WotC WotC can, and probably should support multiple editions of D&D.

[Chaltab]

The fact that this competing against yourself has worked in other industries isn't relevant because TTRPGs aren't other industries. A small niche hobbiest industry isn't luxury cars or sodas or Madden, and even though D&D is more popular than it has ever been it's still small potatoes compared to how much money other industries make.

Even if Hasbro can theoretically support multiple D&D editions at once (and that's iffy given how dire their financials have been lately), that doesn't mean it would work or make them more profitable, which is the only thing the company actuall cares about.

But more importantly, D&D has tried having multiple competing product lines before and it emphatically didn't work. The whole reason TSR went bankrupt is that they had all these competing D&D products that were by and large mutually exclusive--both D&D and AD&D, not to mention TSR's other non-D&D games and multiple mutually incompatible AD&D settings.

And on top of all that, we have retroclones for most past editions of D&D that are already that system but better. The only one we don't have one of those for is 4th Edition, because it would need a much more robust SRD.

 

[Thomas Shey]

You could make a case for Wizards publishing other games that would actually be different from D&D. There might very well be people who don't particularly care for D&D but would be up for a new version of Gamma World, for example, or maybe a space opera RPG or something like that. But would that number be big enough to justify the investment to the bean counters?

Alternity would suggest would suggest "no".

 

[Morrus]

At one point they had 3 versions of D&D.

TSR was not a well-run company. That’s why WotC owns D&D now.

 

[Morrus]

All of those people worried that WotC's dominance of the RPG industry was bad for the hobby must feel pretty silly right about now. Turns out the problem is that WotC isn't dominant enough.

Different people.

 

[Zardnaar]

TSR was not a well-run company. That’s why WotC owns D&D now.

Yup would agree. The occasional al new anniversary product or reprint would be nice but I don't expect it.

Eg 1E to 5E anniversary boxed set new covers I would buy something like that. Wouldn't get upset if they don't do it.

Kinda like the silver anniversary stuff in 1999.

 

[Morrus]

Visit the pet food, potato chip, soda, cereal and toiletries aisles in your local grocery store.

"Competing with themselves" is what's made much bigger corporations than Hasbro very, very wealthy.

I’m sure you know better than WotC. Perhaps you should share your market research with them and explain how it’s better than theirs? Maybe a PowerPoint presentation?

If nothing, you should make a ton of consultancy money with this invaluable insight based on … checks notes … having visited a Walmart.

 

[mamba]

A is not saying "whoa, we can't release Madden '25 -- it'll cannibalize sales of Madden '24!"

aren't they stopping the sales of 2024 when 2025 is released?

 

[overgeeked]

The fact that this competing against yourself has worked in other industries isn't relevant because TTRPGs aren't other industries.

Okay. Look at the TTRPG industry. Just about the only big company that produces a single game and no others is WotC. Just about every other company produces multiple game lines, sometimes but not always with significant overlap in genre. Green Ronin, EN Publishing, Cubicle 7, Goodman Games, Mongoose, Free League, Modiphius, Runehammer, Evil Hat, Paizo, Necrotic Gnome, etc. Yes, a lot of indie publishers do one game. Most of the big names do multiple game lines.

 

[MGibster]

But more importantly, D&D has tried having multiple competing product lines before and it emphatically didn't work. The whole reason TSR went bankrupt is that they had all these competing D&D products that were by and large mutually exclusive--both D&D and AD&D, not to mention TSR's other non-D&D games and multiple mutually incompatible AD&D settings.

This was a factor but it wasn't the only problem TSR had. As far as I understand it, they pretty much always made money off their RPG sales so I don't even think this was a major contributing factor to their bankruptcy.

That said, I imagine WotC could produce multiple versions of D&D if they wanted to. I don't know if it'd really be worth the time and effort to do so. I know Coca-Cola has been brought up and it's true they make multiple versions of their drink. But other than some reliable staples like Vanilla and Cherry, the new flavors tend to get dropped after a short while. Orange/Vanilla Coke sold in numbers that any other competitor, besides Pepsi, would have been thrilled with but it wasn't enough for Coca-Cola. I imagine WotC just doesn't see it in their interest to sell multiple versions of D&D.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I’m sure you know better than WotC. Perhaps you should share your market research with them and explain how it’s better than theirs? Maybe a PowerPoint presentation?

If nothing, you should make a ton of consultancy money with this invaluable insight based on … checks notes … having visited a Walmart.

You seem to be taking this personally, which I certainly am not intending.

WotC makes enough bone-headed decisions that I don't think we can say "if it was a good idea, WotC would automatically be doing it."

And "it couldn't possibly work!" is worth at least examining with examples of companies that do something similar.

If this topic is going to upset folks, it should probably be dropped. But that's not something I would have anticipated.