Quote from: RPGPunditYou forgot to mention that the Buck Rogers game (actually games) that TSR published only existed because Lorraine Williams was the heiress to the Buck Rogers copyright, and it was a blatant way to syphon off royalties.

Not to mention Lorraine's little brother, Flint Dille's involvement. I once Googled up an interesting article about him and how he went to meetings with potential licensers and such acting like he was running things, when he wasn't even a TSR employee yet. He's also responsible for the Dragon Strike VHS tape.

Good old Flint. I wonder what he's up to now?

Quote from: Jack Spencer JrHe's also responsible for the Dragon Strike VHS tape.

I'm having a lot of fun watching this, but I gotta ask -- at 5:00 into the video, is the bad guy really saying, "As usual, you masturbate your congressman!" ?

Quote from: Dr Rotwang!I'm having a lot of fun watching this, but I gotta ask -- at 5:00 into the video, is the bad guy really saying, "As usual, you masturbate your congressman!" ?

Damn you, Rotwang!  Damn your eyes and your hypnotic avatar!  Now I go through the rest of my days with that line ringing in my ears!

Quote from: Jack Spencer JrNot to mention Lorraine's little brother, Flint Dille's involvement. I once Googled up an interesting article about him and how he went to meetings with potential licensers and such acting like he was running things, when he wasn't even a TSR employee yet. He's also responsible for the Dragon Strike VHS tape.

Good old Flint. I wonder what he's up to now?

Lorraine brought people in with her when she became a stockholder in TSR. Flint was one of her allies while she was maneuvering for the take over.

Funny thing about Flint. He became friends with Gary Gygax, and even joined him out in LA to help with the D&D cartoon. It's there, and on the set of the Buck Rogers show, that he learned about tv production.

His friendship with Gary also caused a bit of an estrangement with Lorraine. When Gary was ousted from the board Flint chose to remain friends, which got Lorraine a mit ticked. Fortunately family won out over pique, and Flint remained on the TSR board of directors and in contact with Gary.

Quote from: mythusmageOne was the decision by Random House (TSR's bookstore distributor) to call in the tab.

One of the more or less official books has more on this (I think it's the coffee table 30th anniversary book).

According to it, fiction was a big part of TSR's profits.  They had been been publishing an averages of 2 hardbacks a year.  Hardbacks are very profitable so they tried to push that to 10 one year.  Based on lots of books being sent out, TSR rushed to spend to payoff bills.

Unfortunately, TSR didn't know anything about book publishing (as opposed to hobby publishing).  The market just wasn't available for that many fanfics in hardback form.  Random House told TSR "Ok the returns are in, actual sales were really low, so no money to you."  

TSR goes wha?  and collapses as their money freezes up.

This seems to be as good a place to ask this question as any...

Games Designer Workshop.  How long ago did it close its doors?

I ask because I live in Bloomington/Normal, Illinois.  There was a shop in downtown Normal which had a Games Designer Workshop sign on it when I moved here... oh 10-12 years ago or so, but I don't think that was the actual location.

The address listed for GDW in the Mythus books seems to be a strip mall of some sort on one of the streets in Bloomington.  The address doesn't even seem to be real, to be honest.

I'm just wondering how much I missed it by.

-O

Quote from: obrynI ask because I live in Bloomington/Normal, Illinois.  There was a shop in downtown Normal which had a Games Designer Workshop sign on it when I moved here... oh 10-12 years ago or so, but I don't think that was the actual location.

If this was the sign, that was the place.  As a kid I went in there once looking to buy D&D stuff.  The nice receptionist gave me a copy of Understanding Traveller and shooed me out of the building.

Quote from: jrientsIf this was the sign, that was the place.  As a kid I went in there once looking to buy D&D stuff.  The nice receptionist gave me a copy of Understanding Traveller and shooed me out of the building.

Yep, that was the one in downtown Normal.  It disappeared many years back, too...  I think one of my friends claimed to have snagged at least part of it, but I have no idea if that's true or not.  

The address listed in Bloomington on Empire Street (from the Mythus books, fwiw) is the possibly imaginary one.

-O

Who on earth chose to name a city "Normal"?

Frostproof, FL
Yeehaw Junction, FL
French Lick, IN
Buttermilk, KS
Decoy, KY
Waterproof, LA
Boring, MD
Hot Coffee, MS
Truth Or Consequences, NM
Intercourse, PA
Gayville, SD
Mud Butte, SD

Quote from: SettembriniWho on earth chose to name a city "Normal"?

The town is named after the local University, which used to be Illinois State Normal University.  In an older parlance a "normal university" was the term used for institutions devoted to the education of teachers.

Thanks. Makes a lot more sense than "Hot Coffe".

Quote from: SosthenesFrostproof, FL
Yeehaw Junction, FL
French Lick, IN
Buttermilk, KS
Decoy, KY
Waterproof, LA
Boring, MD
Hot Coffee, MS
Truth Or Consequences, NM
Intercourse, PA
Gayville, SD
Mud Butte, SD

How about:

Embarrass ( IIRC the coldest city in the US)
bird Island
Sleepy Eye
Bigfork
Flaming
ACROPOLIS
AH-GWAH-CHING
Badger
Beaver
Bertha
Bushville
Climax
Zion
Wangs
Warroad
Welcome
Manley
Moe
Moorhead
Hope

All towns in Minnesota

Not to mention the whole slough of funny nameplaces in Newfoundland:

Come-by-chance
Fairyland
Gander
Blackhead

and of course, Dildo.

RPGPundit

Quote from: Dr Rotwang!I'm having a lot of fun watching this, but I gotta ask -- at 5:00 into the video, is the bad guy really saying, "As usual, you masturbate your congressman!" ?

You know, I had planned to do a recap of this thing along the lines of Jabutoo or Angony Booth, and that was definately a line to focus on. Although, it sounds to me like "As usual, you overestimate your congressman."

In either case, the citizens of Florida should pay heed.

And the sad part, this is not the only video made in this manner (a process called hyperReality, where the actors are filmed in cosplay outfits on a blue stage and the set is added later using what appears to be a Tandy Co-Co). This was meant to be the first in a series of board games and a second video, set in the Spelljammer setting, was made. The thing about it is they were also slated to make a TV called WildSpace also using this same process. So I'm not sure if it was another board game video or a TV pilot. I hear it gets watched at conventions every now and again, but it has yet to surface for the consumption of the general public.