21 years *sniff*, they close so fast!
TSSZ, the Sonic the Hedgehog fansite that’s been running for 21 years, is now no more. What ultimately slew them, you ask? Twas Twitter. Or, more specifically, an unbelievably bad take on the current political happenings.
All of TSSZ’s tweets have since been deleted… but we all know the internet never forgets. Especially when you liken the current political situation in the U.S. to fucking Sonic Forces, of all things. Regardless of which side of the issue you’re on, you can agree that’s some cringe. So here’s a screenshot:
This naturally didn’t go over well with the comments section. It eventually got so bad that one of their news editors up and quit to get away from Tristan (a.k.a. the idiot that decided to compare a tense political situation to a game about 3-foot-tall cartoon animals).
Which sort of signaled the end for the whole kit and caboodle. Leading to this being the only tweet left on the site’s Twitter:
“We will not be missed.”
Holy shit, that may be one of the most unintentionally hilarious things I’ve ever seen, Tristan. You really are an idiot.
The entire site, however, is now gone. Were you to go to the site now, the only page you’d get is a landing page that reads as follows:
Thank you.
Everything is an extraordinary circumstance right now. Too much is happening that makes Sonic, Sega, or video game news, frankly, unimportant. Our community and our world demands better, but now does so to unsustainable extremes. And in that, TSSZ can no longer be the platform it should be. The decision has been made to permanently close TSSZ, effective immediately.
This site and those behind it have been accountable to you for the better part of 21 years. Amid our strong coverage of community events, stories that drew the ire of movers and shakers at every level, and Tweets that did little to navigate the waters of the social media cesspool, all of it was with the intent to make you think. The collective success of our team members, past and present, leaves no doubt of our impact.
Much will be speculated about closing in our current climate. Silence, indeed, is not an option. This platform has championed and molded change for nearly its entire tenure. With what is in front of all of us, it can no longer effectively do so–certainly not without continued deluded pleas for escapism and ignorance.
There is nothing to celebrate in this decision. Another voice in the community is lost. Another avenue for accountability is cut off. Another perspective on the world around us is gone. With any luck, better voices and perspectives will replace it.
TSSZ has endured 21 years of strong reporting born from strong collective decisions that few ever see or know of. There is little else for the platform to prove. Our team, now largely comprised of working adults, has bigger to fish to fry, and better lives to live.
As for me, T, I encourage all in these times to use their platform for a greater good. If the messages and issues you’ve seen from me here and elsewhere weren’t effective, craft better messages. It’s easy to shout people down, and cancel people and content you don’t agree with. It’s more difficult to take the uncomfortable step into the shoes of an agent for change–for yourself, and for others. I am confident in the collective power of the community this platform has covered for over 20 years to do just that.
To a good future.
Jesus Christ, your only job was to talk about a cartoon hedgehog, Tristan. You just managed to make the idiots that looted Apple devices look like 4D chess masters.
My God, man. I literally have nothing else to say.
Source: Kotaku
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