TSR Consulting Services history

The company took $300,000 in revenues for the fiscal year of 1976.

Also in 1977, TSR Hobbies published the original Monster Manual, the first hardbound book ever published by a game company, and the first product in the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) line.

Also in 1978, TSR Hobbies moved out of Gygax's home and into downtown Lake Geneva, above the Dungeon Hobby Shop.

In 1979, the Dungeon Master's Guide was published, and radio ads featuring "Morley the Wizard" were broadcast.

When TSR could not reach an agreement with Games Workshop regarding a possible merger, TSR created a subsidiary operation in the UK, TSR Hobbies UK Ltd, in 1980.

In 1981, Inc. magazine listed TSR Hobbies as one of the hundred fastest-growing privately held companies in the US. That same year, TSR Hobbies moved its offices again, this time to a former medical supply building with an attached warehouse.

In 1982, TSR Hobbies broke the 20 million mark in sales.

In 1983, the company was split into four companies: TSR, Inc. (the primary successor), TSR International, TSR Ventures, and TSR Entertainment, Inc.

In 1984, TSR signed a license to publish the Marvel Super Heroes, Indiana Jones, and Conan role-playing games.

In 1985, the Gen Con game fair moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, due to a need for additional space.

In 1986, TSR introduced the Dungeon Adventures magazine, a bi-monthly magazine featuring only adventure scenarios for D&D.

TSR released the Forgotten Realms campaign setting in 1987.

In 1988, TSR released a Bullwinkle & Rocky RPG, complete with a spinner and hand puppets.

In 1989, the AD&D 2nd edition was released, with a new Dungeon Master's Guide, Player's Handbook, the first three volumes of the new Monstrous Compendium, The Complete Fighter's Handbook, The Complete Thief's Handbook, and a new campaign setting, Spelljammer, all released in the same year.

In 1990, the Ravenloft setting was released, and Count Strahd von Zarovich soon became one of the most popular and enduring villains.

In 1991, TSR released the Dark Sun campaign setting.

In 1992, the Gen Con Game Fair broke all previous attendance records for any U.S gaming convention, with more than 18,000 people.

In 1993, the DragonStrike Entertainment product was released as a new approach to recruiting new players, including a 30-minute video which explained the concepts of role-playing.

1994 saw the release of the Planescape campaign setting.

By 1995, TSR had fallen behind both Games Workshop and Wizards of the Coast in sales volume.

Despite total sales of $40 million, TSR ended 1996 with little in cash reserves.

In large part due to the need to refund Random House, TSR entered 1997 over $30 million in debt.

In 1999, Wizards of the Coast was itself purchased by Hasbro, Inc.

Wizards of the Coast continued to use the TSR name for D&D products for three years, until the third edition of D&D was released in 2000 under the Wizards of the Coast brand only.

In 2002, Gen Con was sold to Peter Adkison.

Their first product was Gygax Magazine, announced along with the TSR company revival in December 2012.

Wired reported that "Elliot stressed that his 'TSR is a new company'." Both Gygax brothers left the company in 2016 when the magazine ended.