TSR Just when you thought it was all over.... now there’s a fourth TSR!

In the story that will never end, after having this week turned itself into Wonderfilled, Inc, and deleted its Twitter account, TSR is BACK AGAIN! Like again, again, again, again. Complete with old-school logo! And Michael appears to actually exist!

Michael K. Hovermale says in a press release that an unnamed individual (I’m guessing Stephen Dinehart) apparently ran all the social media accounts for TSR, Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum, Ernie Gygax, Justin LaNasa, and Giantlands. He goes on to say that this person has been replaced, and that all posts on those social media accounts are "invalid". There's no mention of Stephen Dinehart's social media accounts though.

Dinehart has left TSR3, taking Giantlands with him. Given that Star Frontiers mentions have been quietly removed a week or so ago, that would leave TSR3.5 without any roleplaying game products, as far as I can tell.

The existing (TSR3} website still says it's WONDERFILED (sic), Inc. However there’s now a NEW one at TSR Hobbies. We’ll call that TSR3.5 for now. I’m struggling to distinguish TSRs from tribbles at this point. They just keep on coming!

TSR - TSR3 Throws In Towel, Rebrands Wonderfilled

In the news story that never ends, after reversing its position earlier and admitting that it was NOT the original TSR reincarnated, the new TSR company, embroiled in acrimony for the last two weeks, and having blamed the widespread criticism it has received on Wizards of the Coast, has deleted...

www.enworld.org

I don't really know what to say anymore, but my job is to report the news. So here's the news.

TSR Appoints New Public Relations Officer; Responds to Social Media Mismanagement - PR.com

TSR has replaced the individual that was serving as both social media manager and information technology manager for TSR and The Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum.

www.pr.com

TSR Appoints New Public Relations Officer; Responds to Social Media Mismanagement​

Lake Geneva, WI, July 09, 2021 --(PR.com)-- TSR has replaced the individual that was serving as both social media manager and information technology manager for TSR and The Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum. This individual was also the social media manager for Giantlands, Justin LaNasa, and Ernie Gygax.

All posts on all social media accounts for TSR and Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum should be considered invalid.

All posts on all social media accounts of Justin LaNasa and Ernie Gygax should be considered invalid.

TSR is in the process of recovering the social media accounts of TSR, The Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum, and the personal Twitter accounts of Justin LaNasa and Ernie Gygax.

Michael K. Hovermale
Public Relations Officer
TSR

Ernie Gygax:
“I wish to speak directly to the transgender community regarding this incident. The individual who was speaking to you on Twitter does not represent me or TSR in any way. Trans people are always welcome to play with us. Everyone is welcome at our table.”
Contact
TSR LLC
Michael K. Hovermale PR Officer
(209) 819-7504

 

[RobJN]

How long till they sack the guy responsible for sacking the guy who ran the Twitter account(s)?

 

[Sacrosanct]

And of course he is from Oregon (my home state) and southern Oregon, aside from the city of Ashland, is rural conservative part of my state. He does have a degree in communications and has worked for OPB (Oregon Public Broadcasting) and the local FOX (yes the Rupert Murdoch FOX) station but no where do I see professional PR in his resume. The Muller Reports and FEMA work are about site inspections, I wouldn't read too much into that as it has zero to do with PR.

I think it's obvious, by the way this is being handled, that he has zero PR experience. Fellow Oregonian here as well, and a lot of people assume that being a west coast blue state, the whole state is like that. Oregon is kinda like Texas in that Portland is like Austin (blue), and the rest of the state is pretty red. It's just that everyone in the state lives in Portland where not everyone in Texas lives in Austin. So this Michael guy who lives in Medford (especially with what's going on there with the Klamath Basin and water rights), would fit right in with the statements LaNassa and Ernie have made in the past. If one were to make generalizations of the area.

 

[darjr]

Until I see the post in discord, and maybe even then, I’m calling shenanigans. I mean anyone could be “Michael” on their discord.

 

[Thaumaturge]

Dinehart has made a statement.

Thaumaturge.

 

[J.Quondam]

While reading the original post, I believed it was a joke... Then I read the whole thread, and honestly I can't fully know if all that is a very elaborate joke or a very sad reality...
In any case I am baffled...

In 21st century America 2021, there's just a very fine line between "very elaborate joke" and "very sad reality."

 

[Grendel_Khan]

Oh, I think there is--or at least, was--some value. Nostalgia sells, and the earliest generations who grew up with D&D are entering prime earning years. And the memory of TSR's decay is less vibrant than the memory of its ascent.

It was never going to be a cash cow, but it could have earned a few people a tidy little living. But they had to have something to sell--cheap dice won't cut it--and now, of course, they have flamed out in comprehensive fashion and put a fresh coat of mud on the name.

This exactly. If you aren't WotC/Hasbro the financial stakes for almost anyone in the TTRPG industry are usually incredibly low. The TSR "brand" doesn't have to be a cash cow to be pursued by this handful of apparent fools. Even the tiniest amount of name recognition is enough to provoke minor investment and lots of mayhem.

 

[Maggan]

Rumour is Dinehart has parted ways, taking Giantlands with him, but I’m trying to get verification on that.

Cool. If anyone has a D&D-clone laying around I think there's a publisher that might want to take a look at it! Carpe Diem!

 

[Sacrosanct]

Their page says "Game Publisher". Prove it first.

 

[Grendel_Khan]

Dinehart has made a statement.

Thaumaturge.

His next tweet seems relevant, too

 

[David Flor]

You know in the Tom Cruise War of the Worlds movie when they stop at a railroad crossing, a flaming Amtrak train filled with screaming people blows through at high speed, and none of the people walking even bat an eye as it goes by.

That train is TSR3.