I just though of a game I wouldn't mind playing the rest of my life ....

Chips Challenge.

It would probably take me the rest of my life to even beat it ...

I would say the original HL, if I could also include all of the mods.

If it was limited to one actual game or mod, I would probably say Day of Defeat... one of the pre-retail versions, probably version 2.1.

World of Warcraft, DoTA, Oblivion, Morrowind

too many to choose from

I'm surprised at the number of different responses. Cool. I may change my choice to an MMO if we're able to play online and get updates, but it sort of feels like cheating. It's just that MMOs are so big and even if you get bored of the game, at least you can chat with people.

exactly, and I don't know about the style of most MMO's but with WoW, the style of play changes dramatically by switching to a different character class (or in some cases even by just switching to a different talent spec), so replayability is unbeatable, even when you don't consider updates and the social factor.

The only thing is, when an expansion comes out, does that count as a different game? Cause if so, it would suck playing World of Warcraft, while everyone else is playing Wrath of the Lich King.

Assuming expansions were allowed, my alternate choice would be The Sims (1, 2, or 3 doesn't matter).

If I could only play one game for the rest of my life it would be the game where I go around smiting people who anger me.

RE5

Logically, if you're playing it for the rest of your life, an MMO isn't a good choice. People won't be playing WoW in 40 years.

good choice

I take mine back, it'd either pick Forza 3, or rFactor. No matter what I will always play racing games.

I take mine back too (Thief: TDP). It's a great game, and there's different ways to play it, but I want to change my vote to UT2004. <3

The original EverQuest, given that the populations were as high as they were in its golden age.

Morrowind. That game has so much **** you can do.

I wouldn't be so sure of that.
http://www.wow.com/tag/wow-population/
Granted the blog this picture is posted in is trying to debunk the data used for the graph, and it may contain inaccurate data... But here's another article:
http://www.stratics.com/node/31271
Here we're seeing that the population seems to have peaked in 2008. But keep in mind that when WoW: Cataclysm comes into play, it may begin to promote growth again. Also, consider that despite the economic crisis in the US the numbers are not going down, merely holding steady.

Bottom line is, it all depends on Blizzard and how they adapt to a changing world. But I think it's entirely plausible to imagine a thriving (or at least sustaining) World of Warcraft 40 years from now.

That is very unlikely any way you look at it. 40 years is a long time, and video games, technology and even the internet itself are bound to change significantly by then. A world of warcraft franchise installment perhaps, but World of Warcraft itself will innevitably be shut down. Even if players themselves don't get bored with it before them (and they'd have to be utterly insane not to) there will come a time where its simply not lucrative for Blizzard.

In 40 years we could even be post-singularity, there'll be a whole new kind of MMO if that happens.

It's hard to say... They will keep it going as long as it's profitable, and it will be profitable as long as people keep playing it. AC did a full graphics refresh at some point. Maybe not 40 years but I would be surprised if it was gone in less than 15 (from now).

Hell, it'll take another 40 years for Blizzard to even design a new WoW game, so... yeah It'll be around. Maybe we'll get Diablo 3 by then.

pokemanz

yeah i'm not saying i expect it to be around. 40 years may be pushing it, but i wont be incredibly shocked if it is.

And hell, even if the graphics engine starts to show it's age (hell some would say it already does), Blizzard could conceivably write a whole new engine and release it as an "expansion." I'd imagine it would be pretty complicated to make it backwards compatible and all that, but I don't imagine it's impossible.

Rapelay.