It's funny how non-programmers seem to think they know more about programming schedules and development than actual programmers.
Ok so here is a responce from an actual software programmer.
Myself and one other person have been able to design, write and code a full featured and customizable character management system, maybe you have heard of it (HeroForge) and it took us less than a year do. We are now only weeks away from having to the masses. So nobody can tell me that WotC hasn't had time to do the same since they knew about their 4e way before we did. They have had ALOT of time to get their tools done. I mean the Game Table was pretty solid already from what I saw at D&D XP 2008.
The whole non-programmer/programmer arugment is valid but even the non programmer has a clue when it comes to the programmers saying one thing and getting another. It can be done on schedule, and still be awesome. Especially if you have the money to pay people to do it. And you can't say that WotC doesn't have the money to get it done. Heck we even offered to help work on it and wanted to be a part of it at D&D XP 2008. We met with Scott Rouse and had a sit down to try and work WITH WotC on the project. So I know for a fact that they had and still do have options to get the tools done.
I will not make any assumptions to why they aren't getting it done. But the reality is that they just haven't yet.
As much as I feel that WotC has the right to protect their IP, I also feel we as the consumers deserve options. If all you had to eat was apples all day how are you to know if a banana would be better?
But in the end it doesn't really matter why WotC chose to go the route they did, in the end we all have to deal with it and keep on playing D&D or change game systems. In the end it is OUR choice as a community what we play.
I for one love D&D but also play other games, but even though I don't like the path that was taken I have chosen to still support the game and the company. It isn't the people like Scott Rouse, who is just doing his job, that we need to blame. It is us the consumer that continue to buy the products they sell. The true bottom line is that we are truely to blame. What right do we have to buy the product just to complain about it, but yet keep buying it? If you go to a resturaunt and get bad service or bad food, why keep going there? And if you do, do you really have the right to complain?
We can rant and vent on this board until 10th edition and nothing will change until WE change it.