Parmandur
Book-Friend, he/him
4E failed because it changed the game and split the fanbase, depressing sales.Wasn't this why 4E had such a short life span, 4 years? I'm asking because I can't remember exactly. I'm sure the division of the fan base and losing some to PF had a lot to do with it too but iirc it was lack of profits
Look at the Mearls interview I posted earlier from 2012 laying out what WotC plan was after they did a post mortem on 4E...a plan they are still following now:
"We’re actually much better off creating a single, stable edition. It’s easier for fans, it’s better for continuity for writers and designers, and it’s much easier in terms of creating a long-term product strategy. It would be great if the playtest feedback was such that we felt comfortable dropping any reference to editions or numbers in the final game’s title."