IMHO, WotC/Hasbro's most important question...

[Dannyalcatraz]

about 5Ed is: What will happen to 4Ed support on DDI?

Why is it the most important question? Because the DDI model has been successful enough (based on my unscientific observations) that I know of many 4Ed players who own NO books. So if 4Ed disappears from DDI, WotC will have literally taken people's game away.

And you thought the 3.X/4Ed changeover caused an uproar.

If 4Ed IS going to be taken down, WotC needs to let it's fans know so they can at least buy some of the books.

So...has this question been answered yet?

 

[DEFCON 1]

Nope, but then again, WotC probably has a year and a half to come to an ultimate decision, and we all have the same amount of time to plan for its arrival.

 

[Jack99]

Yes, it has been answered.

 

[Jack99]

Sorry, forgot quote from this article

We plan to continue offering people access to tools like the D&D Character Builder and the D&D Monster Builder to support 4th edition. We're also exploring ideas for conversion tools so that some of the 4th edition characters and content will be playable with the next edition.

 

[Dausuul]

Mearls says they plan to keep 4E available on DDI beyond the release of 5E. How far past release, he did not say, but I suspect a good long while. As long as the 4E parts of DDI keep seeing regular use, they'll probably keep it online.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Nope, but then again, WotC probably has a year and a half to come to an ultimate decision, and we all have the same amount of time to plan for its arrival.

Right, but the longer they wait to answer the question (yes, I did see Jack99's answer), the harder it becomes for the 4Edphiles to actually find the books they want in physical form. Sooner = better, not just for the players, but also for the company from a PR standpoint.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Sorry, forgot quote from this article

Thanks- I'll pass that along!

 

[P1NBACK]

I don't see why they would take down DDI with the end of 4E. Considering that they'll keep all of their 4E subscribers who don't switch to 5E immediately (for whatever reason), it doesn't make much sense to take it down.

That's a source of constant revenue. What do they have to lose by keeping it up?

 

[Croesus]

I don't see why they would take down DDI with the end of 4E. Considering that they'll keep all of their 4E subscribers who don't switch to 5E immediately (for whatever reason), it doesn't make much sense to take it down.

That's a source of constant revenue. What do they have to lose by keeping it up?

The argument to keep it going (at least so long as it's profitable) is to keep that customer base happy and generate revenue. As the 4E base dwindles, hopefully moving to 5E, they can plan the shutdown, providing plenty of notice to the remaining customers.

The argument to close it down as soon after 5E launch as possible is that many of those customers would be moving to 5E eventually (a valid assumption?), so it's better to get them moved asap. This would allow WOTC to focus its resources on one system instead of two. Also, having just one main system would make it more likely gamers could find other players, which would presumbly drive additional sales. (Few people buy stuff they can't use.)

Personally, I think the second option would be a disaster for them, so I expect they'll keep 4E going for several months, maybe even a full year post-5E. That would allow them to give warning to the remaining customers, plan the transition, and possibly even provide specific incentives (promos) to encourage them to try 5E.