What's the Point?

I was playing Blood Bowl (the computerized version) last night when it hit me.

I had spent upwards of 4-6 hours on this singleplayer game, 1-1.5 hours per Blood Bowl match, in an elaborate chess-like turn-based game working my digital miniatures to greater gold and glory in a big sports campaign (didn't sleep until I won the trophy for one competition, either.)

If you look around, plenty more people are investing this sort of time into Torchlight, Dragon Age, Fallout 3 or Oblivion. For very little tangible return.

So why is it that people feel obliged to ask "What's the point?" of an MMO, but they don't direct the same question to playing singleplayer games?

Aren't singleplayer games even more pointless pursuit in the search of the elusive quantity of fun? You're not even interacting with anybody but yourself!

(This is great setup for a sexual analogy, but let's not go there...)

Bottom line is, I enjoy my singleplayer games, and I enjoy my MMOs, even if they don't do anything but give me warm fuzzy feelings in return for my time.

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Why do people find it necessary to flagellate themselves searching for the meaning of life in the one true MMO that will replace all forms of entertainment by being the ultimate total immersion experience, then whine about a pointless grind when they can't find that holy grail?

The grind IS gameplay. For that game.

I don't find it necessary to whine that a racing game involves pressing the accelerator and brake button repeatedly in strategic places while going in CIRCLES around a racetrack, and that we 'level' and progress through the game by grinding through tons and tons of racetracks.

If you like it, you play it? If you don't, you don't?

What in the world is different about MMOs? Is it the fact that there is a monthly subscription to justify and rationalize spending? (Nevermind that a singleplayer game costs about 2.5 months subscription.) Is it that the standard MMO, aka WoW in everyone's minds, plays the bait-and-switch gameplay card? So one has to put up with gameplay one does not like, in order to get at gameplay one does?

Different games test different things. Some test tactics and strategy. Some make you use your brain a lot. Some challenge your reflexes, or your visceral response. Some are about persistence and endurance. In return, you get varied kinds of enjoyment and fun.

Why do we keep whining that one MMO didn't give you the fun that you liked? Maybe, just maybe, it isn't trying to be all things to all people.