If they abandon the earlier ~10yr timeline and move to ~4yrs between editions as a habit, they're greedy and stupid.

Anyone who's not a really new player or terribly unresourceful/lazy (ie not willing or able to use the internet) in finding material will get fed up with trying to keep up and just stick with what they already know.

The market will get even more splintered and the share for the Current Edition will get even smaller.



~1978 1E
1989 2E
2000 3E
2003 3.5
2008 4E
2012? 5E

In the Future,  to play D&D you'll need to subscribe to WOTCMMTTG (Wizards of the Coast Massively Marketed Table Top Game) which will require you to pay $15.00/month for up to 5 characters.  

You'll still need to buy the source books for 30-40 each to be allowed to play certain adventures or attain certain abilities for your characters.  Game Play will be greatly simplified, you merely have to tell the GM where you want to go and then when you get there, all you need to do is declare what skill you're using, then whap your hand on the table (no complex pointy dice!) until the GM declares you either win or lose.  If you lose, you simply get to repeat the adventure/encounter again until you win.  If you like the encounter, you can simply take a short break and come back and defeat the same monsters/encounters over and over again!

Treasure is assigned randomly by the DM and role playing is discouraged and limited to only certain tables away from the main stream D&D players.  However; players can do things like gesticulate to each other or even dance right at the table which is always good fun for everyone!

Players will love the outfits they can give their characters. Big Purple Hats. Big Purple Swords. Big Purple Armor.  Also, the very highest level characters can buy a horse!

I know, this will be a big change for some of you but WOTC has studied the market of RPGs for a long time and this model has been proven to be financially successful.. I mean... very fun for the players.

mordrin wrote:If they abandon the earlier ~10yr timeline and move to ~4yrs between editions as a habit, they're greedy and stupid.

~1978 1E
1989 2E
2000 3E
2003 3.5
2008 4E
2012? 5E

While I am certainly no expert on the 3.0/3.5 game, aren't they pretty much one and the same. I know there are some rules adjustments, but I would not consider them completely different games in the way 2e - 3e and 3.x - 4e.

I also cannot see them going 5e right now. They will continue to run with 4e for a few more years unless it completely fails economically. I know plenty of people say it has - mainly because they don't like it - but that is not the same thing as it being an economical loser for WoTC.

So WotC has to make a decision: admit 4e sucks and go to a 5e and take the ego shot, or stick it out and produce a new and improved 5e. I think they will go with the latter.

Essentially, 3.5 is still going on...maybe going stronger than 4th Edition.

Pathfinder is essentially 3.5 with house rules to fix some broken mechanics and a few added tweaks.  Players call it 3.75

I think that a 5th edition of D&D will see a massive integration and use of digital and on line resources such as social networking, web sites, high speed internet connections, Ipad, ebook readers and so on. Paper could become a less and less important way to the 'D&D experience'... just look around  

Really, how long could it take WOTC to release 5e considering how 4e was put together. They have 4 editions to extract, modify, enhance, and expand on. Can you think of any edition other than the original/1e that they actually "rebuilt" the wheel to make it.

The idea of social networking being a requirement for 5e would be just outrageous ~~ facebookD&D or twitterD&D ~~ [ just a farce ]. Even as an "option," it would seem more for sales.

5e "capabilities" for ipad and in the form of eBooks and pdfs seems reasonable especially if the online D&D campaigning rises.  Although, paying $100 USD for three (3) core pdfs is no better than paying for hardcovers. If anything, electronic rule/module resources is just more money in WOTC's pocket even if they stop making hardcover rules.

Like what kid has the money to buy all the rulebooks anyway, even, for 4e - spoiled kids who have loaded grandparents. Even adults who want to play and make minimum wage or a few bucks more an hour should be complainin'.  Of course, the probability is always low for rules to drop in price with each new revision.

Really wonder if Gygax had it planned for B2: Keep on the Borderlands to be released in 4e as several separate chapters each retailing at $15 or more considering the original one sold in the 80's for around $4 - $6. The tradition of the game seems to have gone astray for the $$.

For the DM/players of the game: Wouldn't it be better to publish one "large" hardcover instead of two to four DM / player's guide. This huge tome could have "optional" sections and the "core." But of course not, sales wouldn't be the same for WOTC. Back in my early days, a friend didn't want to actually play AD&D at first due to having to read "one" PHB and parts of the DMG let alone two or more of each these days.

HexMapper wrote:
Like what kid has the money to buy all the rulebooks anyway, even, for 4e - spoiled kids who have loaded grandparents.

I dunno, in my neck 'o the woods the kids seem to have plenty of cash to blow on "rare" CCG products.  I watched one at the not so favorite game store plunk an odd $80+ down on one or two Magic cards   Couldn't have been more than 13 and yapping on his iPhone the whole time the transaction was going on...kids seem to have plenty of $$$ around here despite living in one of the most highly taxed states in the union.

Invincible Overlord wrote:
Weren't they trying to do that with the release of 4.0?  

In my eyes they are not doing a great job in using these means... but the Essentials line is selling quite well while 4e is almost dead... The Italian publisher keep moving release dates on the new books and at the moment is only producing Essentals products (which is fine for me