I'll take a look.

As far as MMOs go, I'd actually say design is less important. For me, it's all about the social side of things.

Personally I don't think games are any less fun (never played a MMO game though). They are more sophisticated and I think as gamers we are more demanding but that doesn't mean they can't suck you in. Recently I had a blast with Far Cry 2 (despite it's flaws/mechanics) and Dead Space sucked me right in. Actually the game I am loving the most at the moment is the demo for Peggle. Must. Stop. Peggling!

Games are still fun. You just have to play the right ones.

It is the friends I make in the game that keep me coming back. At the moment i have some good ones in - - of all places Toontown Online so I go back there often so I can stay in touch.

And believe it or not that game is really quite fun

Also there is a majority of adults - so the social atmosphere can be quite interesting.

I have made friends there from all over the world the same as I have at Gamespot

People in live games DO make the game that is why I still play MUDs. But the point that he is making from a design point of view that may be applied to any game. And honestly I suspect he is correct in the assesment that many times we are just playing the same game over and over. I have not had a real surprise in a storyline in an RPG for a long time, nor have I had much of anything that indicates to me that the coders and designers have fun making the game. Revenant was the last one I saw that had anything to indicate that the designers or programmers just enjoyed making some of the stuff and that engine left much to be desired once you got into endgame. Again they probably were more concerned with 'making a date' than releasing a well designed game and engine.