[Hypes]

This really applies to any MMO, rather than just WoW. It's hard to pinpoint why exactly these games are so addictive, seeing as it's mostly just repetition of the same basic tasks ad nauseum. I think there are a number of attractions in gameplay found in MMOs, such as the development of your own character to become as good as you possibly can be (in turn branching out into player versus player competition, or just plain bragging rights), the massive social element of it, or the breadth of the world itself and the lore. In regards to the latter, popular MMOs that have been going for a few years are constantly updated with new content, giving you something new, or even an entirely new or different game, to explore.

For most people, it's an amalgamation of all these; for me the attraction lies in getting a group of players together and achieving a certain goal through teamwork. Mostly in a player versus player environment. For me, this is the ultimate challenge and why I keep returning to the MMOs I play. For others, especially in WoW, it's the same basic principle, but through PvE content such as raiding that give that same fix. In essence, overcoming a challenge and making friends is the process is the holy grail in MMOs. The nature of the challenge varies, of course.

As for packing up his computer and going to a friend's house to do the same thing he could be doing at home, for me that would simply be an extension of the social aspect of the game. Playing with someone who's essentially faceless can't hold a candle to being in the same room with them while gaming. Add onto the fact that it makes everything much simpler due to better communication, there's no reason to sit alone when you can enjoy the company of others while doing the same thing. It's just a much more personal experience.