That question is posed and answered in MrBTongue's latest YouTube video regarding "The Un-Ruining of the MMO". If you are unfamiliar with his videos, he posts videos filled with dry humor and thoughtful comparisons of video games to other forms of social/historical media. Its not everyone's cup of tea, but its worth a watch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvK8fua6O64