Multiplayer game designer Raph Koster offers some observations on the Lifecycles of a Gamer:
In many ways, we are all heading for a Socialization Destination. Everyone gets bored of a given virtual world. They then hang out there only because it’s where their friends are. The games in these worlds are like the beer at a bar, the rides at a carnival. They are diversions, and the point for most ends up being the other people.
Something I’ve heard over and over: “if it weren’t for the people, I’d have left this game by now.”
Which is why I’m more interested in organizing regular group activities these days, I suppose: it’s things like Monday Munchies and regular task forces and events that pull together all the people I really like playing with that, for whatever of a 100 different reasons, I don’t get to see in game with the same regularity as in the past.
Agreed. I’m glad you are less sucky at actually doing some of that org work (a lot of that org work) than I am. I’m fortunate enough to have some persistent duoing to have the social fun — but I do enjoy the multi-player play.