I was ill for 4-5 years, and i played alot of games to pass the time and forget about the pain. That's a long story in of itself, but WoW was my first and only mmo.
Gaming isn't my favorite thing to do, but if i was labeled a gamer, i'd be called a 'competitive gamer.' This means i revel in besting others, usually in a player vs player environment. I enjoy a coop now and then, but at heart i thrive in competition.
WoW is definitely successful because it appeals to so many people. Most are just casual junkies who chat alot and do some adventuring. For my friends and me, it was about pwnin nubs, trashtalking, and rising to the top, and then rising to the top with handicaps. A nice hangout on ventrilo to bullshit about life and make fun of each other, and plenty of prey to annihilate in game, was the main draw of WoW.
The game got stale though, and required too much time, and my improving physical health meant it was time to move on, to pick up school, fitness, and everything else where i left it off 5 years ago.
I hope my WoW buds keep in touch, theyre funny guys, like guys you'd go out drinking with, or play ball with.