Unlike some games, which last a long time but have high player turnover, Threshold has many of its players remaining for years - quite a few have been playing for over a decade. Because the game is constantly having new content added, it's practically impossible to exhaust it through playing; it is possible to paint your character into a corner, but even then you can just create a new character and explore some new aspect of the game. I've been playing for nearly seven years, and there's heap...
Nah, that's not the reward for dying. The reward for dying is far more... interesting. But, there's not a player of Threshold who's not VERY familiar with the death picture; which must say something about the game, because people still want to keep playing after they die - unlike many games, where a death is discouraging enough to make you quit the game and go play Tetris.