Beating the Odds – The Successful Online Game Community of DeX

Abstract

In this paper, we propose an in-depth case study of one successful online game community, Dungeon Eternal X (DeX). This user created and maintained game has been sustained for eight years, and continues to attract new users, while based on Neverwinter Nights, a game engine sold in 2002. We suggest that this case has the potential to challenge conventional views regarding online game communities and their members, and may offer indications of significance to educational game design and use.