This study explores the mechanics and perceptions of cybersex interactions in massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs) and examines the potential for cybersex in gaming to revolutionize sexuality politics. Drawing on ethnographic and in-depth interview data with fifty MMORPG players, the author examines how cybersex interactions are performed, the context in which they are allowed, and the assessments players make about the utility of cybersex. The author suggests that cybersex has yet to embrace a broader spectrum of sexuality even in strictly virtual interactions.
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