I just want to examine this statement for a moment:
Profitable products get axed all the time. Chrysler recently announced they're ending production of the PT Cruiser soon- a move that has some industry experts puzzled since its one of Chrysler's most popular makes.
Closer to home, despite numerous publications that exist and are profitable in dual (electronic and physical) formats, the physical format for both Dungeon and Dragon were axed, and both, according to Paizo's stats, were doing quite well.
The fact is, WotC felt it had a better way to spend its money than printing magazines whose 3rd party licenses had expired, and reallocated that money elswhere, resutling in a profitable product getting the heave-ho in favor of their brand new shiny thing.
The reason a company decides to axe a profitable profit is pretty simple- they believe that whatever they're expending on that product can produce a better ROI (return on investment) in a different use than the current one. Many companies, especially large, multinational ones, will even have a set minimum ROI below which a product or service will be discontinued, and those resources used to produce it reallocated.
IOW, if Hasbro finds 4Ed (or any subsequent edition) to be insufficiently profitable, it may be sold off or simply have its production ended.
Profitable products get axed all the time. Chrysler recently announced they're ending production of the PT Cruiser soon- a move that has some industry experts puzzled since its one of Chrysler's most popular makes.
Closer to home, despite numerous publications that exist and are profitable in dual (electronic and physical) formats, the physical format for both Dungeon and Dragon were axed, and both, according to Paizo's stats, were doing quite well.
The fact is, WotC felt it had a better way to spend its money than printing magazines whose 3rd party licenses had expired, and reallocated that money elswhere, resutling in a profitable product getting the heave-ho in favor of their brand new shiny thing.
The reason a company decides to axe a profitable profit is pretty simple- they believe that whatever they're expending on that product can produce a better ROI (return on investment) in a different use than the current one. Many companies, especially large, multinational ones, will even have a set minimum ROI below which a product or service will be discontinued, and those resources used to produce it reallocated.
IOW, if Hasbro finds 4Ed (or any subsequent edition) to be insufficiently profitable, it may be sold off or simply have its production ended.
