their type of thing.

 

[Gradine]

I’m honestly annoyed with myself for even asking this, but was he was calling her “disgusting” for being trans or for demanding he repeat her words exactly?

I'm sure, if pushed, he would insist that it's the latter, but from where I'm sitting frankly that's a distinction without a difference. Especially since all the trans woman in question was asking them was to repudiate the transphobic words of his business partner

 

[VelvetViolet]

He posted it on FB as well. So what? Its the internet's fault?
What do what to say about twitter so badly that you keep bringing it up?

Social media attracts crazy people like this potential school shooter

I'm sure, if pushed, he would insist that it's the latter, but from where I'm sitting frankly that's a distinction without a difference. Especially since all the trans woman in question was asking them was to repudiate the transphobic words of his business partner

I suspect they’re more likely to be homophobic than merely transphobic. Most straights don’t make a distinction between the two.

 

[VelvetViolet]

Did Ernie ever say that women shouldn’t play RPGs?

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

So what? Its the internet's fault?

Hasn't everything been the Internet's fault for about 40 years now?

 

[Bardic Dave]

I'm sure, if pushed, he would insist that it's the latter, but from where I'm sitting frankly that's a distinction without a difference. Especially since all the trans woman in question was asking them was to repudiate the transphobic words of his business partner

Yeah, he’s calling her disgusting for one of three things: for being trans, for supporting trans rights, or for asking him to show his support for trans rights. The difference between the three, insofar as it reflects on his character, doesn’t seem particularly significant. He’s transphobic no matter how you slice it, and particularly nasty about it too.

 

[Bayushi_seikuro]

Weird Al considers it a professional courtesy to ask permission from the artist. He doesn't ask the label - which likely owns the legal rights to the song in question - but the person who actually wrote/performed the song. It's come up a couple of times where permission was denied and the song was released anyway. Weird Al has not released his Prince parodies because Prince personally objected. A few songs like "Chicken Pot Pie" (parody of Paul McCartney's "Live or Let Die") and "Snack All Night" (parody of Michael Jackson's "Black or White") have only been performed live due to artist objections to recording them (McCartney because he's a vegetarian and Jackson because he felt the material too serious to joke about). He's also released videos and songs for free after the artist approved the parody but not the record label, such as "Perform This Way" (parody of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way") and "You're Pitiful" (parody of James Blunt's "You're Beautiful"). And of course, there's the whole "Amish Paradise" fiasco where the label gave permission, Coolio didn't, Weird Al didn't find out until Coolio was doing interviews slamming him for it, and eventually Coolio agreed he was being "cocky" and "stupid" (his own words) and gave his blessing.

Either way, Weird Al doesn't need permission to do his parodies. He does so anyway because he feels he should. He doesn't care about who owns the legal rights (because he doesn't have to), but the artists whose work he's satirizing.

On a side note, I'm not sure about the statement where Weird Al doesn't need permission to do his parodies. There is obviously his respect for the artist, but I think the issue still comes down to rights owners, no matter who they are, unless you want to drag huge unions into it, because once you crack that seal, you set a precedent.

I'm going off this interview he did with Sway where the first thing he really talks about is Eat It, and how it went through his manager and MJ's manager's secretary's lawyer, and it came down to MJ getting cowriting credit - which is yet another way to get paid on music (singing, publishing rights, writing credits)