Breakfast Topic: MMO = MatchMaking Online?

The multiplayer in MMO seems to be catching on these days, but for reasons you might not expect. BBC online recently published an article discussing how MMOs in general and WoW in specific make a great place to build romantic relationships.

It used to be that when a couple explained that they met online, their friends would color with embarrassment or quite likely just plain laugh. But nowadays with the popularity of the Internet online rendezvous aren't as uncommon, and now it appears that MMOs are the new trend in online dating.

It makes a sort of sense, really. I was always told that dating in groups doing something you both enjoy was a perfect way to get to know someone in a safe setting. When you meet someone in WoW, you automatically have something in common: your love of the game. Grouping with a potential mate can give you insight to how they interact with people. Are they natural leaders, or are they unwilling to be generous with loot? These are all excellent indicators of how someone deals with people in the outside world.

The intimacy an MMO provides can take time in the real world, but in WoW you can whisper sweet nothings in someone's ear with a simple /w. This can naturally lead to issues on the other side of the spectrum though. Should your relationship break up, it may sour your love of the game, for instance. Even worse, you could fall prey to those who wear their characters as masks in order to lie to others. But really, are we any less honest online than we are during a first date in person?

All in all, WoW dating is definitely growing in popularity as more and more people encounter the game and see it as a way to connect with others for something more longterm than a raid. Have you any experience with WoW dating? Would you say that it is more or less realistic than dating in person?

[via BBC UK}