multigamer online games, and our experiences within them, don't always fit into neat categories like "Fantasy" and "Sci-fi." The depth of these games -- in terms of setting, general tone, opposition faced (gamers or NPCs), how we envision ourselves in these games, and how that affects our playstyles -- gives way to a wide range of differing viewpoints among gamers on those very same games.
Sanya Weathers of gamerDNA explores how we view our games in her column "MMORPG Focus: Traits of Popular Subscription Games". For those unfamiliar with gamerDNA, it's a social network for gamers which touts a new feature called the Discovery Engine. It allows its users to assign different traits to the games they play -- or create their own -- which in turn provides metrics for gamerDNA, and a collective glimpse into how we relate to our games. The effects Weathers gathered from gamerDNA's trait system were a bit unexpected, heading her to say, "Either we have a massive identity crisis here in the gaming world, or what you think you are has nothing to do with the games you play. Rampant individualists for the win!"
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