Isn't it a bit naive to call these products 'virtual worlds' instead of 'games'? It's not like most players will perceive the product itself other than as a game. In the end, the ultimate goal of most mmorpg's out there right now is to have a high-ranked character. Gaining experience has almost become a goal in itself, often making up for the large gap of content in the game. Sometimes I start wondering why I'm so excited about this genre – I usually do that while killing stupid monsters all alone, over and over again, while watching an experience bar fill at a snail's pace. You probably know the feeling. Does the background story, all the talk about lore, about role-playing, about magic, weapons, realism... does it really matter?