D&D 5E cancelled 5e announcement at Gencon??? Anyone know anything about this?

[RangerWickett]

Sorry guys. I was going to announce Fifth Edition, which I've been working on for several weeks during my lunch breaks at work, but Russ convinced me not to, since it would cut into sales of ZEITGEIST. We'll probably release it some time in 2014.

The first adventure will be World Cup-themed.

 

[El Mahdi]

Goooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllll!!!!!!!

 

[Umbran]

The person is not one I know that would spread unfounded rumors and they are in a position to know.

It is still possible for a trustworthy person who is in good position to be incorrect. It may be a bit surprising, but it happens often enough.

 

[Crothian]

It is still possible for a trustworthy person who is in good position to be incorrect. It may be a bit surprising, but it happens often enough.

I understand, I can't verify the rumor but I can at least verify the source for people that are doubting it.

 

[Kobold Boots]

I just don't understand this line of reasoning at all. Everything Mearls has been talking about are ruminations on what made the old versions so popular. If you accept this is a prelude to what 5e will be like, how can you come to the conclusion that they are going to take 4e even farther into the miniatures game camp then it already is. Keeping in mind they know this is the primary gripe a lot of people have with 4e.

Because it's becoming obvious that they're going to reprint earlier editions of the game to capture the nostalgia crowd.

If they are going to capture that crowd by reprinting earlier editions, then that seems to support the idea that future versions would not be like earlier versions, supporting product line diversity. Otherwise you just shift around existing sales between lines.

1. Leverage and monetize old content.
2. Leverage and streamline core strengths in card games.
3. Create new product lines from points 1 and 2 and smartly make money off minis if possible.

At least that's the logic behind my earlier post.

KB

 

[Mournblade94]

Here's me taking off my mod's hat and hypothesizing out of whole cloth.

5E annoucement was planned and ready to go as an Apple-style "And one more thing..." button to the Sat product seminar. 5E is going to be a minis-based skirmish game, sold in non-random packs, with optional rules for leveling up your minis through repeated play. It will go one sale at GenCon 2012. Someone decides at the last moment that whatever they're doing doesn't need a year's leadup, and they want to save the big annoucement for D&D Experience in Feb 2012, where they can manage the whole marketing rollout of the new edition and do a better job of manging customer reaction over six months rather than a year. (As well as keeping sales up for the handful of 4E products it has just announced.)

I have trouble beleiving this (no offense to you of course). I just can't see WOTC bringing 4e MORE to the direction of "just being a skirmish game," for which they have already gotten criticism, and may have even led to a fracturing of the market.

I am in agreement where I can see it happening as I beleive that was the direction they were going towards, but if they are seriously trying to get back lapsed players (using Mearl's Legend and Lore as an indication it is at least possible) I doubt they would go in this direction.

 

[Mournblade94]

So will 5e be available for Playstation 3, Wii, *and* XBox 360?

Seriously I have long suspected the D&D brand would be distilled to this!

 

[Votan]

There's still 3E books in print?

That is one of the wonders of the open gaming license; 3E compatible material can stay in print indefinitely.

 

[jaerdaph]

Seriously I have long suspected the D&D brand would be distilled to this!

Seriously, I know I would totally buy D&D for the Wii. I can see myself swinging my broadsword around the family room now...

 

[Quickleaf]

Seriously, I know I would totally buy D&D for the Wii. I can see myself swinging my broadsword around the family room now...

And so can your neighbors! So how would you make a Will save on Wii D&D? Knit your brows together really hard?