Re: your thoughts: endless v.s. goal orientated
It depends. Some endless games can be fun, provided the actual mechanics or core concept of the game is fun, like Planetside which is multiplayer. Other single player games I think can benefit from an optional end state that you can do, but otherwise ignore to play in the sandbox of the world itself.
An example of this compromise is games like the original Mechwarrior 1 published 1989. In this game your set down in an endless world of mech combat, but given a specific goal of finding your parents killers within 1 in game year. If you take to long, you'll lose your opportunity to beat the game and be stuck in endless mode. Similar'ish styles would be games like Morrowind, Skyrim, or Fallout 3, with concrete quest lines and end goals, though I don't think those games actually end when you finish the goal.
tl;dr: Having an optional in game end trigger to your adventures in an endless world (other than death) can provide a nice sense of closure to an otherwise fulfilling experience.
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