However, the ability of a portable game to generate community is limited as its fragmented player-base does not share the same context the way they do in an MMO. The social context surrounding a game that one returns to frequently can often become more important than the game itself in creating long-term engagement. Creating this social context is part tech and part art – just look at the number of successful and failed MMOs.

So as a developer, I think you need to look at multiplayer as not only a tools question but also a social engineering one. Can your toolset enhance your ability to create the right social glue? Are you ready to spend time on that question or would you rather focus on a given game? Why will players return over time to give you money again and again? If you’re going to partner with another company to add value to your multiplayer efforts, what are their social engineering credentials?