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Message: <blockquote data-quote="labyrinth" data-source="post: 3485487" data-attributes="member: 48530">It's standard practice in the software industry to continue support for an outdated version for between 5 and 7 years. And the last time I checked, the DI sure looked like software to me. The definition of "support" does NOT mean that new content should continue to be created - new content would logically be focused on 4e. However, continued access to all the old 3.5e material should be provided for many years after the cut-over. Providing continued access to existing web content is pretty much a no-brainer, so there's no good excuse for not providing this. If that can't be provided, it would be inappropriate to launch the DI until 4e comes out. The more I think about it, it's actually quite likely that the roll-out of DI will coincide with the launch of 4e. While that might seem like a good idea to WotC right now (i.e. much easier in concept), this approach is fraught with peril. A coordinated release has the nasty liability of linking the success of the 4e launch to the DI to a meaningful extent. Instead of the DI being a wholly independent venture that succeeds or fails on its own, a poor job with the DI in a coordinated release will be an anchor on the launch of 4e. The impact would not be huge, but it would be a blemish on 4e's launch that would tarnish the luster of the new edition and give 3.5e players yet another reason to hold off on making the transition.Granted, a successful launch of DI would benefit the 4e launch, but the risks outweigh benefits from my perspective. WotC's track record with new software launches has not exactly been something I'd want to link my launch success to as the D&D brand manager. And the implied scope of the DI is significantly larger than WotC's previous software efforts, so the likelihood of success right out of the gate (let alone hitting a coordinated launch date) seems pretty slim. For D&D's sake, I sure hope the two are substantively decoupled, since the DI will likely be an anchor out of the gate and require months (or years?) to get its footing and become a robust, reliable resource.</blockquote>

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