What if the D&D brand had gone dark?

[dogoftheunderworld]

What if WOTC/Hasbro decided to just stop publishing new D&D materials in 2008 (instead of bringing out 4E)? What if they just held the brand and maybe out out minis, tiles, etc? What if after a 2 year (or so) absence they then brought a the New and Improved Version of D&D?

Obviously, they would have to cut jobs during that time (hopefully those individuals could continue in some role or independantly). But would the brand survive being "out of print" for 2+ years? Would the new 4E be even more succussful because of it?

[Just an interesting thought I have been having over the last several months. FWIW, I have not bought 4E and this is not a referendum on the 4E ruleset (I have not gone 4E because of the amount of 3.5 material I am still enjoying.)]

(funky poll to follow, please post your random thoughts )

 

[Mistwell]

The haphazard poll options, many of which have nothing to do with each other, make it difficult for me to answer this poll. For example, how can you have a "I would be more likely to buy 4E" without a "I would be less likely to buy 4E" option? How can you have a "2 yrs, even 10 yrs would still be too soon for a new edition" without a ton of other options relating to when it would be too soon and what the content of that new edition would be like to justify it, etc...

 

[HelloChristian]

If D&D was shelved tomorrow, most people would be unaffected. They'd keep playing merrily along, happy to indulge in whatever edition strikes their fantasy.

Perhaps it would be like Star Trek. The original series ran for, what, three seasons? After it was canceled, people were still enthusiastic about it and eventually there was a renaissance. I think it'd be like that.

 

[WizarDru]

Sorry, but I'm not really sure what this poll is asking. If it's asking, "What would you do if Wotc just didn't print any D&D material in 2008 (and never introduced a new edition)?", well then my answers to that question are nowhere to be seen on the poll answers. And while Mistwell was perhaps a tad blunt , I agree: these poll options don't really provide an answer I can give.

 

[dogoftheunderworld]

The haphazard poll options, many of which have nothing to do with each other, make it difficult for me to answer this poll. For example, how can you have a "I would be more likely to buy 4E" without a "I would be less likely to buy 4E" option? How can you have a "2 yrs, even 10 yrs would still be too soon for a new edition" without a ton of other options relating to when it would be too soon and what the content of that new edition would be like to justify it, etc...

Yeah, sorry about that. Please ignore the poll. Just tell me your thoughts on what would happen if WoTC stopped publishing D&D materials, but held the brand/license for a possible future release.

Personally, I like the Star Trek analogy above. I don't think D&D is going anywhere (some are still playing a version now 30 years old).


Peace,

Brian.

 

[Oni]

Some people would move on because it wasn't supported. When it came back, some of them would come back as well. Most people probably wouldn't notice. WotC would lose a little money from lack of splatbooks sales. Geeks on the internet would work themselves into a frenzy, but we know how much affect that usually has on the real world. I can't think of any real advantage to doing it though, I would imagine brand continuity is a good thing.

 

[justanobody]

Yeah, sorry about that. Please ignore the poll.

The actual fans of D&D would keep playing it, and the people looking for the latest fad would move on to the next thing.

If and when a new D&D came back the fans would first look at it, and then the fad followers would get scent of it and check it out.

Plenty of people still play things that are no longer in production.

I mean when is the last time you saw Snit's Revenge for sale at a store?

 

[Drkfathr1]

People would keep playing and then carry on with a new edition when it finally came out, or keep using what they had.

Just like they did at the end of 2E, when TSR went under and we had almost a year with no new product at all.

 

[Greg K]

There would be no 4e and, therefore, no current edition wars making several sites more friendly. Also, third party products for 3e would most likely still remain in print after the end of the year, because there would be no GSL forcing third party publishers to abandon the d20STL and destroy products bearing the d20 logo.

In other words, thing would be good (well, until they brought out a new edition that was as drastically different as 4e). YMMV.

 

[Jasperak]

Perhaps it would be like Star Trek. The original series ran for, what, three seasons? After it was canceled, people were still enthusiastic about it and eventually there was a renaissance. I think it'd be like that.

I see 4e like the new movie coming out that is a reimagining of the Star Trek franchise much like Battlestar Galactica had. I would rather hold on to what made me love Star Trek in the first place than see 30 years of history get a rewrite. The new Star trek movie may be great, but it probably won't be Star Trek to me. If the movie changes too much of the previous canon then I would rather it not be made. I would rather see the franchise go dark than see something not recognizable try to carry on its name.

That's how I feel about DS9. Not enough sacred cows left of the ST Universe but it tried to sell itself as Star Trek. I think Babylon 5 succeeded where DS9 failed.