D&D General Is DnD being mothballed?

[Micah Sweet]

Yeah, and amusingly Matt makes this observation now… when WotC is actively in the process of developing a new PHB that will actually work the way the casual market expects a “PHB 2” to work

How is that, exactly?

 

[Jolly Ruby]

Although I think 5e lost some obvious opportunities like a movie tie-in or a BG3 tie-in released close to the game, I don't think it's being mothballed. I also think Hasbro is shifting it's gear recently, focusing on the digital platforms and D&D as a brand, but the investment on the paper print seems to be growing, not shrinking.

 

[Charlaquin]

You folks crack me up.

It was accidental. WotC designed 5e fully expecting D&D to be mothballed. They were as surprised as everyone, probably even more surprised, at 5e’s explosion in success.

 

[Charlaquin]

How is that, exactly?

Did you not read the post I quoted in that comment? People hear “PHB 2” and expect it to be a replacement for the old PHB, like how, say, the PlayStation 2 replaced the PlayStation.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Did you not read the post I quoted in that comment? People hear “PHB 2” and expect it to be a replacement for the old PHB, like how, say, the PlayStation 2 replaced the PlayStation.

Do you know this? Are you hooked into the "casual experience" in a way other people aren't? Or is this just your opinion?

 

[ersatzphil]

WotC is putting out a big hardcover every other month, and has been hiring more and more designers (at the top rate in the industry, too)?

I will admit that 5 books in 12 months is more or less “a big hardcover every other month”, but it does hit a bit differently when four of the five come out almost all at once in the fall.

 

[Echohawk]

Do you know this? Are you hooked into the "casual experience" in a way other people aren't? Or is this just your opinion?

I can't provide a citation but my memory matches @Charlaquin's on this point. I want to say that one of the designers made this claim in an interview or promotional article at about the time Xanathar's came out. Essentially they chose to go with names for books in 5e that were not repeats of books from earlier editions (so no Draconomicon or Manual of the Planes), or previous titles with a number (so no Player's Handbook 2), because their market research indicated that those titles created some confusion in at least a portion of their target audience.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Do you know this? Are you hooked into the "casual experience" in a way other people aren't? Or is this just your opinion?

That is the reason given by WotC for over 10 years now. That was the feedback they got when people bought PHB2.

 

[Parmandur]

I will admit that 5 books in 12 months is more or less “a big hardcover every other month”, but it does hit a bit differently when four of the five come out almost all at once in the fall.

For sure. Between March 2022 and November 2023, they will have released 10 hardcovers in 21 months. They had intended to space them out more, and the cluster was the result of printing delays, and I think that wverybother month or so pace is feasible. It certainly isn't mothballed.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Do you know this? Are you hooked into the "casual experience" in a way other people aren't? Or is this just your opinion?

It's something Mike Mearls said early in 5e. They (Wotc) discovered this phenomenon during 4e. They were making PHB2 and PHB3 and discovered that many people thought that those REPLACED PHB1, not added on to it. So they decided that they WOULD NOT produce a PHB2 for 5e.

Of course, now they ARE making PHB2 for 5e, but it DOES replace PHB1.