Now that Christmas has come and gone for another year, it’s time to start looking ahead to what 2012 will be in the MMO-niverse. As with everyone, the staff of MMORPG.com has a list of resolutions that we would like to see come to fruition in 2012. We got together over a Christmas bowl and created our wish list, our hopes, perhaps even a smattering of our premonitions, for 2012.

Pay Attention to the Little Guys (Mike)

I love finding little indie gems in the non-MMO space, but I don't pay as much attention as I should to the little guys in the industry. I constantly feel it's important to keep an open mind about what makes an MMO an MMO. On our boards here, you'll notice many people have a different idea of what that is, and some are fairly strict in their interpretation. I'm flexible in that area, but I tend to be guilty sometimes of passing off on the really little MMOs because I can be too much of a realist at times. I've always been of the mind that a solid MMO requires serious backing and a lot of work, and that some of these little guys just can’t pull off what is often such a massive undertaking. At the same time, many of you on the forums constantly bring up otherwise unknown or obscure MMOs as viable contenders for your attention and I'd like to pay more attention to those games in 2012.

Demand More from these Games (Bill)

I think, when it comes to MMOs, the longer you're around one of two things happens.  Either you become really jaded with the whole scene, or you become beaten down and accept everything as an inevitability or "the best it can be".  I'd say I lean closer to the latter, by my optimistic nature.  2012 is bound to be an interesting year for MMOs, and it could be for bad reasons or good.  But this year, my own personal goal is to be pickier, expect more, and really be vocal about my concerns.  Sure I'll still play everything that comes out, as it's my job, but from now on I'll try my damnedest to be less forgiving of clear flaws because one or two aspects of a title are redeeming.

Be More Accepting of Non-Conforming Entries (Suzie)

In many ways, this dovetails with the idea of “paying attention to the little guys” and the companies that are the very ones that tend to march to the beat of a different drummer. I want to find more room in my heart for games that break the stereotypical MMO mold. It’s not that I don’t love elves and dwarfs but come on! The market is saturated right now and those mystical races don’t have a lock on all things fantastic. I’m ready to see more three faction games that more closely mirror the human experience as we know it. Would that life were as black and white as many game today paint it! We’ve got a promising hope for 2012 with games like Dominus, PlanetSide 2 and The Secret World coming down the pike. What I must make myself do is to not summarily dismiss them as not “being my type” and look for things bright and shiny as a new penny.

More Cool Contests for Our Community (Craig)

I want to work harder to get more and better contests and special offers to the MMORPG.com community.  More great free stuff for all!

More Game Time! (Ben)

Mine is simple: Get to play more than 25 hours of an MMO in 2012!  Yeah!

The BEST Coverage (Garrett)

The best coverage for our fans on the upcoming games for 2012 and 2013! Yes there are many and yes they are huge!

So what are you hoping for in 2012 with regard to the games that you play? Let us know in the comments.