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June 20, 2003

"Friends are the ultimate exploit"

The Sopranos Meets EverQuest - Social Networking in Massively Multiplayer Online Games:

The offline ties between players also serve as an important component in the enjoyment of the game... Sometimes the offline/online similarities mesh even more, as when a gaming society in a small Swedish town decided to take on EQ. It is not at all unusual to find groups of friends move from one game to another. In such situations the game simply becomes a new environment for a preexisting social network to inhabit.
If you want to see smart mobs in action, MMOGs are a great place to look.