The release of a new Dungeons & Dragons edition is always a big deal. But what about the impact on players and the TTRPG market as a whole? I explored the network effects, potential for disruption, and the content creation boom that comes with a new edition in my latest blog post.
The Double-Edged Sword: Is The New D&D Edition a Cash Grab in Disguise?
I'm not sure of your age and thus what edition rollouts you're cognizant of, but new editions have been part of D&D's history for 47 years, going back to the released of AD&D in 1977. It is part of the nature of the game - that it is a living thing, not static. Part of this is due to the complex nature of the game, but also the fact that both players and designers (who are also players) like to tinker and try to improve the game.
Is it a "cash grab?" Of course, but I would say "also/both," that is
in addition to just being a new iteration of the game that incorporates 10 years of playing, and thus ways to (in theory) improve the play experience. Meaning, it is a way for WotC to make a lot of money because they make a lot more on core rulebooks than supplements, but
it is also a way to improve the game--or at least, change (to whatever degree) it, hopefully for the better.
Or to put it another way, here are the years that we've seen new editions/revisions:
AD&D/D&D: 1974, 1977, 1989, 1995, 2000, 2003, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2024
B/X/BECMI: 1974, 1981, 1983, 1991, 2000, 2003, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2024
Some of those editions/revisions didn't absolutely necessitate buying the core rulebooks (e.g. 1995) but most were significant enough that most did, and most did so happily. But as you can see, at 10 years it is the longest span in D&D's history.
You're getting a lot of pushback mostly because the term "cash grab" is intrinsically pejorative in implication, as if they're only doing it to make money and exploit people. But this ignores the nature of D&D as a changing game, and the fact that most players are actually excited and happy about shiny new books. And most--or at least many--enjoying learning the new works of the new edition. In other words, you're ignoring the important part: That new versions of D&D are, for most, a feature and not a flaw of the game's tradition.
Is 2024 a new edition or a revision? To be honest, I haven't followed its development closely enough to have a strong opinion, but my sense is that--based upon what I've read--it is much closer to a revision than an edition. Perhaps something more than, say, the 1995 revised AD&D 2E which primarily just re-formatted the rulebooks with some some optional bells and whistles, but less than 3.5E which was a moderate overhaul of at least some portions of the rules, even if it was still basically the same edition (thus aptly called "3.5" and not "4E"). If 1995 was "2.1" and 2003 was "3.5," then 2024 seems like "5.2" or "5.3."