I used to think I wanted a higher purpose in games, but what I really wanted was a community with some kind of large-scale competition. The MMOFPS Planetside 2 gives me that, but I get the impression you can also get it from Eve, from competitive gaming scenes, from traditional MMOs, or even from older things like MUDs.
Friendly competition with and against thousands of other people is like a higher purpose, but it's more pragmatic, easier to find, and probably more fulfilling than a game with a higher purpose but no community.
Friendly competition with and against thousands of other people is like a higher purpose, but it's more pragmatic, easier to find, and probably more fulfilling than a game with a higher purpose but no community.