As near as I can tell, according to this, stores will only be able to run the next session of D&D Encounters using the D&D Next rules, which contradicts what Greg Leeds said earlier this year regarding The Sundering and how players could use either 3.5, 4th Edition or D&D Next when playing.
This isn't a good idea since D&D Next rules are not available for sale yet and the whole idea of Encounters is to give players an opportunity to play D&D each week, not to playtest the next edition of the rules.
This isn't a good idea since D&D Next rules are not available for sale yet and the whole idea of Encounters is to give players an opportunity to play D&D each week, not to playtest the next edition of the rules.
Scott...
ReplyDeleteI understand where you are coming from in this regard, but I do have a question to ask and a couple of points to bring up...
First, with the D&D Next Playtest being as prevalent as it is, how are sales of *NEW* D&D4E books going for you (Essentials or Original)? Ours have tanked and with the fact that the DM Kit for D&D4E Essentials being no longer available from WotC, it is obvious that WotC has pulled the plug for D&D4E support.
You make a good point about the D&D Next rules not being available for sale. This is an organized play program and it is meant to support stores that support WotC via organized play. That said, the D&D Next rules are available to anyone who wants them and is willing to sign up for the playtest. That does not support us as stores currently, but could in the future by whetting the appetites of players eager to know what's coming next... As it goes, it is a bitter pill to swallow as a store owner who would like to see return sooner rather than later.
Overall, I'm not certain the "support all of the editions" business model will work for them like they are hoping. People will choose their favorite edition and just buy those books (if they do not already have them). Where that leaves WotC from the production/sales side of things remains to be seen...
Dave @ Armored Gopher Games
Dave,
ReplyDeleteGood points.
1. My D&D 4th ed sales are still decent, though far behind Pazio. However, like it or not, D&D 4th ed is still in print (as is 3.5 to a lesser extent) and that is what I have available to sell from WOTC.
2. All OP is essentially a promotional method to encourage sales of more of the product. Even Magic tournaments are held to encourage people to play with the cards they have bought and to buy more to construct better decks. I can look at shifting to D&D Next as a long term promotional method designed to build anticipation for Next through play in Encounters but I would much rather use Encounters to promote the current edition, since that is what I have to sell.
3. I did not address this in the original post but we have to buy the adventure to run in Encounters now. For the past two sessions, we have at least been able to purchase the module at our retailer discount. Indications are we will have to buy the module from WOTC at standard retail,