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

 

[Kravenjest]

And if true, there goes their one big product they had to push. Now it’s just off to dice and t-shirts I guess!

There’s still the Chezza book…

Seriously though, I’m interested how Dinehart will claim GiantLands since it has Ernie’s name on it too.

 

[innerdude]

What is even the point?

I am positively flummoxed, baffled, befuddled, confounded why anyone involved with this company that has yet to produce a single sale-able product thinks that there's some hidden, pent up value to "TSR - The Brand".

What, do they think there's this horde of late boomer / Gen-X buyers who are just dying to spend money on a trip to "TSR Nostalgia-ville"? Like, TSR the Original Company (tm) was just so dash-spangled awesome that there's this latent market just waiting for them to produce content to sell? As if the brand name is some magical talisman that will guarantee business success?

The 35-and-under gaming crowd couldn't care less. Is there a single gamer under the age of 35 that would give two farts about the existence of "TSR"?

I'm in my early 40s, and I don't even care about the current version of Dungeons and Dragons sold by Wizards of the Coast. Why in the name of Elminster am I going to care about "Dungeons and Dragons" product created by "TSR - The Hapless 4th Iteration of a Useless Brand Name"?

On every possible level of business management and customer market analysis, this is truly, truly stupid.

The negativity and demonstrated lack of inclusivity exhibited on social media by TSRTTSR (TSR the Truly Stupid Revival) stakeholders is just gasoline being poured onto an already raging dumpster fire.

 

[Sacrosanct]

They have a new FB page too.

https://m.facebook.com/TSRLakeGeneva/?_rdr

New? It looks like it's from 1989. I'm just waiting for the geocities URL to drop any day now.

 

[darjr]

Sadly there seems to be quite a few flocking to them and believing the lies.

 

[David Flor]

So wait, I'm confused...

1) They removed the TSR branding from Giantlands and the website, they switched their Twitter account to Wonderfiled, but now they're TSR again?!?

2) Any posts made by their CEO are considered "invalid"?!?

3) LaNasa had a Twitter account?

4) LaNasa and EGG Jr are incapable of managing their own personal Twitter accounts and had to hire someone to do it?

 

[David Flor]

Upon further review... I'm not convinced this is real and sanctioned by LaNasa, Dinehart and EGG Jr. There is no mention anywhere on any of the pre-exsisting official sources, and this new Michael popped up out of thin air.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

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

As the kids say, "I can't even." It's like they're trying to reload a save point in real life.

Even if we were to believe that this was a rogue social media manager, that they handed someone access to the personal accounts of all their employees is just preposterous. And it was weeks of this nonsense. All that, plus the fact, as others have noted, that Ernie is on video saying these things, makes the press release an insult.

At this point, I don't even know what it accomplishes. They've already alienated the gamers that believe in inclusivity, and by attempting to rescind what they said, that's going to alienate those that approved of their bigotry. Now their only market is the slim sliver of people that somehow missed all of this.

And that new website is so generic you'd think they pulled it out of Repo Man.

Bah!

 

[J.Quondam]

With a typo front and center:
“Join our community of Game Designer's”.

Thaumaturge.

Yikes. I hope new PR guy can spell "PR," at least?

 

[Saracenus]

Found the guy running their old social media… which Loki is Michael?

 

[Dausuul]

What is even the point?

I am positively flummoxed, baffled, befuddled, confounded why anyone involved with this company that has yet to produce a single sale-able product thinks that there's some hidden, pent up value to "TSR - The Brand".

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.