Isn't that exactly what people have been doing since the beginning by staying with an edition or moving on to the next one?
Picking parts and customizable options are what is called house rules.
So what exactly is WotC planning on selling?
The easiest way to make the 5th edition they envision, would be to fire have the "creative" and "design' staff, and reprint the older editions and their core rules alone.
Then lose the focus on the website to any single edition, meaning moving DDI to an offsite, or special corner of the site. Then focus on producing things with in-house editors like the old Dragon and Dungeon did with fan submissions.
Maybe make some new things that are able to work with each edition, like a new monster (cause the 25,000 that already exist arent enough), or weapon.. whatever, you get the idea.
Have ALL new material have the stats for use with ALL editions, and then people can play whatever they want, and any player of ANY edition will still be interested in the book, if they are interested in the topic, because it will have their edition components in it to play with.
Also get rid of the stupid LFR, LFG, Encounter type of crap and go back to a model that supports D&D itself, and have whatever it takes like MtG to run events, so that it doesnt matter what you play, you are playing D&D and that is all that matters, so whatever gimme you get for playing or reward if they still do that, you get.
It also helps get people in the stores, the stock the stores needs is limit to the few editions and thier core books for people to choose form, and new material will be edition neutral and smaller amounts, but more people would buy them for a more steady revenue stream for both company and local store.
Book breakdown
1- B/X (or was it 2 module sized books?)
1- BECMI/Rules Cyclopedia
3- 1st AD&D
1- 1.5
3- 2nd AD&D
1- 2.5
3- 3.0
3- 3.5
3- 4th
3?- Essentials
i meant hey are already reprinting 1st edition AD&D books, so why not finish with it... and actually to cut down on the number of books, merge the DMG and MM to a single book for each edition.
I purposefully left out the original Chainmail and that version of OD&D, because reprinting it i feel would be a waste. Let it exist in legacy and memory...and 4th is close enough for a fantasy medieval miniature wargame.
So REALLY what is WotC planning to produce, since the "edition war" will never end, as nobody will EVER agree on what D&D is, as house rules vary from game to game...so 5th edition is what everyone has been doing all along when they chose the edition and house rules they wanted to play anyway.
