Mining for Mind Diamonds

Super thought provoking article. As a lifetime hoarder and collector of shiny things, I keep thinking, "But I want to be played!" Then again, maybe MMOs are sneakier than Facebook, who hits you with a marketing 2x4 of BUY THIS GAME OR THE PUPPY GETS IT!

http://www.cracked.com/article_18461_5-creepy-ways-video-games-are-trying-to-get-you-addicted.html

People scoff at this idea all the time ("You spent all that time working for a sword that doesn't even exist?") and those people are stupid. If it takes time, effort and skill to obtain an item, that item has value, whether it's made of diamonds, binary code or beef jerky.

This is what most of us don't get in everyday life--quick, tangible rewards. It's less about instant gratification and more about a freaking sense of accomplishment. How much harder would we work at the office if we got this, and could measure our progress toward it? And if the light shot from our crotch?