Speculations as to a Hidden Agenda

From: lakeb@arbol.eng.sematech.org (Benjamin Lake) Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd Subject: TSR's New Marketing Scheme Date: 8 Sep 1994 01:54:26 GMT Organization: SEMATECH, Austin
TSR is ready to make big bucks from its D&D (tm) trademarks and copyrights. Due to the anti-publicity these trademarks receive from church groups, etc, the words "Dungeons and Dragons" now stand for something taboo, like "Heavy Metal", "Pot", and "S&M". Combined with these other elements, TSR can break into the mainstream market and conquer. TSR is _NOT_ going to be making this money off of paper RPGs. TSR is going to be (or is going to try to be) one of the largest entertainment providers in America by cashing in on its trademarks in the media of interactive games. TSR is paranoid. TSR views the Internet as one of the first distribution networks for interactive games and wants to make sure that they and only they have rights to many of the ideas present in the D&D games. Even now, TSR executives may be cursing the day that they allowed Nintendo and other video game makers to stomp their copyrights and trademarks. Imagine how much cash TSR would have if every copy of Ultima (for example) was taxed for using the concept of levels and experience points.