Interesting Post by Mearls on rpg.net

[UngainlyTitan]

snip

The relative lack of flexibility and the change in play-style together are enough for me to dread the day when the tabletop RPG is an extinct form.



Sadly, this is also true. I don't believe D&D can win against WoW, any more than Pathfinder can win against D&D. It can survive, or even thrive on its own terms, but it's never going to topple the behemoth. In fact, with MMOs getting better all the time, and especially with it becoming ever harder to schedule a group of people to get together for a tabletop RPG, I'm very doubtful than D&D will even survive, at least in its tabletop form.

I do not believe that D&D and it ilk will die out, I for one would be perfectly willing to play D&D in a virtual environment. At the moment I do not but that is a broadband network connectivity issue and will in time be resolved.
I would also expect that in time the tools for such types of games will improve especially if WoTC or the like start providing such tools.

 

[renau1g]

Like the Virtual tabletop.... that we're still waiting on...that was the most exciting part of DDI for me (although now I love the CB)

*Anyone heard any update on it at Gencon?*