This is kind of sad. It seems almost like they are telling us Fourth Edition was a mistake. It also looks like they are trying to win back some of the fanbase that gravitated towards Pathfinder. I seriously doubt it will work.
Ah, the sweet smell of desperation.
I'm sorry, but you're both dead wrong. One, they are not "Desperate". They are simply providing the Reprints that people have been asking for, and they feel they can actually make a profit at reprinting. Second, they are not saying that 4E was a mistake, nor are they even
"almost" saying 4E was a mistake. They have however said they have made mistakes in the last few years...and that is not the same thing. The only way someone can take away the idea that anything they've said since the anouncement of 5E is saying that 4E was a mistake, is only looking for or wanting to hear them say that. All they're doing is selling reprints that gamers asked for, and trying to make a new edition. It's funny how people accused WotC of pulling pdf's because they didn't want to "compete" with themselves, then this time around when they also reprint older edition materials, they're sad and desperate. Out of every communication they've had with fans so far, I've seen only one blog where someone at WotC even came close to the type of language or marketing that was used in the runup to 4E. Once! And I'll admit even that one was pretty thin.
They have not in any way, shape, or form said that 4E was a mistake. And anyone who says so is just flat wrong.
As to the last part, of course they're trying to win back some of the fanbase that gravitated towards Pathfinder. It's a competitive market...a competitive
niche market. There are only so many people that buy RPG's, and yeah, WotC would love if every single one of them also bought the 1E Reprints, the 3.5E Reprints, and 5E...just as I'm sure Paizo would love if every single one also bought Pathfinder. The truth is, WotC is trying to win back each and every person that ever played any edition of D&D, and shooting for new players to boot. Every RPG game company does the same thing.
However, there is no game company in the world...past, present, or future...that's going to win over every single potential customer. It's silly to think that they would, just as it's silly to think they won't be able to win over anyone. There
will be gamers that have gravitated towards Pathfinder who will be
"won over" by WotC and/or 5E. Just as there are gamers that will buy and play
both 5E and Pathfinder, and gamers that will stick with Pathfinder because it's simply what works for them. I'n sure there will even be people who will stick with 4E, and 4E gamers that will be won over...whether back to 3.5E or onward to 5E. That's actually a win-win...everybody gets to play the game they want to play, which is all that really matters. There's nothing nefarious or "sad" about any of this. It's how a competitive market works. Game companies are going to try and make games and products that gamers want to buy, and gamers are going to buy what they want to play (or just read, or collect, or whatever).
This time around I've actually been quite happy, and even a bit proud, of how WotC has handled this. They have been very careful to talk about things they want with 5E in a context of how something will fulfill the goals they have for this game, and not necessarily about "fixing" anything from a past edition (which is a fools errand anyways...no game or edition is "perfect", they can only be "perfect" as a matter of individual taste). However, they do have to be honest and critical of past mechanics in order to make a cohesive and workable game...a game that incorporates elements or philosophies of all their previous editions. And that also is not calling 4E, or any previous edition, a mistake. They are most definitely trying to make a game that addresses player feedback. Now of course that still won't necessarily make a game that appeals to everybody, and I'm sure they realize that, but they certainly seem to be giving it their best while being respectful of their fans preferences.
