What about D&D 3.75e??

[Abstraction]

I think the main problem with the idea from a business standpoint is that the number of people who will buy a slightly tweaked version of an existant book is a pretty small percent of the gaming population. Thus, they would have to charge more per book in order to make a profit. Of course, by charging more, even fewer people will buy it.

They really have to have books that a significant percentage will buy or there is no profit.

 

[Turanil]

I think the main problem with the idea from a business standpoint is that the number of people who will buy a slightly tweaked version of an existant book is a pretty small percent of the gaming population.

I guess that they can have a reasonably good idea of whether this would sell well or not, in looking at how much the second printing (i.e.: black books) of AD&D 2e did sell compared to the purchase rate of the first printing books just before the second one appeared. Now a "slightly tweaked version" of the current corebooks would probably not sell. But I was thinking about a total rewamping of the look of the book: entirely new art, not a few addition, entirely different with also different artists; ditto for layout. I don't call this slight tweak, but maybe you do.

 

[Algolei]

1000000100010000001010101000010000010000100001111101111010010010010010101010010001010001000100100000001000001000000100000000000001100101000010010001000010001000100001000101101010010010111111000000000000111111000010101010100101000001000000111111000100100101010101110011100

Hey, watch your binary language, please!

 

[Abstraction]

Well, the black border books for second edition were still under the auspices of TSR. So if they did it, it must be a bad idea.

 

[francisca]

Hey, watch your binary language, please!

Yeah man. Real men swear in octal.

 

[Turanil]

Well, the black border books for second edition were still under the auspices of TSR. So if they did it, it must be a bad idea.

That's not the point. The point is to know if that trick did sell more book than keeping with the first printing.

 

[Kast]

I don't think it's a good idea to reprint something that appears to be different but is in fact the same product. It causes confusion as well as wastes valuable resources which could be spent on new material. The Anniversary edition of the PHB was a good idea (though I don't know how well it did) since it's a collectible of sorts and celebrates an important milestone for the game.

 

[Turanil]

It causes confusion as well as wastes valuable resources which could be spent on new material.

If clearly indicated on the cover that this is still the same game, there is no confusion (except for really dumb customers who will exist everywhere you are going to sell something). If you buy a new 4e it's another kind of waste in which you waste all your 3.5 books. Besides, nobody is obliged to buy the second printing (as much as nobody is obliged to buy 4e).

 

[Turanil]

Usually I have another feeling, that lots of gamers don't want a new edition outright, but another revision which incorporates -just- their favourite house rules (including some which go back to 3.0 version of things), so that their version of the game becomes the official one.

A lost hope of course since there will -always- be something for each of us not to like in any possible edition.

Another reason to say that a 4th edition would not improve the game substantially, while it would invalidate most 3.5 material. I just hope that some WotC people will consider this idea of just rewamping the existing 3.5 rules under a new packaging rather than produce everything anew.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Well, the black border books for second edition were still under the auspices of TSR. So if they did it, it must be a bad idea.

Auctually, you're wrong. Take a look at the back cover. At the bottom left you will see that these reprints were done with Wizards of the Coast. They were earning money with ADnD 2nd Edition before third came out. WotC published the reprints at the same time they were getting ready for 3rd Edition.