Umbran said:
Mark, to take a cue from your own poll - you're still an idiot 
As for Hasbro and WotC not mixing it up and takng advantage of the possibilities, I'll chime in and say that I'm kinda glad of it.
Hasbro, on the whole, knows diddly about RPGs. They're a big company, and think like a big company, and have a big company's concerns. Those are usually antithetical to the needs of a niche market like RPGs. So, in general, the more directly Hasbro and WotC mix it up, the less we gamers are going to like the results.
So, in general, I'd prefer they keep their big, greedy, clumsy, large-corporate hands off my hobby. Thanks. 
What if it is their "big, greedy, clumsy, large-corporate hands" that have their itchy trigger finger over the "Jettison WotC into the Sun" Button? (which is of course red in color, as are all very important buttons
).
There is no point in denying the fact that if D&D doesn't make a lot of money, we'll be seeing 4.0E three years from now. If D&D is tied in with a TV show, lunch boxes, action figures - the whole mass-market spiel - there is a good chance that WotC might be able to delay 4 edition a while longer. Is it bad if Hasbro makes D&D more main stream (as unlikely as the case maybe), with a popularized hobby we may see an increase in greater gaming material and more of it.
Lets not forget, WotC is a company. Companies need money to stay a company. I cannot blame them for releasing a new edition, as in my mind it is better than dropping the whole line and starting with something new. I am all for a D&D franchise other than just the RPG market. Hasbro and WotC need to work together alot closer if WotC is to enter a golden age of gaming. If that mean another corny D&D cartoon, or poorly painted action figures, then so be it. I'd like to see D&D be successful, even if it means "selling out" to pop culture and fads.
Hasbro may know very little when it comes to RPGs, however they do know about running a successful business. If they can create a tie in that hooks up with D&D - great; however that does not mean that they'll start writing new books or creating new adventure paths. Hasbro needs to take the "older brother" role and help Wizards figure out how to increase their marketability.
3.5 is a great example. We, the readers/visitors/posters of EN World, knew a great deal about the new rule sets. The readers of other D&D websites more than likely knew about the new books. The readers of Dragon, Dungeon, and more than likely Poly knew about the revised addition. Okay, the main consumers of D&D were notified. What about infusing the market with new blood?Did we see television spots - even on the nerdy channels - did we see adds in main steam media at all? Yes, D&D was featured in Maxim, but what else? Heck, even some WotC stores don't sell D&D. Something as minor as a splat book my not be important - but revising the core books needed to be heralded with ads that go beyond the present clientele. Something is wrong - selling to the same people does not foster growth. Lets see Hasbro show Wizards how to market their new products.
Erge
