I have something up my sleeve.
If you had to pick 4 things important to you when picking a game what would they be?
1) For an MMO, Custom Character Creation. I don't care for cookie-cutter creations. If I can't make my character unique I won't even look twice at the game, and the more I can adjust and meld my character (body sliders/face sliders/power customization/eye color change, etc) the better. For a stand-alone game, the first thing is going to mental challenge. I like games like Gabriel Knight or Myst.
2) MMO: PvE environment. I can't stand PvP, but that's a personal preference. I don't mind it being in the game so long as it isn't forced on me. The moment it is forced on me, I'm out. Stand-Alone: Setting. The setting has to appeal to me not just visually but imaginatively.
3) Replayability. This goes for any game. Can I make alts? Is this a game I'll play more than once? Are there alternate ways of leveling/succeeding? The stand-alone games I can often shelve for a year or so and then go back to.
4) Graphics. If the graphics and artwork turn me off, I can't get immersed in the world. I have a hard time with Champions Online because of the cartooney look. A few of my characters look downright awesome, but the rest are meh.
If you had to pick 4 things important to you in your opionon of a development studio (Blizzard, Paragon, ect), what would they be?
1) First, foremost, and most importantly, connection of the studio team to the community. Regular posting and interaction, playing the game, a love for the game they're working on, and engaging the community for input. CoH spoiled me.
2) A willingness to try. Just because they say "it can't be done", I want them to look at a problem and figure out why and if it could be implemented at all.
3) Real answers. Don't just say "That is something we are aware the players want". After a while that just starts sounding lazy. Instead, something like "Well, the previous writer of this code didn't leave any notes to refer to how or why something was coded as it was. As a result, the code is a hot mess and untangling it for a small portion of the player base that equates to 10% of the overall population would take away the same devs who are working on This Super Cool Thing That 90% of the player base, including you, want. At a later time we may spend the time to untangle it, but for now we are concentrating our efforts on something that is better for the game overall instead of a niche population." A nice, honest answer instead of just skirting the issue.
4) A willingness to place Players First. We're the customers. I understand on some level that things such as Signature Costume Parts or Signature Powers for the Iconic Heroes of the game are neat and all, but throw the players a bone and give them an alternative. Keep an open mind, accept player suggestions and ideas, and understand that when you come up with something Really Cool (psychic melee), the players WILL want it and if you can introduce the powerset at the same time or shortly after by expecting the players to think that way, then it shows you know your player base.
If you had to pick 4 things that effected your opinon of a distributor (NCSoft, EA, etc), what would they be?
1) Promote your product. If you want to make money from it, you have to do this.
2) Know your target audience. If the product fails in one region, but is popular in another, try and figure out why. If it's due to culture or other such differences, accept this and accept that not all markets around the world are the same.
3) Don't shell out cookie-cutter clones on an assembly line in the hopes of finding the Next Big Thing. I promise you that the Next Big Thing is generally a complete accident. Sure, developers HOPE they've got it, but often they fail.
4) Market oversaturation. Know it. Understand it. Own it. There are more than enough fantasy MMOs out there. What's missing? Call of Cthulhu/Horror? My Little Pony? Hello Kitty? Do some market research and surveys. Pick a target audience and see what kinds of range you can hook with what. Go to gaming conventions. Peruse a brick and mortar game store. Look at the NYT bestseller list of the kinds of books that are popular. There are so many opportunities that, if the game is made
right it will attract a strong following.
Anyway, that's my two cents worth.