Primary research - asking questions|COP3

Maybe I'll never understand how twitter works, but sometimes I find it very helpful in approaching people. I came across the article on gamasutra website which led me to those two amazing chaps specilizing in gamefication.
Rich Wallace  and Andrzej Marczewski were kind enough to answer few questions I've prepared.

1.  When playing games, what elements would you describe as the most fun? R.W. : Collaboration with friends is always key for me.  I'm currently playing Portal 2 with a friend and solving puzzles together is great fun! A.M. : I like to explore a world, I love seeing where the edges are of the world.
2.  Is character gender important for you? R.W. : None.  I don't mind what I play as. A.M. : No
3. When creating avatar with character editor, what do you try to achive? R.W. : Depends on the game.  Sometimes it is nice to try to create yourself (ideal self) but in others inspiration comes from everyone.  I once had a character in City of Heroes call Samurai Jeff (based on Samurai Jack on Cartoon Network). A.M. : When I create a characters look, I usually try to make it as much like me as is possible.
4. Do you identify with your character? R.W. : Depends on the story/background and their progression. A.M. : I try to, especially if I can make them look like me!
5. What would you describe as a ''cool'' character design? R.W. : Difficult.  Any ability to customise your avatar is cool! A.M. : Cool character design is anything that allows me freedom to create what I want. I like to be able to add things like tattoos and get into the fine detail of what is worn.

For both character gender is unimportant, it's interesting gameplay, possible collaboration with friends, ability to explore the game space that keeps them playing. Personally, I find Rich Wallace answer to the second question especially good, since, instead of saying male or female he uses 'what' which could also indicate any other races/genders (e.g. Abe from Oddworld). However, character customization is important, just the use of it can be different. In Rich Wallace case it's all down to the type of game he is playing, while Andrzej Marczewski likes to make character similar to himself. It also impacts his identification with the avatar during the play. Moreover, both of them likes to change and add things to the character, freedom when customizing is an important factor.