What will the annoucement of 5e look like?

[Gundark]

With D&D xp around the corner I can't help but wonder if 5e is going to be announced. Seeing that Mearls and Monte are going to be in attendance, somebody is going to ask when 5e is coming. I wonder how they will respond, someone has said that 5e is kind of like FFG getting the star wars license "a badly kept secret ". I am wondering if Wizards will be transparent this time round (not that they will be completely transparent but I suspect more so than the 4e development), an open "playtest" wouldn't surprise me. Despite the release date I am guessing for an early announce date. Thus given that Monte is probably working on 5e,and given that everybody seems to know that, my guesstimate is a D&D xp 2012 annoucement (even just a non official confirmation)

Admittedly this assumes that 5e is further along than it may be, if development is still early they may wait until gencon 2012 , or D&D xp 2013.

 

[MatthewJHanson]

Since many people think DDI is D&D's main source of revenue, it would not surprise me if they had an "open to subscribers" playtest of a lot of things.

I also remember that many of the later 3.5 books where "playtests" of 4e concepts (Book of Nine Swords). I could see something similar. (I don't think that's Essentials, but it could be).

 

[dm4hire]

I think if they want to keep the cat in the bag, whenever they finally announce it, they need to go live via the web with the announcement at the same time the convention hall doors open where it will be heralded.

Open play testing needs to happen, especially if they want to win people back.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

You know the trade show at the beginning of Iron Man 2? Just like that, except that the dancers will be dressed up as kobolds.

 

[Rechan]

My guess it will first look like:

Then, for some:

And for others:

 

[Dice4Hire]

My guess it will first look like:

You think 5E will be an outrageous LARP?

 

[Rechan]

You think 5E will be an outrageous LARP?

It was the best "I AM OUTRAGED" pic I could find that was board appropriate.

 

[was]

I'd be very surprised if we heard anything 'official' before Sept. 2012 since they have scheduled 4e product releases up through Aug 2012.

 

[Rechan]

I can't imagine them announcing 5e until they are ready to start providing previews.

Notice that 4e was in its early stages in 2005 and was seriously began developing in 2006. THey didn't announce it until 2007, when they started rolling out preview material.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

It will look like this:

Week Before Gen Con:
A fifth edition of our popular role playing game Dungeons & Dragons is not currently in the design phase.

We are very happy with the response to 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons and intend to support the game into the foreseeable future.

At Gen Con:
We are very happy to announce the fifth edition of our popular role playing game Dungeons & Dragons!

We are very happy with the response that the game has received, and intend to fully support our new edition of our most popular role playing game!

5th Edition - Get Your Game Face On!

The Auld Grump