Most of us had already assumed this would be the case, but now it’s official. D&D Next will be hitting stores in the summer of 2014. Methinks that betides a big GenCon release:
Wizards of the Coast today announced that the highly-anticipated new rules system for Dungeons & Dragons will release in summer 2014. After nearly two years of an open public playtest and more than 175,000 playtest participants, the rules are complete. Players will be immersed in rich storytelling experiences across multiple gaming platforms as they face off against the most fearsome monster of all time.
“Multiple platforms”??? Rut-ro, Raggy! That makes me a little trepidatious. Yet another attempt to force players to pay for some online subscription model? Did they learn nothing from the 4E fiasco?
I remain cautiously optimistic that this will be a game I can play on the tabletop. With dice. And people. Face-to-face. I am supremely uninterested in “multi-platform experiences.”
Can't wait for this. I was honestly expecting 2015. The playtest seemed so slow to develop. I'm predicting a very basic core ruleset, with much of the modern D&D we are familiar with to be released as expanded content. Or maybe I'm just engaging in wishful thinking.
Your assumption as to the nature of the rules is why I maintain my stubborn cautious optimism. But that "mutiple platform" thing is, admittedly, a bit foreboding.
Yeah, not sure what to think about the multiplatform. Perhaps they're going to tie in a new MMO launch at the same time? But I've come to the conclusion that there's nothing to worry about really. It certainly can't get any worse than things we've seen in the past………
Can it!? Oh crap.
In all seriousness I've enjoy much of what WotC has done, especially the OGL so I can ignore all the stuff they've done that I don't care for. 🙂
Hell, that's another issue. Still no word from WotC about any sort of open license. Publishers (including myself, ahem) need some lead time if we're going to be able to support this with product.
I'm just glad there's still D&D out there in print.
I've heard rumors of a new OGL. Mike Mearls is and has been a big proponent of the OGL and did a large portion of his designs using it. I wouldn't be surprise if WotC killed the thought of one internally, but if Mike gets his way, I think there will be one. I think it's the only way they'll ever be able to get broad industry support again, is by pulling some away from the existing OGL and Pathfinder. The OSR and Pathfinder exist in their current states due largely to the OGL. Without a new one, D&D will ride off into its own lonely sunset I think.
Good lord, have you ever heard such buzzword-laden, generic ad copy?
Yes, it will release in Summer 2014, assuming that they release it on time. The OD&D reprints are still not hitting the shelves.
The multiple platform experience seems to be addressed here: http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/27478.html
and deals with the fact that they intend to make "Encounters" and modules (the storytelling experience) playable through multiple editions.
I'm not sure that's what they're talking about, R.J. When I hear "platform" I think tabletop/online/mobile app, not 3E/4E/5E.
I have a suspicion that there'll be rules for receiving tweets or facebook posts or whatever they are now that will give players momentary special powers and boosts as long as you have a paid for subscription.
It's like the Hackmaster model, but without the tongue in cheek humor of it.
They actually already did that with 4E, Hamlet…
http://greyhawkgrognard.blogspot.com/2011/02/twitter-buffs.html
I remember it. I'm just saying it's probably going to be a part of the new version of D&D too. Hasbro has probably laid down the law that the game has to be trendy in some way in order for it to be financially supported from the mother company. Appeal to the younger generation who, I guess, are hugely into social media rather than rolling polyhedrons. Shame really.
I weep at the thought.
Twitter Buffs are singular in that they are the only thing more egregious than fortune card booster packs.
I suspect that the other platforms may just be the boardgames and novels (and the odd video game) that have been part of the product line for some time now– if 4e proved anything it's that WOTC isn't willing to spring on any meaningful online content.
I am supremely uninterested in "multi-platform experiences."
Amen.
Yet another attempt to force players to pay for some online subscription model? Did they learn nothing from the 4E fiasco?
No…modern business models have a heavy basis to creating revenue steams from branded products instead of making something, selling it, and then making something else.
Still, the biggest things keeping me from giving 4th another shot is the huge amount of errata which they could do because of the online tools (I had a subscription when I ran 4th in 2011). The fact that I couldn't even buy a tool for my PC and just pay to download updates annoyed me. I saw a huge collection of 4th at HPB and passed up in part because of this.
A subscription would pretty much ensure I don't buy 5th.
I have a suspicion that there'll be rules for receiving tweets or facebook posts or whatever they are now that will give players momentary special powers and boosts as long as you have a paid for subscription.
Time for a no electronic devices at my table rule then.
This annoys me in another way. For some reason our society has decided sitting around playing video games or tweeting or whatever with other people is "social" and "normal".
Meanwhile, playing a game that requires sitting down and actually interacting with the other human beings there is the province of those with "poor social skills".
This only reinforces that idea which is just the ultimate in stupidity.