Blizzard announced that they have begun working on a new iteration of Dungeons and Dragons. Even more important than that – they have told the public that they want our help in designing the new rules. They will be collecting feedback from playgroups who will be play testing different iterations of the rules throughout the design process. This is an unprecedented level of public involvement in the franchise and it has generated a lot of interest in the product (which I’m sure was on their mind).
The real question we are left with is… What do we, as fans, think will happen?
– Could this just be lip service? Are they going to box up all of this play testing feedback and do whatever they want?
– Is it possible that the dedicated efforts of a serious play group could have a significant impact on the rules?
I think its too tell to make an educated guess, but we are free to have wild and baseless speculation!
Personally, I think this is going to go well. When all is said done Wizards of the Coast knows how to reinvigorate failing brands and set them up for future success. (Look at Magic: The Gathering. It is enjoying records sales and is bringing in new players consistently.)
Wizards must recognize that the way they handled the 4th edition release fragmented the community in an unacceptable way. The only way to really recover from that would be for this effort to be legitimate.
What do you think? Are you doubtful? Hopeful? Excited beyond words?
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: | Dungeons and Dragons, Question Time
