Most game companies want their prospective customers to know what they are offering with as little fuss as possible. Most game companies will go out of their way to provide a little information for free about a product that is no longer a secret. This is not the case with Wizards of the Coast. It was announced at Gen Con 2007 that Dungeons & Dragons, Fourth Edition is in the works, but I have seen no press releases, and the company Web site requires one to download video files, podcasts, or subscribe to a newsletter to get any information whatsoever. If there are any ordinary, information-laden text pages on the subject within their site, it is cunningly hidden. It is all unfortunate, but utterly unsurprising (considering the company).
Why, you may ask, would I be interested in the fourth edition of a game that I started boycotting when its second edition was released? The only glimmer of interest it holds for me is the involvement of Mike Mearls, some of whose work was originally known to me in this incarnation. Mearls is a sharp game designer, original thinker, and a very funny satirist. I am happy he is making a living doing what he loves, but I lament the misuse of his considerable powers, which would be better served (as far as I am selfishly concerned, if not his finances) in creating unique games and supplements for those games. That being said, his involvement in the project lends it some potential validity, which is why I would like to learn a little more about it. When the new edition is released, I will take a closer look for curiosity’s sake.
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