I think the friendship bond is stronger than what many would think. I remember a guy who helped me out when I first started playing, and we eventually would team up in the game all the time. And a few years later, we met back up in Guild Wars. MMORPGS are also a great way to keep in touch with real life friends. I have some that I only get to see once a year, so this was a really great way to 'hang out' with them, even if it was on the internet.