MMOs are a fully fleshed out hobby, such as being part of a sports team. Raiding or doing PvP 2-3 evenings of the week, just like going to a training and a beer afterwards, is the sensible way to play the game. Many end up logging in way too often and long though, at least  at some point in time. Anyways, the best time to be had in an MMO, are the first few months after a new big content cycle hits (the release of the game or an addon). During that phase, MMOs are actually quite a lot of fun. The sense of exploration and progression is something to behold. Playing an MMO excessively every now and then has its charm and isn't too harmful.

It's about knowing, when to stop. The inevitable grind turns the relationship to any MMO into a work relationship after a while. It isn't that much fun anymore, but you don't stop playing, because you have invested so much effort and time into the game. Also, the longer you play an MMO, the harder it gets to leave the folks behind, you played with for that long. I believe, every gamer will end up being obsessed with an MMO at some time. As the technology progresses, more genres will become viable to be designed as an MMO. There's just something about playing in a bigger pond. More fish to fry.

Still, the MMO scale is limiting 'twitch-style' gameplay at the moment and thus MMOs are limited in appeal. I'd say MMOs are a decade behind in terms of 'twitch-style' gameplay. They just can't do, what smaller scale online multiplayer games can do and won't for the foreseeable future. Still, I'd say every avid gamer should try playing an MMO. Just budget, how much time you want to sink into it. Set a date, at which you will stop to play the game and let nature take its course 'til then. Call it quits, no matter how hard you  want to play on. You got to play an MMO on your terms, and that's that.

The only MMO I've ever played was Runescape.  But I might be interested in playing the Old Republic when it comes out.  That means a new computer.   :(

*raising hand* Never played a second of it, and barely even watched footage of it being played.

Last time I did anything approaching an MMO experience was playing a MUD in some computer labs in 1996.

Never played it, with the exception of Final Fantasy and Fallout not much of an RPG guy, the world it's set in isn't my thing either (elves, dwarfs, trolls etc) for the record i'm not an MMO hater can't wait for Old Republic as I do like most things Star Wars.

I've never touched it.

No interest at all.

I probably will never play it. The last MMORPG I played was FFXI back in 2005. since then I've been avoiding MMO's like the plague.

Nope, never touched it. But I am drinking a bottle of Mountain Dew gamer fuel, with some chick from WOW on it. It's pretty tasty stuff.

Never!

Nada.

I'm sure there are lots of gamers out there who have never played WoW. I personally loved my time on the game and while I did think the subscription fees were rather costly I found it an all-round very well made game. I find a lot of the complaints about the game come from people who claim it lacks originality in comparison to other modern MMOs but the matter of the fact seems to be that a lot of modern MMORPGs do in one way or another take influence from WoW.

i never played i don't want my soul to be taken by the game.

I know i would lost all semblence of a life if I started playing it (not to mention the fees) so i've actively avoided becoming involved. I even have two months free from PAX last year that i havent used. 

i never did and it makes me sad inside

Played it for an hour and got sick of it due to being boring.

Never played it, but the knights of the old republic might get me into an mmo.  

I tried the EVE free trial, I guess WoW wouldn't be too far of a leap form there. *shrugs*

though there is a distinct possibility that I'll be playing ToR and the star trek MMO concurrently, so I'll refrain from the trash talk.

I played it for a year.  Started around March, after BC was recently released.  Ended around January 2009.  Was okay.  I couldn't play it forever though.

Most of my friends who started WoW (around the time I started) have stopped playing.  So it's in no way "addictive".  If you feel this way, it's YOUR problem.

If you're looking to play it, play the trial (duh, pretty obvious right?).  Don't feel that you should dedicate it 90% of your life around it, it's a game after all.

Also, Bananas are awesome.

Just play it. I don't like it anymore, but that's because I've played it for 4 years, if you start now you should at least enjoy for about... 4 years.

My next stop on the MMO train: Aion.

I've never played WoW and I don't see a reason to pay $15 a month just to play one game. I don't want to be consumed by a game.

World of Warcraft, at its core gameplay mechanics is a watered down RPG at best. The game is not really that fun or engaging and the only reason people still play it, is because of millions of other people playing it. The game is an infinite grind to get the best gear and involves hardly any skill at all. If you want a game that is constantly engaging your creativity and thinking capacities.. try something else.

i played it for about 15 minutes and never touched it again.  boring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not my bag at all. I even thought of getting the free trial but even on a 20mb line it was going to take 16 hours....

" Never played WoW.  But  Isn't Halo a MMO? Isn't wow and Mmo-RPG?  WEird I always thought their was a difference. 

Leroy Jenkins?  LoL  Thats where that came from!  I have never seen the original before.  Thats crazy!  I always thought that started somewhere in Halo 2. 

Anyway, I only play MMOs like CoD 4, Halo 3, Left4dead, and Killzone 2.  You know FPS MMOs.  I found this yesterday on Youtube.  Kinda funny, that they get into it so much.  RIgt?  LOL!!!  They need to buy a 360!  That 11 million players has got to be crap.

  

"

I played it for a few hours logged off and never could muster any interest to log back on.

I tried it once and it made me bored as hell, I just dont like MMO games I suppose but Im hoping that The Old Republic will change my mind

This shit is bananas

You really should give it a try if you can still get that free trial, I had an awesome time playing it for three (four?) years.

I stopped playing a few months ago because I really didn't have time to play it every day, and I felt bad about that monthly fee when I couldn't play it as much as I liked.

I still miss playing it sometimes. It's a good game!

NEVER

I've spent about 3 years of constant WoW-playing and it is without a doubt the best multiplayer experience I've ever had. The dedication, skill, teamwork and coordination it takes to play at the high end level of the game is what it's all about and it's painfully fun while you do it. Well it was to me at least :). I haven't played it seriously for about a year now, mostly because I have no interest in going back in to that world. I know it'll be the same as every other time I log in. I log in, remember why I stopped playing and I log out again. With that said, I wish I could forget everything I knew about the game and start playing again, because that first period of time with the game was AWESOME!

I have never even seen it played.

Tried the trial for 3 days, one of the worst games I've played. Got to level 10 and just stopped, I gave it more then a fair a chance and was left flabbergasted at how anyone could play this game. Go here kill 5 of these, take this to that guy, go there kill 10 of these, get x amount of wild boar meat bla bla bla. Grind grind grind, they took the least fun aspect of RPGs and made a game out of it.

I've never played it although my ex-girlfriend played it tons and tried to get me into it, I don't think it's the game for me although I do like mmo's...

O well maybe one day if it was cheaper. :P

*raising hand* No interest, thank you.

I've never played it. Too intimidating.....

" I've never played it. "

I don't want to play it, too many other games to play.

I"ve never played.  A bunch of my friends do, they tell me I should play, but I just don't get where the fun and joy of paying money to run around and click on stuff a bunch comes from.  That probably sounds like a terrible reason but I don't know how to put it into better words.

Also I'm already paying enough for LIVE.

I've never played an MMORPG before but today I was getting something at Target and saw Oblivion GOTY edition on sale... I walked away from it as quickly as possible to avoid having my social life taken from me. 

I too am afraid to play that game. My social life depends on it!

MMOs aren't my cup of tea. I do like RPGs but I never saw the attraction of weekly raids or PVP matches. Not to mention I couldn't picture myself playing one game for so long. I mean I played Oblivion for over 300 hours combined and I thought THAT was a damn long time.

Me, me!  I've never played WoW!

Don't nobody look at my achievements...

me, not paying for a game, then payiin a monthly subscription for that game, not happenin