There's an interesting discussion underway at Terra Nova, the leading forum on the potential and the significance of virtual worlds, about what would happen if the Massively Multiplayer Online Game genre started including features of non-game social software like Orkut and Friendster. The idea posed is that not only would you know that the fellow members of your group are level 20 orcs, but they're also into black comedy, long walks on the beach and the early works of Aleister Crowley.
I wonder if MMOs can learn from social worlds (or more usefully social software) in this regard. MMOs -are- a form of social software but maybe there are things that they could do within the information space to help.
In fact even social worlds might learn from social software. Second Life has its clubs and groups but the kind of social network information space provided by the likes of Orkut or Linked-in would be handy.
But would the addition of this soft of information be a welcome or useful addition to a traditional MMO? For example one could optionally include social meta-data to one's character profile and optionally have this information displayed.
Would this work, creating stronger ties between proximal strangers, or would it get in the way of the game, like when you're on a quest and some random joker pings you 'cause he or she likes the same books you've listed on your profile? Further, would it limit the possibilities of interacting with people whom you'd never have come across in the first place because players would seek group members that "match" them in real life as well as online life?
While I'm a huge proponent of virtual worlds as social worlds, I don't know if this would be in the best interest of game makers or game players because it could reduce the immersion of the games. For the same reason that speed dating in the dark works (ha ha ha), there's something magical about meeting a person about whom you know absolutely nothing and getting along with them in an utterly un-real world. The relationship can then unfold as the associated partners disclose more and more information about themselves - as they see fit. Otherwise, I see this inclusion as something that might restrict the unique aspects of anonymity in virtual spaces.
Introducing meta-social network services in a world like Second Life, which is less a game than an online space, could work depending upon your motivation for using it. In a game like World of Warcraft, having it as an optional extra might be the best solution.
