As a former journalist, I understand the apprehension of anything new and unproven. The dotcom era, and bust, taught us to be cautious of anything that might over promise or sound too good to be true - and "free" really does sound too good to be true. It took some time, but alas free-to-play games and social gaming - which have been proven for years now - are gaining cred with the press. "Online multiplayer" is no longer a bolt-on afterthought in a game's design, but a core concept. Multiplayer in Modern Warfare 2 is why I want to tell Infinity Ward that I want my life back. Social gaming is what makes us take our phones into places where we used take a magazine or newspaper. And "free to play" is becoming legit to more than just teenagers without credit cards.

At the end of every year we see editorial commentary and round up stories of the previous 12 months. And this was a good week of round ups - from a look back at the year's "free to play" progress (an up year in a down economy), to the best games of the year. I always love reading these kinds of stories, and I am glad to see that the press is starting to pay more attention to free-to-play and social games. I am optimistic that the social entertainment genres will continue to gain momentum in 2010 - and so will the press coverage.

Jason Wonacott

Wonacott Communications