As games have expanded into virtual worlds with hundreds, thousands and now even millions of people interacting within their realms, the social and psychological issues of online interaction have gained increased importance. Julian Dibbell’s article tells an illustrative story of an event taking place in an early text-based MUD, but it provides much food for thought .
Dibbell, Julian (1993/1998) ‘A Rape in the Cyberspace (Or TINYSOCIETY, and How
to Make One)’. In: Julian Dibbell, My Tiny Life: Crime and Passion in a Virtual
World. New York: Henry Holt, pp. 11–30. Online: http://www.juliandibbell.com/texts/
bungle.html
This is the classic paper that is often quoted in studies into online player typologies, online sociology and player psychology:
Bartle, Richard (1996) ‘Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, Spades: Players Who Suit MUDs’. The Journal of Virtual Environments, 1(1). Online:
 | Bernie DeKoven on The Well Played Game |
 | imcarelli on Toward a Critical Vocabulary f… |
 | hasserved on What Video Games Have To Teach… |
 | frans on Game Studies Journal |
 | martinpi on Game Studies Journal |
An Introduction to Game Studies 