GameDaily BIZ: Study: Want to Make a Friend for Life? Play an MMORPG

My Wife and I have started playing WoW together. It's the first time that she's every really played a computer game and it's been a lot of fun seeing the game through totally unjaded eyes. I get to see her frustrations and small triumphs of learning and understanding the game mechanics and UI and we are having a good time, too.

The reason we started now is that I'm required to play WoW by my new job - Production Director at ZeniMax Online Studios. I've avoided it (although I've played lots of other MMOs over the years) because, with a one year old, a high stress job (the old one), and a house that needs constant attention, I figured I just didn't have the time, and I knew I'd enjoy it. Turns out, I do. I'm having trouble not playing lots while she isn't around.

We've had several topics come up because of the shared experience.
- the appropriateness of children playing in an environment where they can 'talk to strangers'
- the need to make the interface easier to use (especially movement controls)
- online relationships - why and how
- TV vs. Games
- Outside vs. Inside play
- Reading vs. Games as a learning tool

Most of the conversations have ended with either "Everything in Moderation" or "yeah, that's a potential problem, we'll have to consider that" (either something to consider as parents or something that my company needs to work on in order to make it more 'friendly' to new users)

More later on details, but it's been fascinating, in any case.