He becomes you, kind of. In addition to the thrill of escaping into various fantasy worlds, perhaps a more important aspect to online games is the socializing. It's a lot like a poker night, but in this case, the game is all about battle strategy and Schachtell's friends are scattered throughout Portland and Spokane rather than gathered around a kitchen table together. Thanks to the online games, they don't have to live in the same town to enjoy a little good-natured competition. Good games really create a sense of community.
Many people also enjoy playing card games such as Hearts online with each other.
In fact, Vechey's company, PopCap Games, is responsible for some of the most popular games on the Internet. Together these guys make simple puzzle games that are amazingly addictive. This kind of online game is popular with people surfing the Net on their lunch break. It gives them a quick diversion from the pressures of work. It's gone from two dimensional, to three dimensional and now it's going from three dimensional to online.