Please read it before reading my post - otherwise much of what I say won't make much sense.
This article raises several interesting points, and I don't necessarily agree with all of them. In particular, the point about online friends. I've made some really good friends online, and eventually met them in real life. To say an online friendship isn't concrete is really unfair. This isn't to say I don't have regular friends either - I also play board games once every other week or so, and go out for dinner with my roommate/friend twice a week. I just find it even easier to meet people a lot like you online, doing the things you do.
One of the reasons MMO games are so successful is the social aspect. In an MMO, you're part of something. It's like team sports - you're appreciated as part of a team, people know your name (or Screenname, depending on how picky you are about private info). More than any other reason I'd say MMOs are successful because of the feeling that people get - the one where they're part of something bigger than themselves. If people are depending on you for something, then you're more likely to do it.
Posts: 39 | Registered: Apr 2007
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I think either medium allows you to foster relationships or ignore them as you choose. I've certainly had live social interactions where I forgot all about what we did, the people involved or what was discussed by the next day; I've been part of MMO guilds where I knew most of the members' real names, approximate addresses, what they looked like, was invited to visit them, etc.
You get what you want out of it, really.
Posts: 4313 | Registered: Sep 2004
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I really enjoy tabletop gaming, be it cards games (in any form), board games, or even the enigmatic DnD. But computers, and to a lesser extent, console games, are what I really enjoy.
Posts: 39 | Registered: Apr 2007
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