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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Solvarn" data-source="post: 5428334" data-attributes="member: 59666">TurtleThe cancellation of Class Compendium and Mordenkainen's Magnificent Emporium accomplishes two things: a) This material doesn't need to be entered into the character builder or any other digital initiative (tabletop software)b) Provides a few months of DDI material that can be introduced in articles on DDI The Class Compendium articles can be created as Unearthed Arcana material that can be put out there but not officially supported, i.e. not included in the character builder. The Heroes of Shadow being pushed up allows them more time to add these changes to the software and frees up time for programmers. The glut in the release schedule creates a schedule bubble, this indicates to me that they are reworking their DDI tabletop and character builder with this newly created time. The cancellation of the miniatures line tells me that they are moving away from tabletop gaming as a business model. I think it is more likely that we will see D&D go fully electronic to create a new market with a much more limited publishing offering. Concerns about piracy have caused them to try to create a market that is server dependent to help combat piracy. Hasbro people understand board games. They also can understand the concept of a game that allows them to sell cards in packs. I can see an executive who has no idea what roleplaying games are saying something like:  "But you guys make all that money off of those cards. Can't you just sell cards for your roleplaying games?" Apparently they can. One of the tangible benefits is that it is difficult to pirate this material. Board games have bits and pieces in them that you can't squeeze into a scanner. Cards have a low price point and are collectible. I'm sure they are more profitable than miniatures are. It's a big gamble to gut their release schedule. They have a lot of customers that buy the new book every month and those people won't have much to look forward to for awhile. It'll be interesting to see where those dollars go. I'm a consumer that enjoys playing roleplaying games at a table with people. We roll dice and kill monsters. Apparently I'm a grognard or my demographic doesn't present enough of a profit to consider catering to my taste in any realistic fashion. That's cool. I will be forced to check out Pathfinder or Dragon Age I guess. To be honest, I've started to get a little tired of D&D anyway. I can just modify the old character builder with new material and that will work too. If the books are literally just not going to be published I can't spend my money on them. As a consumer of electronic games my expectations are a great deal higher than WotC is currently able to meet. Charging a subscription fee and moving the product into the MMO realm means that all of a sudden there is viable competition, something Wizards of the Coast really hasn't had to deal with. It'll be interesting to see if the subpar character builder 2.0 is an indication of things to come. If so I don't know how well D&D will do. It could be really bad or it might be the best thing ever. Companies with competition are a lot more keen to listen to the people that give them money.</blockquote>

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