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...

www.enworld.org

 

[Umbran]

They could have made them private then
Engaged with people you choose

And, in fact, they could be doing so with other accounts right now. So, what's the problem?

 

[dave2008]

That does not excuse the online attacks that drove Ernie to stay safe by having to abandon Twitter.

I have not seen an proof that he has been attacked (not saying it hasn't happened), but l have seen proof of his, and his associates, bigotry.

And to clarify, I am not on twitter and I am not going to look it up, just based on what has been posted in these forums.

 

[DemoMonkey]

Wouldn't this problem be solved if everyone just adopted the philosophy that EVERYTHING said by ANYONE on Twitter about ANYTHING is performance art?

I no longer assume anything said on that platform bears any relation at all to real people or the real world, and that no one - no one - actually means anything they say. It has all passed the absurdist event horizon.

Twitter is basically the text equivalent of professional wrestling.

 

[Morrus]

I no longer assume anything said on that platform bears any relation at all to real people or the real world, and that no one - no one - actually means anything they say.

I do.

 

[darjr]

I do too.

 

[Sonny]

I vaguely remember some famous guy talking about turning the other cheek

And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, "Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade". — John 2:13–16

He clearly should have politely disagreed with them instead of losing the moral high ground eh?

 

[Charlaquin]

I think part of the problem is a failure of a lot of people to understand what Twitter (and most social media) is.

It's a street corner with a megaphone and a live satellite feed.

It’s actually a lot worse than that. It’s a public bullying machine driven by algorithms that actively promote quippy, quotable zingers.

 

[This Effin’ GM]

I no longer assume anything said on that platform bears any relation at all to real people or the real world, and that no one - no one - actually means anything they say. It has all passed the absurdist event horizon.

I on the other hand subscribe to the idea that there isn’t really a difference between people online and people in real life, other than the degree of anonymity the internet provides causes people to be more vocal about how they really feel rather than subscribing to “real world” decorum.

 

[Umbran]

In the end, what you see here seems to sum up thusly:

The guy who needlessly throws the first (metaphorical) punch does not get a lot of sympathy if he gets a (metaphorical) drubbing for his trouble.

 

[Neonchameleon]

It has been a few years since I’ve posted here, and I don’t expect anyone to remember me. But Ernie’s comments really shook me, in part because I was excited and hopeful about the TSR thing, and in part because I’ve recently realized I’m non-binary. His comments caused me to question, just for a second, whether the greater D&D community that I’ve been a part of since I was ten, or this one that I’ve been a part of since the Eric Noah days, were ones I still belong in.

It has been really wonderful seeing how safe and accepting EnWorld has been during all of this. The mods have done a great job, but it hasn’t just been the mods. I’ve been so happy with how supportive a lot of the community has been. I’m quoting Mistwell here, just as an example.


Thank you all.
Thaumaturge.

Edit: grammar

If it helps you feel safer in the community then there are a lot of trans and non binary people in the tabletop roleplaying community. It's one of the safest places to explore issues of your own identity because in most groups it is entirely expected that you can play a character of a different gender to yourself.

I have personally been a member for multiple years of at least four different RPG groups with trans people at the table - and I was the only common link between them. I don't know how disproportionate this is - but an attack on trans people is an attack on at least four of my RPG tables. For such an attack to come from inside the RPG community is a betrayal of the community as I know it as well as being bullying someone for who they are. And D&D groups have a simple and very common rule: when one of us is attacked we all roll initiative.