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Not-so-simply put, this phenomenon creates crass, bitter RP'ers who oftentimes end up having difficulty when they eventually move on to a true roleplaying game; like the man stuck in solitary confinement for thirty years, they tend to become their own island.
That said, though, RPE's are oftentimes the budding grounds for future rp'ers, as those HnSers who start searching for something more. This is one of the two reasons I'm not out starting a jihad against RPE's. The other, of course, is that there are some people who actually enjoy the lack of pressure that RPE's have, as since there are no palpable gains or losses from how 'good' or 'serious' of a roleplayer you are, whatever you do is welcome. It tends to morph into light and whimsical behavior that verges on AOL chatroom emotes that some people enjoy *immensely*.
How can it be fixed, though? I don't think there is a way. There will always be a palpable benefit for games to attract the roleplaying crowd (as some rp'ers will stay for the HnS), and a lot of work involved in making it truly an RPI. Unless the administrators truly want to revamp their game into a new creature, there is no way (that I've seen) to shift the roleplaying environment into something more than a toolbox.
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