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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dannyalcatraz" data-source="post: 5324387" data-attributes="member: 19675">I thought that was clear in context of the thread as a whole: given that the core rules for any given RPG tend to be the biggest sellers in the line (because they're the books most needed for play), re-invention is a simple and effective way of refreshing an RPG's income stream because it creates a whole new set of core rulebooks.Now, if your game is the 800lb gorilla in the market, a reboot may not be strictly necessary (IMHO, exhibit #1 would be 3.5Ed), but may still make business sense if market share is eroding in a significantly identifiable way.  (Was there any real competition for 3.5Ed?- I don't know.)OTOH, simple revisions may be sufficient to keep a market leader in position, generating a steady stream of revenue.  (See M:tG, most video game or movie series.)As I said, though, I'm sure there are other ways to keep a RPG company afloat, such as having a diverse product line of settings or even other RPGs to offer.  WotC has tried diversification before, such as having both Primal Order and Everway in print at the same time as M:tG...but at the time, WotC was a small (but growing) company which probably had a cash-flow problem, so both PO and Everway were discontinued in favor of M:tG.  They then added Pokemon, and ultimately gobbled up D&D...and got gobbled up by Hasbro in turn.With their current financial health, they probably could diversify their RPG line.  However, they probably still remember the lessons of WotC's early days when diversification could have sunk the company...and may be gunshy about trying that again without the kind of built-in market you get from licensed settings (Star Wars, Dragonlance, etc.).  As such, they've stuck to D&D with multiple settings + a reboot schedule.Its a solid business model.  It works for D&D, HERO, GURPS and others, I'm sure.  Its just not the only possible business model.</blockquote>

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