Final Fantasy XIV: Most Anticipated Game of 2010

A look back at the best games of 2009 wouldn't be complete without turning our gaze forward toward 2010 and that games that it promises to bring. Players who may not have found what they were looking for in this year's crop of games are eagerly awaiting the launch of one, if not more, of the launches promised for 2010.

While some of these games will undoubtedly be pushed further back in their development cycles, we have chosen our nominees from the list of games that are expected to launch in 2010:

As difficult to choose as it was, we have named out Most Anticipated Game of 2010. The nominees were:

• Final Fantasy XIV
• Global Agenda
• Guild Wars 2
• Star Trek Online
• Star Wars: The Old Republic

The Winner: Final Fantasy XIV

As is the case most years, it was difficult to name a winner for the Most Anticipated MMO award. At the end of every passing year, there always seems to be a list of four or five games that everyone is just crazy for and every year, it seems, at least some of those same people are disappointed.

In terms of sheer potential, the list for games in 2010 is phenomenal, but in the end we had to make a choice and in the end, we had to go with Final Fantasy XIV. The final Fantasy franchise is one of the most famous and enduring video game IPs ever created. The first Final Fantasy MMO, Final Fantasy XI launched strongly in 2003 and still has one of the healthiest MMO populations of any current game. The single most common complaint about the original game is its outdated graphics and feel. Final Fantasy XIV will change all of that.

With the full support of a company like Square Enix behind it, and a planned launch for PC and the much sought after console market with the PS3 (FFXI is one of the only other console MMOs), the game is already creating enormous positive buzz.

Runner Up - Star Wars: The Old Republic

The Old Republic, as the current most anticipated game on MMORPG.com as voted by the readers, would have been a great choice for top honors in this category. However, the editorial staff here at MMORPG.com remains dubious that a 2010 release date, even late into Q4 is what we're going to see from this new MMO incarnation of the Star Wars franchise. We feel that it is far more likely that Bioware will use some extra development time to bring the game to the level of polish that players will demand and see a release some time in 2011. We fully expect this game to get another kick at the most anticipated game can in next year's awards.