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<blockquote data-quote="masshysteria" data-source="post: 3268160" data-attributes="member: 16055">Someone mentioned this before, but they hit the nail on the head: After the core rules, you only have room to expand.We've seen TSR expand by allowing their authors/developers to create a bunch of different worlds and then try to support them through setting updates. Not necessarily a bad process, but for a variety of reasons already hashed to death, not as profitable.So, what's the alternative? Produce a lot of books that expand the core rules/classes/prestige classes/feats/etc. Wizard's seems to have taken this approach as a way of staying profitable. The idea remains, &quot;Make something that everyone could buy and use.&quot; Of course the approach has the negative of leading to rules bloat.So, what's the happy medium? What is the new strategy for the industry? What products attract new players (customers)?Is putting out a bunch of campaign settings and not trying to push them through continued setting specific support okay? (For example, just giving us a fleshed out Eberron or Planescape in one book, maybe giving a Player's Guide to ___ as the only supplement. Does including fast play or lite rules in the setting get new players to purchase the game?) This seems a bit too hit and miss, although I'd love to see some more unique non-Tolkien-like settings.When do you as WotC say no to anther Complete/MM/rules expansion book? This obviously is making WotC some money.Can adventures be profitable? What about super adventures like Exp to Castle Ravenloft?What about game aids? Do people buy dungeon tiles? Do the games become more mini-centric (Gosh, I hope not!)? What about the future of software in RPG's?I think the only way to get away from this problem of &quot;rule bloat&quot; is to figure out a new and profitable way of producing and selling books to the largest audience you can.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="masshysteria, post: 3268160, member: 16055"] Someone mentioned this before, but they hit the nail on the head: [I]After the core rules, you only have room to expand.[/I] We've seen TSR expand by allowing their authors/developers to create a bunch of different worlds and then try to support them through setting updates. Not necessarily a bad process, but for a variety of reasons already hashed to death, not as profitable. So, what's the alternative? Produce a lot of books that expand the core rules/classes/prestige classes/feats/etc. Wizard's seems to have taken this approach as a way of staying profitable. The idea remains, "Make something that everyone could buy and use." Of course the approach has the negative of leading to rules bloat. So, what's the happy medium? What is the new strategy for the industry? What products attract new players (customers)? Is putting out a bunch of campaign settings and not trying to push them through continued setting specific support okay? (For example, just giving us a fleshed out Eberron or Planescape in one book, maybe giving a Player's Guide to ___ as the only supplement. Does including fast play or lite rules in the setting get new players to purchase the game?) This seems a bit too hit and miss, although I'd love to see some more unique non-Tolkien-like settings. When do you as WotC say no to anther Complete/MM/rules expansion book? This obviously is making WotC some money. Can adventures be profitable? What about super adventures like Exp to Castle Ravenloft? What about game aids? Do people buy dungeon tiles? Do the games become more mini-centric (Gosh, I hope not!)? What about the future of software in RPG's? I think the only way to get away from this problem of "rule bloat" is to figure out a new and profitable way of producing and selling books to the largest audience you can. [/QUOTE]

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