I don't know how many of you got this in your emails, but on Friday I received an EA survey link asking me about my experience MOH: Airborne, and after that it was loaded with some targeted questions which gave away what the next MOH game will probably focus on.
I wrote that I really enjoyed MOH: Airborne (I really did, and think it's the best MOH in years), and then took the questionnaire.
Apparently there's going to be another Airborne-style game in the series, and from the questions asked it seems they're targeting a 20-hour single player experience that crosses back-and-forth both the European and Pacific theaters of WWII, focusing on a small squad of Elites that are dropped behind enemy lines for disruption purposes. I was asked to choose from a series of names for this installment, and to suggest a percentage split of where the game takes place (I put it at 75% Pacific theater, since we don't get to see that as much, and 25% European Theater). There weren't many questions about multiplayer, although they asked if the "drop anywhere" feature was enjoyable (it was, for the two or three games I even played online). And, I was asked about Co-op. I'd guess they're thinking about dropping MP versus matches from MOH altogether in favor of a co-op campaign, which would be great.
Then I was asked where I would like to see the MOH series head in future entries. The list included The Korean War, The Civil War, Modern Combat, and Future War. I wouldn't mind seeing a decent Civil War game (it wasn't all about lining up and shooting each other - my brother was a CW reenactor and history buff, and there was a bunch of devious guerrilla fighting which would be kinda cool to see in a game), but in the comments area for that section I suggested they stick with WWII. COD has moved on, Brothers in Arms has about two games left in the series (including the one releasing next year) before they're wrapped up, Hour of Victory was a wretched piece of shit so that "franchise" is stillborn - they've pretty much got the field to themselves as far as WWII FPS go. I'd like to see them go into a quasi-fictional take on WWII, like the last level of Airborne - sort of edge around RTCW territory and go a little nuts. That last "Deathstar" area with the Flak Tower in Airborne was a blast.
I still like WWII shooters, because I enjoy the atmosphere and the history of the time period. If you're bored to death with them, I understand, but modern combat scenarios are going to get old 10X as quickly as WWII because that's where every other FPS series is headed all at once. And, when it all comes down to it, they're still the same old games with new skins and weapons. I think EA could still have success with MOH remaining set in WWII, since as I wrote above they're about to have that scene to themselves.