24 (now 29) products announced so far for 08, what else will we see? (Now with 09!)

[TerraDave]

Or they are both on hold...

...but when will we get gargantuan Orcus and his pet gargantuan Dracolich?

 

[Roman]

Originally Posted by SteveC
I hope, I really do, that we won't see all of them in 2008. Slow and steady releases of high quality are what I want out of 4E.

Our plan has been to release slow and steady all along to spread out the material over the course of the edition instead of front loading the awesome as we did in 3e.

I don't doubt the ability of WotC to deliver high quality products even if they came at a rapid pace. You have plenty of skilled designers; can hire more if there is demand for products and can make use of talented freelancers. Even in those products from WotC I don't like, I can see hallmarks of quality in terms of both production values and careful design.

As you point out, slow and steady is, of course, also good due to the aborption capacity of the market for products and to have awesome things to release even later on. That said, though, the product schedule seems pretty busy - it does not seem to me that fewer products are being published this year than in the first year of the 3.X edition. How does that jive with the slow and steady strategy?

 

[jodyjohnson]

The November miniatures release has been announced as Demonweb per the miniatures announcement about set rotation.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mit/20080124a

Standard Rotation Schedule for 2008

November 7: Demonweb rotates into Standard.

 

[TerraDave]

thanks, added it.

 

[Rechan]

I wish we were getting our Arcane book first.

I don't wanna wait for the Swordmage and the Bard and the Necromancer and Illusionist and more Warlock pacts.

GIMMIE NOW.

 

[Irda Ranger]

or

Yes, there have been unsubstantiated rumors?

You hardly need The Rouse to confirm that last one.

 

[Incenjucar]

How does that jive with the slow and steady strategy?

3E legacies, I would think.

We already know that Core is going to be a larger collection of books than before.

 

[Scott_Rouse]

Or they are both on hold...

...but when will we get gargantuan Orcus and his pet gargantuan Dracolich?

They are both on hold.

Maybe in 2009 we'll do another icon.

 

[Scott_Rouse]

I don't doubt the ability of WotC to deliver high quality products even if they came at a rapid pace. You have plenty of skilled designers; can hire more if there is demand for products and can make use of talented freelancers. Even in those products from WotC I don't like, I can see hallmarks of quality in terms of both production values and careful design.

As you point out, slow and steady is, of course, also good due to the aborption capacity of the market for products and to have awesome things to release even later on. That said, though, the product schedule seems pretty busy - it does not seem to me that fewer products are being published this year than in the first year of the 3.X edition. How does that jive with the slow and steady strategy?

There is bound to be a certain amount of "spiking" at the launch of a new system as you may be observing here but just looking at releases does not provide the full picture. You must also look at content and page count. For example of the 25 products listed here (yes there are a couple more but for the sake of demonstration) when you break it down you have:

5 accessories (tiles, screen, dice, and char sheets)
4 minis products (boosters and starter)
5 adventures
3 repack/reprints (deluxe versions of core books)
1 non-wotc product (dummies)

That leaves 7 products that consist of 3 core books, 2 campaign setting books, and a couple supplements.

In all it may be a lot to buy but IMO we are holding back a lot considering it is the first year.

 

[vagabundo]

There is bound to be a certain amount of "spiking" at the launch of a new system as you may be observing here but just looking at releases does not provide the full picture. You must also look at content and page count. For example of the 25 products listed here (yes there are a couple more but for the sake of demonstration) when you break it down you have:

5 accessories (tiles, screen, dice, and char sheets)
4 minis products (boosters and starter)
5 adventures
3 repack/reprints (deluxe versions of core books)
1 non-wotc product (dummies)

That leaves 7 products that consist of 3 core books, 2 campaign setting books, and a couple supplements.

In all it may be a lot to buy but IMO we are holding back a lot considering it is the first year.

Ive not been a big purchaser of D20/3e stuff, I found that I had enough in the core books to keep me busy.

In 4e I can see myself buying more adventures/supplements, if I can have more game/session I'll have a greater burn rate in stories. Good news for you guys (wotc) if true.

I don't think the list above is excessive.