In a post I wrote earlier today I got really worked up about the way video games are marketed. I didn't know I felt so strongly about it until I started writing.

I really don't think screenshots and CG trailers do much to show how a game actually plays. I think we need to have more gameplay footage and hands on impressions. As a gamer, what matters to me is being able to interact with this form of entertainment... but they still market games the same way they market movies. More emphasis needs to be put on the actual gameplay.

Anyway, if you want to take a look at my little rant and throw in your 2 cents I would like to know your opinion.
 

Hey Tobold,

I'm interested to know whether you think Cataclysm will keep players entertained long enough before the fourth expansion. With only five levels available to dungeon designers, I'd imagine the result will be less heroics coming packaged in and more end-game raids.

That's great -- if you're a raider. For people unable to raid, it seems like WoW: Cataclysm might actually offer far less than those that came before it (level content notwithstanding). I gave my thoughts on it here and am interested to know your take on this.

- Chris
 

Will we ever see full-featured games on a social gaming platform like Facebook?

I made the point on my blog the other day that market forces from increasing competition will force social gaming devs into developing better games, but will we ever see great games that compete with our leisure time?

My general feeling is that right now, Facebook games offer gameplay that is adequate for wasting time at work, but not at home where it competes with other leisure activities.

The question I'm asking is whether or not we'll one day see awesome games on social networking sites like Facebook?

If you subscribe to the idea that we "play where our friends play" then the next major MMO that competes with WoW might very well be a game developed on such a platform.

I'm skeptical about that, but curious if you think it's possible.
 

If anything, I'm wondering how you think that Star wars the old republic is shaping up?
 

Guild Wars 2: Will any detailed gameplay information be released this year? summer? In a few weeks? The question burns on my mind. (Not like you can probably say much on this question, it's just my biggest MMO thought at the moment.)

The big thing I'm wondering about that game is how the leveling system will work.

Otherwise, I'm wondering about any further thoughts on Blizzard's next MMO. In an earlier post, lots of people thought that it would be a more friendly EVE type game, and I'm wondering if there are any other not so common MMO types along those lines that Blizzard could polish up and use as a new one. Plus, what that Polishing up would involve.

(I could definitely see them doing an EVE type thing, though, using the starcraft universe.)
 

Hi Tobold.

Do you think SW:TOR will crack the 2 million subs they predict?
 

I'm interested in the future of MMORPGs. What do you think their direction will be?

You hinted about Tribal Wars on Facebook, and WoW2 being a clone of WoW.

However, I'm hoping that there next-gen MMORPG will be "Eve-like", and especially in scale (where it is one large virtual world).
 

I recently posted about the MMO Itch and how I'm thinking of starting WoW again after a long dry spell from MMOs. This made me wonder. Since you run an MMO blog, is there ever a time in which you're not playing at least one MMO?