World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King

Hands up - who needs more reasons to play World of Warcraft? Anyone? Bueller? Tough. World of Warcraft is expected to receive its second expansion sometime in 2008, and it's bound to provide its vast player base with even more reasons to never leave the house. Lich King raises the level cap to 80, provides a whole new continent to explore, introduces at least one new class, and much more. Like its predecessor, Burning Crusade, expect it to become an essential purchase for any Warcraft fan.

Fallout III

The Fallout name is revered among PC gamers, who associate it with a series of superb, old-school turn-based RPGs that still command a substantial fan following. Now the series is in new hands, and a new Fallout game is on the way - but even if you didn't play the first couple of games, there's still plenty about Fallout 3 to raise your pulse. How does a plot-driven adventure in a post-apocalyptic, Mad Max-style world sound? If it's in the hands of Bethesda, the studio behind the critically-acclaimed Oblivion series, it sounds mighty fine. 

Final Fantasy XIII

Does this RPG series really need an introduction? Little is known about Final Fantasy XIII beyond what we've gleaned from the snippets of video footage Square-Enix has allowed to trickle forth. But we can guarantee this much: it will feature the return of the highly successful Active Time Battle system from FFXII, which melds turn-based and real-time concepts, and take place in a sleek, sci-fi inspired word. Whether or not it'll actually make it out in 2008 is a lottery, but don't bother checking your local game outlet until the holiday season rolls around again.

Spore

We've been waiting for Sims creator Will Wright's newest game for ages. EA is being coy about a release date, but it's a distinct possibility that we'll see it hit the streets next year. Whereas The Sims let you simulate the lives of virtual people - including jobs, relationships, going to the bathroom, and getting set on fire - Spore lets you create your own lifeform. It will start as a single-celled organism, evolve through phases that involve creating tribes and managing civilizations, and end up colonizing the universe. It's an ambitious brief, to be sure, but Will Wright is probably the one designer capable of pulling it off. 

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Ever wondered what it'd be like to be an uber-powerful Jedi, but without all those namby-pamby rules and ethical codes? Force Unleashed will give you the chance to play the role of a dark Jedi and, in the words of the creators, "kick ass with the Force." Thanks to innovative technology, Force Unleashed simulates the behavior of substances like wood, glass, and metal so that scenery can shatter and deform as it's struck by other objects. Objects like, say, a flying stormtrooper. Sweet. It's going to be released on just about every console, but the Wii version is attracting particular interest thanks to its promise of realistic lightsaber-swinging controls.