Krensky
First Post
Given the time and money they were willing to sink into first Gleemax and then the DDI, I think the success of the DDI (whatever form it ultimately takes versus the original promises) will really set the course for 4e as a whole. If it meets some internal expectation, whatever that might be, 4e will probably see a longer life. If the DDI crashes and burns a year or two from now, 4e might find itself in a difficult place if Hasbro is looking for cost cutting.
I think this is true, although it is worth noting that, if it happens at all, I don't think DDI will crash and burn, per say. At least it won't from an external perspective. I don't think that's likely at all since everyone seems happy with it. What is more plausible, I think, is that DDI may fail to meet some arbitrary profitability measure within Wizards/Hasbro. Not that it would be loosing money, just that it's not making enough to keep someone happy.
There are several factors external to Wizards that might make this more or less likely, many related to server and infrastructure costs and maintenance. A jump in electricity or bandwidth costs per kilowatt/hour or gigabyte, for instance, might push it over this imaginary line from profitable to not profitable enough.
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