Just as we posted back on March 2, the latest rumors at ENWorld are putting the release date of the "new" D&D Starter set at July 15th and at 20 bucks.
Is it a box? Is it a book? Is it a book that can be displayed like a box? No idea, but if WotC wants to get this on the shelves at Walmart and Target, it will need to be "box-like". So, if WotC wants to grow the market, look for a box (even if the boxed set barely breaks even or sells at cost).
Player's Handbook in August and the DMG in November - which if true is surprising. It means no full ruleset until 2015 (assuming the Monster Manual is to follow).
Tyranny of Dragons is supposed to be stand alone, and that could be the actual starter set or a parallel product.
I do find it surprising that they are not releasing the Core 3 books as a set, as you need all three for a "complete game", or so it has always been prior. Buy the PH and wait 3 months for the DMG and 3 months more (theoretically) for the MM? Great way to lose momentum with the sales...
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe this will build up 6 months of anticipation in the player base on top of the 2 years + we've already had.
Or not.
Or the dates are all wrong.
Or some combination of the above.
The staggered release makes me wonder if they are expecting the books to be dependent upon the boxed set/basic set...
ReplyDeleteThey staggered the release of 3.0 and that seemed to have gone pretty well in terms of sales.
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice if the box set had the big 4 races and classes and that the classes went up to level 20; sort of a modern B/X Complete box. Too good to hope for, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteThis! One thousand times this! Of course, judging by what they put out in Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle, we'll be lucky to get any character info beyond pregens at all.
DeleteWay back in the day the time between MM and DMG was measured over a year.
ReplyDeleteWhat's "Next"? When's "Next?" - Don't know, and don't care. Sorry WotC. I ain't buying what you're selling any more.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I couldn't care less either. Even if D&D Next were an exact clone of my favorite older edition - which it surely won't be - I already have that older edition. What could D&D Next have to offer but color artwork in a style I find ugly and laughable? Sorry, WOTC, no sale (now or ever).
DeleteWhich bgs the question why any of us bother with retroclones at all, since we all have the old editions we like.
DeleteThe retroclones make it easier to bring new players into our favourite games. Why else?
Delete3 years for 1st ediion to fully release - everyone ran hybrids and used hit tables in white dwarf till dmg out - hybrid customised games what dnd about
ReplyDeleteThey staggered the release of AD&D and that turned out pretty well too. However, I do acknowledge that 2010s demands and expectations ("I want it all and I want it now") are radically different to 1970s ones ("gee, I didn't even know there was going to be another book until I saw it").
ReplyDeleteOf course there is also the difference between 1979's "Oh wow, I didn't even imagine you might add this much to the game" and 2014's "Yeah, we've been playing these games for 40 years, and this one doesn't seem much better than the others."
DeleteIf I remember, the first printings of the 3rd ed PHB included a small listing of monsters to hold over until the release of the MM. I would hope they do at least that (or is everyone supposed to buy adventures to get monsters to play with until then)
ReplyDeleteIsn't there usually also some kind of conversion system so you can use your old books with the new rules until the new books come out? I seem to recall that when 3E came out. That being said, I'm hesitant about Next due to the price points. $50 per core rulebook is pretty steep. I mean, who do they think is playing their games?
ReplyDeleteSame people that pre-order new Call of Duty/Assassins Creed/EA Sports/etc. console game every year for 70€? ;p
DeleteGood point. So, basically, not me. :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, me neither...
DeleteI don't get to game stores much...didn't know TSR was out of business until recently. Didn't know there was a 4th edition, much less a 5th coming. I remember owning 2nd. Not sure why anyone would want to buy the same game over and over again at $150+ a pop.
ReplyDelete