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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Michael_R_Proteau" data-source="post: 3561524" data-attributes="member: 48658">While I have heard the rumors enough to maintain a healthy level of skepticism until I hear the actual announcement, there is a certain business sense for launching 4E in conjunction with the DI. One of the drawback to the announcement would be a slow down of sales on 3.5 products, and few companies would want to reduce a revenue stream unless another revenue stream were in place to make up the slack. What would be the new revenue stream for WoTC in the year between announcement and release? DI subscriptions. And what would be the incentive to get a DI subscription for all those who were ambivalent, on the fence or hostile  after the cancellation of the Paizo mag license? Why a bird's eye view of the R&D process of 4E with regular updates, previews, and opportunity to offer feedback for subscribers only. Other new  revenue streams could include increased revenue form the Dragonlance property once the film is released (if occuring in the gap between announcement and release of 4E), and any new fans/players brought in from the film release could them be directed to the release of the new edition perhaps creating a larger customer base for that as well. Increased sales form the Star Wars Saga Edition rpg during hte gap year could also help stabilize a bottom line for WotC if sales dip after an announcement as well. Once 4E is ready to launch, you have built your customer base for the DI and created consumer habits, and get a spike in sales and revenue from sales of the new edition. Now I know nothing for certain, and I certainly have no inside informtion, just making conjecture based on business and consumer theory and patterns I often see while teaching econoomoic history. I am probably wrong, but it was just an idea that seemed apparent from my perspective. If I were to launch a new edition, I would want to do so at a time where I had the resources to replace the revenue stream during the lost gap year and be in a position to maximize my revenue once the new edition was released. -M</blockquote>

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