ive come to a realization that you need your first impression to be a strong one when you make a game. often i find that when i play others games my mind will be made up within that first few minutes of viewing a persons game.

what do you desire a strong opening? what do you look for?

are you looking for something innovative? perhaps something strong to suggest a good story? maybe well connected elements like graphics and sequencing? what draws you in those initial few minutes of introduction and game play?

When I start a new game, I look to be impressed by it. Do the graphics look good? Is the music good? Do I like the character designs? Does something look cool, or on the other side of the coin, does something look out of place?

I also want an idea of how the game will play out, and get an idea on how it does things. Things like how it handles graphics and framerate, what kind of battle system it uses, how the characters talk and react, small stuff like that.

Easy. The game cannot start out boring. Let's use fu-ma as an example. We start off by being told to watch over the inn, and soon after go on a quest to collect 20 mushrooms. Absolutely nothing of interest happens during this time. There's no indication of what the story might be about, and the collection quest is an absolute chore. Why would anybody want to continue playing?

Then we have Gobli. It's a little better here, because we're introduced immediately with an interesting premise: you're controlling a monster whose sole purpose is to give the heroes experience points, and you wish that you could be a boss, instead. There's no action going on at the start, but the story is original enough that you want to see how it pans out.

Or, you could go the action route and do something like Final Fantasy 7. You're immediately thrust into battle, swinging your giant sword at security guards, delving into some sort of factory, until you have to deal with a giant robotic boss, and flee the factory before it explodes in "wow" fashion. Nevermind the fact that the next half-hour of the game or so is downright boring. The game's already got you hooked.

Could also go the pretty graphics route. Chrono Cross. Er, wait... bad example. Untamed Madness? No... Odinnnnno, that won't work, either.
...Well, it does work, anyway.

Usually a hint that the story is a good one will keep my attention. I also like how some games give you tasks to do that turn out to be a tutorial on the different aspects of the game. Gives me an idea on what to expect.

OH MY GOD DRAYGONE, TRUER WORDS WERE NEVER SPOKEN THAN YOURS ABOUT fu-ma!!!!!

Sorry, about that, let me calm done. (exhale). Yep, He is absolutely right. As a matter of fact, I think fu-ma had the absolute WORST beginning of ANY game I have ever played ever (for exactly the reasons Draygone expressed).

Gobli's beginning wasn't so bad but I got tired of waiting and button pressing the text to get to the action.

And yes that is what it is for me. I don't have to be immediately 'impressed' by anything per se. At some point it would be nice if I begin to become 'impressed' but really what I prefer most from the start is a very brief intro to give me just enough setting to get into the game and the some kind of action. I hate reading pages and pages of text or overly long cut scenes at the beginning.

Start the game with a major plot point. Basically, don't start with a fetch quest that has nothing to do with the game.