Desdichado
Hero
This may be neither here nor there, but automobile companies don't do that, and they don't really worry about older models competing with their new ones. It's more a question of limited resources in terms of factory lines--you can't really make, say, a 2011 Focus and a 2012 Focus at the same time, because, well you can't use the same stamping presses or assembly process for each--they're too different. They don't rush to sell out their pipeline so it won't compete with the new product, they just stop making them according to the production schedule as part of the lead-in to the new launch.I have to wonder if the same reasons WotC do not do this is also why automobile companies do not do this, ever notice the mad rush to sell off last years models every year?. In business you never want your older product being a direct competitor to your current product and that is exactly what would happen there. The difference here I think is the business model does not take into account the depth at which gamers fall in love with editions.
Also, automobile companies don't sell directly to consumers anyway... they sell to dealers. So there's a whole different model of demand there. Now, dealers do tend to want to clear the lot of older models to make room for new ones, but that's usually because new models sell more and are more profitable for them, so of course they want to clear the lot to make room for as many as they can. Again; it's not worrying about cannibalization of model years so much as it is limited resources on which to put cars, and wanting to put the more profitable, newer models out there as much as possible.