Actual age of the 4th edition player base

[LEHaskell]

I'm not convinced this is possible with one version of the game system. Something that interests mid-teens will often be something that totally turns 30 year olds off.

While I understand where you're coming from, I don't think this is function of having "one version of the game". Yes, tastes between me (age 42) and my nephews (late teens, early 20's) differ somewhat, but at the core we still all enjoy killin' monsters and smackin' down the bad guys. I might prefer a bit more role-playing and they might long for more detailed damage charts, but we can still play the same game and enjoy it.

D&D has always supported a variety of play styles: Monty Haul, Hack & Slash, RP and many different themes: High Fantasy, Gothic Horror, Low Magic, what have you. I may not like the direction a particular group takes, but we can still use the same system.

I agree with you. Getting young people interested in DND will help the gaming community immensely.

Absolutely!

But, using a single version 4E to do it will fail to grow the industry IMO. More or less, the industry will probably keep similar numbers as currently with a single version of the game.

Instead, what they need to do is focus target the mid-teen market with a different version of DND.

Schoolmates focused on young people and was successful for many years. Most young people did not read Chess Life (the adult monthly magazine for USCF members), they read Schoolmates (the kid monthly magazine for USCF members).

WotC should do the same for DND. Have a simpler more fantastic teenager version of the game (and teenage version of DND Insider/Gleemax) for young people, and have a slightly more mature and complex 4E version of the game for adults (note: I said slightly more complex, not significantly so). The mechanics should be very similar, but the focus should be different. For example, slightly more hack and slash / item reward based for young people, slightly more problem solving / roleplaying based for adults. Obviously, all of the elements should be in both versions, but the focus should be slightly different to engage more people in each age range.

An interesting idea -- but using your chess comparison, kids and adults were playing the same game, right? I can see the idea of marketing different modules or magazines to teens vs. adults, but why can't the same game support both. The differences you are talking about are those of play style, not inherent to the game system.

And, one other thing. WotC should hire 18-20 year old game designers for the teen versions of the game and online content. People in this age range will understand teenagers a lot better than old folgies like I would.

Or at least as playtesters. I would be surprised if they didn't do this.

It sounds like you, like me, grew up playing D&D -- as did most of the current crop of designers. These guys have families and I suspect would love to pass a passion for gaming in general and D&D in particular on to their kids. As a result, I think 4e will be accessible to kids and adults. Exactly which parts they like best will, as always, be a matter for each group to determine for themselves.

Game On!