Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition release date?

[runtime]

The thread you love to hate! 3.0E and 3.5E are almost 6 and 3 years old respectively and WotC seem to have created a very good business framework for rolling out tons of 3.5E add-ons. When do you predict WotC will release (not announce) D&D 4E?

A little historical context:

1974 = OD&D
1977-1979 = AD&D 1E
1989 = AD&D 2E
2000 = D&D 3E
2003 = D&D 3.5E

 

[Numion]

Tomorrow. It is released tomorrow. You can take that to the bank!

 

[Crothian]

I've got my copy....

 

[Chainsaw Mage]

Tomorrow. It is released tomorrow. You can take that to the bank!

No way, dude. I say 2065.

 

[Masquerade]

I voted '09, but I really have no idea. I don't care. I'm having too much fun playing 3.5 to care.

. . . and aren't there enough 4e threads already?

 

[jdrakeh]

In my experience, new editions of games have less to do with a repeating numerical pattern, than with waning popularity. New editions of any given game almost always coincide with a drop in core book sales of the currrent edition and are, typically, issued to re-vitalize interest in the game line. So, I guess, my answer is "Whenever core book sales for edition 3.5 drop off enough to make re-inventing the line a financial necessity" - but that isn't on the poll

 

[Crothian]

. . . and aren't there enough 4e threads already?

Of course not

 

[runtime]

In my experience, new editions of games have less to do with a repeating numerical pattern, than with waning popularity. New editions of any given game almost always coincide with a drop in core book sales of the currrent edition and are, typically, issued to re-vitalize interest in the game line. So, I guess, my answer is "Whenever core book sales for edition 3.5 drop off enough to make re-inventing the line a financial necessity" - but that isn't on the poll

I agree with you, so think of this poll as really asking "When do you expect D&D 3.5E core book sales to drop off enough to make re-inventing the line a financial necessity?" (and then factor in time for R&D). Maybe the "repeating numerical pattern" of X years between editions is the sales drop-off period!

 

[Jim Hague]

Stop. Please. I realize that some people might find this sort of thing funny...but that horse ain't just dead, she's buried in a mudslide. Any kind of date fixing is going to be pure conjecture until some sort of actual, verifiable annoucement is made.

 

[Transit]

I don't think there will ever be an edition called Dungeons & Dragons 4.0.

I think WOTC has realized that the numbering system was kind of a silly idea.

I think in a few years they'll come out with something like "Dungeons & Dragons: Advanced Core Rules" or "Dungeons & Dragons: Expert Edition" but they'll drop the idea of numbering the editions.