nuTSR/Wonderfilled? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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Brock Savage said:
I'm not a hater and I legit wish them the best of luck but if I am being honest the nu-TSR thing feels gimmicky and lacking in substance. There is a ton of excellent OSR content out there which has set the bar pretty high. I hope to be proven wrong but so far I don't think they have the chops to succeed in this highly competitive market.
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If I thought it was feasible, I'd love to buy up the old FASA trademark...

It would just feel good to me, slapping that on products
 
"That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons, even death may die."
 
TristramEvans said:
Ernie shouldn't be doing anything until he gets his Kickstarter ducks in order - it's getting to the point of a Far West situation.
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For what it's worth, it seems like he's offloaded those responsibilities to Troll Lord Games, so there's been a lot more communication; it sounds like the end is in sight. But as friendly as the Trolls are, I'm guessing it's gonna be riddled with typos and misspelled words, but it will get done and that's at least something after all of these years. (The setting gazetteer thingy in PDF I got awhile back is okay, but seems pretty generic).
 
Nick J said:
For what it's worth, it seems like he's offloaded those responsibilities to Troll Lord Games, so there's been a lot more communication; it sounds like the end is in sight. But as friendly as the Trolls are, I'm guessing it's gonna be riddled with typos and misspelled words, but it will get done and that's at least something after all of these years. (The setting gazetteer thingy in PDF I got awhile back is okay, but seems pretty generic).
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I heard there was a beta pdf with no maps or appendices of the main adventure released recently, so at least that's something to show for it.
 
TristramEvans said:
I heard there was a beta pdf with no maps or appendices of the main adventure released recently, so at least that's something to show for it.
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Yeah, maybe that's what it was? Honestly, I'm so far past caring at this point that I barely did anything else but skim it.
 
Brock Savage said:
I'm not a hater and I legit wish them the best of luck but if I am being honest the nu-TSR thing feels gimmicky and lacking in substance. There is a ton of excellent OSR content out there which has set the bar pretty high. I hope to be proven wrong but so far I don't think they have the chops to succeed in this highly competitive market.
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I certainly don't think you are a hater at all for saying that. Everything I've seen in the links I've given seem to be very strange in terms of the business model. Look at the Museum items for instance. A lot of merchandise around the trademarks, and some very strange membership packages for the Museum. Giantlands sounds like a re-interpretation of Ward's MA/GammaWorld games. And they want people to shell out $80.00 for a "Limited Collectors Edition"? Again, all of this seems like putting the cart before the horse.

TristramEvans said:
Ernie shouldn't be doing anything until he gets his Kickstarter ducks in order - it's getting to the point of a Far West situation.
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Glad you said that. I'm honestly surprised he hasn't gotten more negative attention because of that. And while I understand he's had health problems in the past, and the Trolls have taken it over -- I feel like he's not really been apologetic about the situation or taken responsibility for a product that has his name on it.
TristramEvans said:
I heard there was a beta pdf with no maps or appendices of the main adventure released recently, so at least that's something to show for it.
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Actually, as a backer, I do have it in my DriveThruRPG account -- the main adventure appears to be complete (182 pages), as well as maps now. Not sure how many supplemental items are supposed to be included though.
 
Brock Savage said:
I like the elevator pitch for Giantlands



You would think this sort of thing would be right up my alley but the Larry Elmore art kills it for me. It's not metal, it's not weird fantasy, and his art does not turn my crank at all. Selecting this artist for the cover tells me this project is going to be about as metal as Dragonlance or Forgotten Realms.

Now if these guys had got Erol Otus for the cover I would say "Take my money now!" because then they are speaking my language and probably know a thing or two about weird fantasy.
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Elmore is one of my least favorite rpg artists. Not making a qualitative judgment here, it's just a matter of personal taste.
 
JRT said:
In both cases of "new TSR" though, the Gygaxes seem like participants rather than the driving forces.
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I got that same impression about Top Secret: NWO about Merle Rasmussen. Like it was basically Jayson Elliot's baby, and Merle's name was added for cachet.

TS: NWO was free on dtrpg last I checked. I liked the system on a quick read through. There were some things I didn't like, but it looks like it could be a fun, cinematic game.
 
JRT said:
I certainly don't think you are a hater at all for saying that. Everything I've seen in the links I've given seem to be very strange in terms of the business model. Look at the Museum items for instance. A lot of merchandise around the trademarks, and some very strange membership packages for the Museum. Giantlands sounds like a re-interpretation of Ward's MA/GammaWorld games. And they want people to shell out $80.00 for a "Limited Collectors Edition"? Again, all of this seems like putting the cart before the horse.


Glad you said that. I'm honestly surprised he hasn't gotten more negative attention because of that. And while I understand he's had health problems in the past, and the Trolls have taken it over -- I feel like he's not really been apologetic about the situation or taken responsibility for a product that has his name on it.

Actually, as a backer, I do have it in my DriveThruRPG account -- the main adventure appears to be complete (182 pages), as well as maps now. Not sure how many supplemental items are supposed to be included though.
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Specific to the Museum and TSR that seems totally appropriate to me.
It targets Gary Gygax and the early TSR era of the hobbies so the name and logos are in my mind appropriate to honoring G.G. legacy.
 
Brock Savage said:
I like the elevator pitch for Giantlands



You would think this sort of thing would be right up my alley but the Larry Elmore art kills it for me. It's not metal, it's not weird fantasy, and his art does not turn my crank at all. Selecting this artist for the cover tells me this project is going to be about as metal as Dragonlance or Forgotten Realms.

Now if these guys had got Erol Otus for the cover I would say "Take my money now!" because then they are speaking my language and probably know a thing or two about weird fantasy.
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Yeah. "metal as Dragonlance or Forgotten Realms" means as metal as Europe or mid-period Scorpions as opposed to Helloween or Judas Priest, but sometimes that works.
I'm more concerned on whether I want to spend $80+shipping on an experiment, even if it is a boxed set.

JG
 
I'm interested, vaugely. But not at 80 dollars for the limited edition. Maybe if they do a single book later, or a PDF.
 
Ben Adams said:
WotC does their survey's to find out what they should sell & supposedly one came out Monday that asked questions on rules (even older edition rules) that people knew about. I didn't see the survey myself because it's closed (people complaining about gate keeping i think) so I don't know first hand.
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They've had those questions in previous surveys, so I doubt it is related.
 
Tommy Brownell said:
I’m not disputing that a company named TSR put out the new Top Secret. I’m saying there’s two companies, based in different states, with different sites, promoting completely different games, with no mention of each other.
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Yeah, I was looking at both websites. One in California, one in Wisconsin. No products in common. Could very well be two totally different groups. The California group is selling copies of (now defunct) Gygax magazine and the new Top Secret. The Wisconsin folks (on Williams street; ironic :grin:) is the group with the GiantLands thingie. Ernie Jr was part of Gygax magazine (I think) and is listed as one of the contributors to GiantLands, but that's the only thing I can find in common between the two. :trigger:
 
Voros said:
They've had those questions in previous surveys, so I doubt it is related.
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I took the survey before it closed, and the question that mentioned THAC0 wasn't just, "Do you remember THAC0?", but more like, "Which of these is not a rule in 5th Edition?". Some of the other options were Advantage and Initiative - THAC0 was definitely the odd rule out. I remember thinking that it was almost like they were trying to weed out respondents who claimed to have played 5E but were lying.
 

From the press release at https://pdf.pr.com/press-release/pr-838425.pdf

TSR Games is Back

The studio behind the original Dungeons & Dragons has returned to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, under the guidance of Gary Gygax Jr. with the help of Wonderfilled, Inc.

Lake Geneva, WI, June 15, 2021 --(PR.com)-- Tactical Studies Rules (TSR) was founded in 1973 by E. Gary Gygax and Don Kaye. Originally formed in 2020, TSR Games is officially back and under the leadership of E. Gary Gygax Jr.

“I am thrilled to be part of this next generation of gaming and hope that you all find it cut the same cloth as all my old TSR experiences as we forge a new TSR Games,” said Gygax, continuing, “Thanks to the vision of our CEO Justin LaNasa, and the help of Wonderfilled, we’re bringing TSR back home to Lake Geneva. It really means so much to me.”

TSR was behind the original Dungeons & Dragons first released in 1974, now a worldwide phenomenon owned by Hasbro on its fifth and most popular edition yet. The team includes Justin LaNasa (CEO), Ernest G. Gygax Jr (EVP), Jeff R. Leason (COO, and Stephen E. Dinehart (CCO). LaNasa is a visionary and entrepreneur that has set out to reunite brands like TSR with the original talent behind them.

“It’s with great pride that we’ve managed to secure the TSR brand, born here originally in 1973 and brought back to the people who created this new form of game that changed the world,” said LaNasa.

In addition to the classic lines of products at TSR Museum and Dungeon Hobby Shop, TSR Games is working to bring a new generation of role-playing games and more to players worldwide. “Now more than ever, the world needs TSR,” said game designer Jeff R. Leason. “We’re happy to be bringing it back for experienced and new players alike.”
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First product: https://tsr.games/ols/products/xn-giantlands-1st-edition-boxed-set-8jb

There was apparently a Kickstarter for this?



From the June 2021 Update from that project

Greetings all! I hope this finds you well. First and foremost, your special limited editioned 1E sets will ship next month. Specifically on July 17th, two years after the project was first announced online and kicked off at Gen Con.

What a journey this has been these past two years. From dream to a real TSR title. There are so many wheels in motion, what started as a dream is now a beast I'm doing my best to manage on a shoestring as a single-parent, but thanks to your support I'm doing it.

You'll be receiving special edition boxed sets that won't be produced again, as the run is limited to 100. The next version is now for sale on the TSR.games website as of today, that run is limited to 2000. It is a different version of the game than you, my Kickstarter backers, will be receiving.
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It was apparently supposed to deliver in Feb 2020...
 
Honestly, I think maybe the "old new" TSR (Jayson Elliot) just hasn't bothered to take down his web sites. Last post on the Facebook page was sometime in 2019.
 
JRT said:
Honestly, I think maybe the "old new" TSR (Jayson Elliot) just hasn't bothered to take down his web sites. Last post on the Facebook page was sometime in 2019.
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I’m looking at a post from May 27th right now.
 
chuckdee said:

From the press release at https://pdf.pr.com/press-release/pr-838425.pdf



First product: https://tsr.games/ols/products/xn-giantlands-1st-edition-boxed-set-8jb

There was apparently a Kickstarter for this?



From the June 2021 Update from that project



It was apparently supposed to deliver in Feb 2020...
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JRT said:
We got a thread about this.

www.rpgpub.com

nuTSR/Wonderfilled? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Did we have a thread on their return? Sadly, it’s too short to search for.
www.rpgpub.com www.rpgpub.com
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Yup, combined the threads.
 
They responded with plenty of exclamation points!!!!

8E0206E0-BDCC-4D22-9D69-4F35D54E8AE8.png
 
TristramEvans said:
Mr. Coombs there sounds like a peach
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Yeah seems kind of entitled for a guy trying to make a buck off of the creation of a bunch of dead guys.

Of the original bunch involved in early TSR (pre-1985) Gygax, Arneson, Moldvay, Kaye, and Blume are for sure passed on. Mentzer, Cook, Ward, and Rasmussen seem to have moved into other work or have retired. Who are these new TSR guys and what claim to the name do they hold other than filing paperwork? I don't have an issue with somebody new using an old name, but to act like they are the rightful owners through decades of blood sweat and tears is a bit much.
 
In fairness, "original artists and designers" and "original studio" are very different things. That said, I'm under the impression - as Toadmaster noted - that the "original artists and designers" aren't terribly involved here, either.
 
Tommy Brownell said:
In fairness, "original artists and designers" and "original studio" are very different things. That said, I'm under the impression - as Toadmaster noted - that the "original artists and designers" aren't terribly involved here, either.
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Their press release says studio in the very first sentence. Like TSR rising from the grave...even though TSR’s IP, which is what people are really interested in, are owned by Hasbro.
 
Endless Flight said:
Their press release says studio in the very first sentence. Like TSR rising from the grave...even though TSR’s IP, which is what people are really interested in, are owned by Hasbro.
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Gotcha. I was just looking back at the last few comments.

Yeah, that's a bit SUS, as I hear the kids like to say these days.
 
They should probably tell people on their Facebook page that they (presumably) have no access to the IP that's historically tied to the Spellfire card game. Unless people just want a generic game using the same rules (and I always thought the D&D IP was the big draw there).
 
The Planescape CCG was way more fun. Blood Wars? I think it was called
 
Endless Flight said:
The “original studio” was purchased by Wizards of the Coast in 1997, which was purchased by Hasbro in 1999. Legally and logically, no matter how much some people may hate it, Hasbro is the “original studio”.
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Which is why I posted my confusion post earlier. Though I now have to add that I think that WotC/Hasbro were complete idiots for allowing the trademark name to lapse.
 
Acmegamer said:
Which is why I posted my confusion post earlier. Though I now have to add that I think that WotC/Hasbro were complete idiots for allowing the trademark name to lapse.
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Hard to see why. They weren’t using it, it didn’t have positive associations for most people then or now, and there’s no universe in which a new TSR presents any sort of meaningful competition. A few small-timers claiming to be the “original” D&D studio online isn’t going to make a single difference to anything WotC/Hasbro actually cares about. The market dominance of the actual publishers of D&D is an order of magnitude above even established rpg publishers who have their shit together.

And even if this were a successor to the original TSR in some form, it’s debatable whether “having its shit together” was ever among the original company’s achievements.
 
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