They announced it at GenCon about 6 months before I expected it but they've still announced it.
Wow.
So my initial impression went something like "Nuts, now I have to shift the old stock" but then I thought about it and its beena little while now so here's some conclusions I've made.
Firstly this move is a good thing. D&D 3 and then 3.5 have been far from perfect ever since they came out and most people are willing to admit that, even hardcore fans. They have flaws. 4th edition will hopefully streamline the system more and bring D&D into the 21st century.
The current system, regardless of all the shiny goodness they added in the way of feats and prestige classes etc, feels old skool still. In comparison to a LOT of newer games I've seen around over the last 5 years its old and slow and clunky. 4th edition will hopefully see that change.
Secondly they're not churning new editions out every other year. 3rd edition came out in the summer of 2000 and I remember it distantly. 3.5 came out back in 2003, so there will be a 5 year gap between editions. Not too shabby by anyone's standard.
Thirdly, frankly, the industry needs a kick in the ass and a shake up and we need to put gaming back in the public eye. Wizards and Hasbro can afford to do that. D&D is a child friendly game as well. The mechanics can be shouted about until you're blue in the face but the facts remain. Kids like going down holes in the ground, killing stuff and getting treasure. Leave kids alone in a room with D&D or Star Wars and they'll probably pick Star Wars but guess what, that uses D20 too :D Put Changeling down in front of them though and you'll probably come back to find them playing D&D.
So children play what their parents can find that appeals to the kids needs. D&D fills that need quite effectively. You can find it in every major bookchain in the US from what I gather and its a brandname that people know as its been around so long. Now even leaving that aside WotC has the cash to run big adverts and market RPG's to the general public the right way. 3rd edition brought a whole slew of new gamers into the industry and I think a lot of us have forgotten how tight things were BEFORE D&D3.
Forthly I like the idea that they are going to start exploiting the technologies available to them. It appears that everything us pen and paper gamers need will be there in the books. The real fun starts with the subscription based D&D Insider site....
Now hold your horses there partner, its not actually a bad thing, so hear me out and then go read about it on Wizards site and watch the presentation they've done that's on YouTube.
THe idea is that everything that we have now thats in print or in the physical medium will remain so. So we still get books, miniatures, bumper stickers etc etc etc. Now they're also puting together the website for D&D Insider which has a whole host of functions that it scares me how much thought WotC have put into this. Every book you buy will have a code in it that will gain you access to an electronic format of that book through the website. You can then use the material (which is all integrated together with the other material you've inputed the codes for) at the online gaming table you're using to play. There are loads of GM and player tools that will be available to subscribers too.
All in all this use of technology really excites me. There's nothing on the Insider website that you need to be able to run a game. Everything you need and more is still in the core books you buy and the supplements. You don't NEED anything online if you don't want it.
So to wrap it all up, I'm looking forward to it and the influx of new blood and the revitalisation to the industry that will happen with it. I'm not a D&D fan as many of you know but even I'm intrigued enough to go have a look around their website.
Liam's opinion so far:
This product looks to be "2 thumbs" good :D
LiAm