TSR's return - via "Gygax Magazine"?

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**reds8n**

http://grognardia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/tsr-returns.html

Or something. If you follow this link, you'll find TSR Games. If you follow this one, you'll find Gygax Magazine. Details are still sketchy as to what this exactly means, but this post over at ENWorld reveals a few snippets of information:
Hi guys, this is Jayson. I'm the editor for Gygax Magazine.

Gygax Magazine is myself, Ernie Gygax, Luke Gygax, Tim Kask, James Carpio, and Jim Wampler. Our first issue is out in December; since it's not finished yet, we've been pretty quiet about things until it's ready.

Just to address some of the questions, I thought it was best that I leave a reply. We do own the trademark for TSR, and have since December of 2011. We are a new company, not the old TSR, as they were purchased by Wizards in the '90s. The trademark was abandoned about nine years ago, and we registered it in 2011.

We decided the best thing to release first as TSR was a gaming magazine, because we wanted a way to bridge the traditions of the old guard with the awesome new games that are out today.
"Jayson" is apparently Jayson Elliot, a name unknown to me, but I'm sure someone out there must know who he is and what his connection to the old school community might be. Since we know so little, I have no real thoughts on this announcement, though it is interesting, especially since this is the second time in the last couple of years that Tim Kask has been attached to an attempt to "get the old band back together," so to speak. Time will tell what this means.

Thanks to everyone who emailed me about this announcement. I probably wouldn't have seen it otherwise.

UPDATE: According to this post, James M. Ward, Len Lakofka, and Phil Foglio are also involved in some fashion. The plot thickens.

http://gygaxmagazine.com/

.. bloody hell, maybe the Mayans were right after all eh ?

**Kanluwen**

You hear that?

That's the sound of D&D fans letting out a collective "SQUEE!".

**lord_blackfang**

I started with 3.0, so I don't particularly care.

I did like Planescape and Spelljammer but it's not like they can redo these, WotC still has all the licenses pertaining to the actual game.

**Byte**

"SQUEE!".

Kinda cool, but I'm trapped in 2nd Edition. I still have all books from the late 70's and 80's.

Doubt they will come out with a D&D like game. The market is saturated as it is. But hey, its Gygax! Kinda...

**WarOne**

DnD under Hasbro has its pluses and minuses; 3rd edition was appealing to many while 4th was streamlined DnD for a modern audience, but failed to deliver what 3rd edition did.

So with 5th around the corner, let us see what the new magazine has in store for us if they will do anything in collaboration with Hasbro.

**Gitkikka**

Eh. These days, companies are like comic book heroes - they don't stay dead for long.

**Alpharius**

WoTC recently somewhat successfully reprinted the Big 3 of 1E AD&D books.

WoTC has also recently said that they'd basically eventually reprint and/or make available again via PDF 'everything'.

Combine this with this announcement and... it is a good time to be a fan of "Old School" RPGs!

**Byte**

Hmm. I didn't know about the reprint of the 1st edition books. I haven't followed D&D since it became a card game... or whatever.

**Yonan**

I hope they come out with great quality stuff like planescape and dark sun - they can keep THAC0 : p

(3E was the best rules/setting combo for me)

**lord_blackfang**

Byte wrote:
Hmm. I didn't know about the reprint of the 1st edition books. I haven't followed D&D since it became a card game... or whatever.

They also just now reprinted 3.5, which tells you what a colossal flop 4E was.

**heartserenade**

Well maybe they'll come out with 3rd party products in conjuction with 4th or the upcoming 5th?

With 5th ed so far, we've been playtesting it and I like it a lot. It's still barebones for now but God, it feels a lot like 3/3.5, only smoother.

**lord_blackfang**

I really like what I've seen of 5th, my fear is that public playtesting will see bitter 3.5 grognards denounce all the cool changes and force it to become a pure 3.5 rehash.

**reds8n**

Here's what Luke Gygax had to say about their new venture:

"I'll share the vision from the Gygax Magazine prospectus, as Tim Kask has done elsewhere. Hopefully we can meet our and your expectations.

Gygax is a gaming magazine for new and old
players alike.

We are looking forward to the games of tomorrow
and today, while preserving the traditions and history
that got us where we are now.

Our articles and features cover current independent
and major publisher games such as Pathfinder,
Savage Worlds, The One Ring, Shadowrun,
Godlike, Labyrinth Lord, Marvel Heroic Roleplaying,
Warhammer 40k Roleplay, Traveller, and others,
as well as classic out-of-print games with a modern
following, like AD&D, Top Secret, and Gamma
World.

Our features include comics by Phil Foglio (What’s
New With Phil and Dixie), Jim Wampler (Marvin
the Mage), and Rich Burlew (Order of the Stick).
Contributors include Jim Ward, Cory Doctorow,
James Carpio, Ethan Gilsdorf, Dennis Sustare, and
many more.

Publishing quarterly in print as well as PDF and iPad
editions, we hope each issue of Gygax will be an
anticipated and treasured addition to any gamer’s
library."

**Alpharius**

I'm in!

Thanks for posting this up here!

**Breotan**

Our articles and features cover current independent and major publisher games such as <snip> Warhammer 40k Roleplay...

At least until GW sends them the obligatory C&D.

**yukihyou**

Please do planescape and spell jammer

I am also in

**SoloFalcon1138**

I was kind of hoping this would be the separation of D&D from Wizard$. 3.5 was a good game, but lacked a lot of the spice that AD&D had. The few modules that were ever produced were either epics (Return to Temple), re-hashes (Return to...), or jokes (the rest). Wizards dumbed down the game to make a collectible miniatures failure.

Maybe when the rumored Disney takeover of Hasbro happens, D&D can wrest itself from Mickey's clutches and return to Lake Geneva...

**Breotan**

The one thing I dislike about the old Gygax stuff is that it was never concise. Gary just could not bring himself to put into one section of rules what he could sprinkle out into three or four chapters. That changed to "sprinkle out over two or three books" when GDW published his Dangerous Journeys.

Hopefully the younger Gygax will improve on that at least.

**Balance**

The news sounds more like a resurgence of Dragon Magazine, but in a truly independent form.

By big question is do they plan to actually try to do it in print or just do online releases? Getting into magazine publishing today for a small niche seems like a poor idea, but I could certainly be wrong. On the other hand, if they do some good trials I might consider picking it up online for either Apple's app or the Kindle store.

**vitki**

I will definitely check out the first issue or two to see what they are doing.

**Kilkrazy**

I have never been a D&D enthusiast but it is good to see someone with the genuine enthusiasm to publish a professional RPG magazine. They have some good contributors on board, too.

**redstripe**

If this is a traditional print magazine, that's pretty ballsy, considering most folks consider the magazine industry to be a sinking ship.

I loved AD&D and I wish these guys the best of luck, but this smacks of jumping on the nostalgia bandwagon to me, like many of these recent video game Kickstarters have been.

Still, good luck, I'd love to be pleasantly surprised!

JB

Phil Foglio and Rich Burlew? Very nice as long as Rich heals up OK.

I wouldn't mind seeing some Traveller and Gamma World revisited.

**porkuslime**

Just got the email today from the Gygax Magazine folks about the first issue's contents..

Thank you for signing up for updates about Gygax Magazine. It's just a few weeks before our first issue is out, and we wanted to give you a sneak peek of what's in store. Here's the contents of issue number one — we hope you're looking forward to reading it as much as we're looking forward to getting it out!

The Cosmology of Role Playing Games by James Carpio
Still Playing After All These Years by Tim Kask
Leomund's Secure Shelter by Len Lakofka
The Ecology of the Banshee by Ronald Corn
Bridging Generations by Luke Gygax
The Gygax Family Storyteller by Ernie Gygax
Keeping Magic Magical by Dennis Sustare
Gaming With a Virtual Tabletop by Nevin P. Jones
DMing for Your Toddler by Cory Doctorow
Great Power for ICONS by Steve Kenson
Gaming Through the Generations by Ethan Gilsdorf
Between the Dungeons by Ernie Gygax
Talents Off the Front Line by Dennis Detwiller
Adaption Decay by Michael Tresca
Gnatdamp: A Sanctuary in the Swamp adventure by Michael Curtis
The Kobold's Cavern - a special section edited by Wofgang Baur of Kobold Press:
---A Magical Miscellany for AGE by Randall Hurlburt
---Scaling Pathfinder Combat Feats by Marc Radle
---An AGE of Great Inventions by Rodrigo García Carmona
Comic - Marvin the Mage by Jim Wampler
Comic - What's New with Phil & Dixie by Phil Foglio
Comic - The Order of the Stick by Rich Burlew

There was no word if this was a print magazine, or online only.

-Porkuslime

**Ulsif**

I will definitely check out this and see how it developes as a gamer since the 70's playing old school and cutting edge games this format has potential for me.

**Monster Rain**

I don't know if it's nostalgia to say that TSR's gaming supplements were superior, at least as far as background and story, to what we have now.

Planescape, Dark Sun, and Ravenloft were particularly fleshed out and awesome. If the same care were taken in this new venture I think it could be wonderful.

Then again, if it is a cynical money grab (which I admit it may be), I will be sorely disappointed.

**-Loki-**

Breotan wrote:
Our articles and features cover current independent and major publisher games such as <snip> Warhammer 40k Roleplay...
At least until GW sends them the obligatory C&D.

Since Warhammer 40k Roleplay is under FFG, I'd assume they're the ones who would be concerned if at all.

**Breotan**

Len Lakofka? Man, they're definately putting the "old" into "old school".

**Alkasyn**

heartserenade wrote:
Well maybe they'll come out with 3rd party products in conjuction with 4th or the upcoming 5th?

With 5th ed so far, we've been playtesting it and I like it a lot. It's still barebones for now but God, it feels a lot like 3/3.5, only smoother.

What's the ETA for 5th Ed? I lost all interest in DnD and Forgotten Realms after seeing 4th ed and how it changed things. Will 5th ed be be able to fix those mistakes?

**Grot 6**

I'm interested to check this out, but the links here seem to not work.

any updates?