Hmm.. well... people have really talked about alot of the stuff I would talk about.. and I'm really not up to coming up with a laundry list of stuff...
Well... first off... from a marketing standpoint... ads really don't mean much... reviews mean alot more... at least to the hardcore gamer.
If I see an ad for a game, the first thing I think is not about the ad, it's about what credible authorities have said about the game. Is it something the gaming community is looking forward to? Is it perceived to be a potential flop? Is it revolutionary?
These are the questions that you ask. Alot of the problems you get when you make a game is coming up with something original. Sure, you can make say... a great strategy game. Really well balanced, and alot of fun. But if it's not too much different from say, Starcraft, then why would anyone want to play your game?
Alot of it is brand naming... if you say to a hardcore gamer: "id software" "valve" "blizzard" "maxis" "lucasarts" or something like that, there is a certain reverence associated with each name. Of course, the company must live up to the legend..
This isn't to say that startup companies can't make a successful game, not at all, there are plenty of companies that have done that.
But really, you should focus on being original and innovative... that will get you the positive reviews, and people will buy your game..
Another thing is balance... if the game isnt' balanced, it's not fun. For example, the sequel to Korsun Pocket, a very very good strategy game set in WWII, was crippled by poor balancing.
The sequel's scope is basically the russian front of WWII and about how the Russians sacrified men for time. Of course, the game didn't really build in morale and training as part of the simulation, and therefore the germans were horribly outnumbered in every scenario. The game was no longer fun.
Balance is even more important in games like Counter-Strike. If you change the damage value of a bullet, everyone notices. There have been treatises written on the differences between very similiar guns and entire strategies devoted to money management and soforth. Balance is immensely important in any game.
Lastly... community.... having an open, friendly, honorable community is very important. You might say this is impossible, because of human nature and the fact that you will always get some jerks in the community, but you can build in functions to encourage teamwork and cooperation...
And you can't stress the importance of immersion enough... if you aren't scared shitless when you walk around the corner and the guy is right in front of you, then it's not a good game. Everything from graphics to sound effects to music contributes to this...
That's my spiel. Deal.
