I hear some of my fellow students discussing Second Life as though it were a game. I don't play any MMORPGs (except for a brief look at Knight Online), and I have to say that I don't have the faintest idea how people can confuse a really complex and variable avatar environment with playing a game where there is some skill involved. They are interested in social networking and that sort of thing but it just irritates me that as soon as people see something 3D on a computer screen they almost automatically assume its a game, and once more that it is essentially for "those sorts of people".
I know there are islands within Second Life that are for playing games, but this seems to me to be contrary to some of the things one wants from a game, like immersion and fun.
I myself am not a big fan of MMORPGs because there doesn't seem to be a nice arc of story and tension and glory that keep one playing. Its all about item collecting. And yes that can be fun, but doesn't it just eventually feel empty. How many Legos do you need to actually have fun playing with them? What is the point?
Maybe "what is the point?" isn't the right question though. I am sure you've read good stories. A good story is not just about meaning but the wholeness of it. Or maybe even the parts that make you think after its over. I want games that have give me a sense of completion when they attempt to have a story, not an endless set of tasks.
That is unless I am playing a strategy game, but that's a whole other animal altogether.