Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[GamerDNA: A brief look at free to play games]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/gamerdna-a-brief-look-at-free-to-play-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/gamerdna-a-brief-look-at-free-to-play-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/gamerdna-a-brief-look-at-free-to-play-games/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

By Sanya Weathers for GamerDNA

When you're the market leader in MMO games, you can afford to do a little innovating - though not so much as to disturb or ruffle the customers you've already acquired. When you're making a top drawer MMO with thirty million dollars of other people's money, you can't afford to innovate. Refinements, sure. But no big risks.

So where's the innovation? These days, you see it in the free to play genre, and its close cousin, the "freemium" game. Both of these games make their money from microtransactions. In order to get a customer to fork over a microtransaction, these games require customers that are vested into the world.

But free to play means the player has invested nothing but the time spent downloading the product. And there's a perception among some industry professionals that "easy come, easy go."

Gallery: GamerDNA: A brief look at free to play games

Average days played per weekAverage hours per sessionAverage days played, first five weeksAverage hours per session, five weeksTop games for...

Continue reading GamerDNA: A brief look at free to play games

MassivelyGamerDNA: A brief look at free to play games originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>f2pfree-to-playgamer-dnagamerdnasanya-weathersWed, 10 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GamerDNA honored in AlwaysOn East 100 ]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/14/gamerdna-honored-in-alwayson-east-100/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/14/gamerdna-honored-in-alwayson-east-100/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/14/gamerdna-honored-in-alwayson-east-100/#commentsFiled under: ,

When it comes to communities where you can track your online gaming, there are tons to choose from. You can chat, message, list characters, post screenshots... sure. That said, one of our favorites has to be GamerDNA. Not only is the site run by a bunch of gamers who are absolutely passionate about what they do, but they aren't just working on their site and leaving it at that as so many other sites seem content to do. The people over at GamerDNA reach out into the community, using the information they've gathered from members to point out really interesting and enlightening things about how and why we're playing too - not just what we're playing. That's why when we heard they'd been honored this year as part of the AlwaysOn East 100, we were thrilled.

The AlwaysOn East 100 award is a way to reward "private, emerging technology companies creating new business opportunities in high-growth markets." Essentially, what that means to those of you who aren't keeping an eye on tech startups is that they kick butt and take names - and people from gamers to investors - are taking notice. Frankly, it's a richly-deserved award for an awesome bunch of people we've been lucky enough to work with from time to time. We can't wait to see what the next 12 months holds for them as they continue building their site, and their community. Grats!

MassivelyGamerDNA honored in AlwaysOn East 100 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 May 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alwaysonalwayson-east-100-awardawardawardsgamerdnagamingplayersThu, 14 May 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Gamer DNA: Plenty of market opportunity in MMOs [part 2]]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/05/gamer-dna-further-conclusions-from-digging-deep-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/05/gamer-dna-further-conclusions-from-digging-deep-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/05/gamer-dna-further-conclusions-from-digging-deep-part-2/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Continue reading Gamer DNA: Plenty of market opportunity in MMOs [part 2]

MassivelyGamer DNA: Plenty of market opportunity in MMOs [part 2] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 May 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chartseditorialgamer-dnagamerdnaguest-editorialmmommogsanya-weathersstatisticsTue, 05 May 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Gamer DNA: Plenty of market opportunity in MMOs]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/05/gamer-dna-further-conclusions-from-digging-deep/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/05/gamer-dna-further-conclusions-from-digging-deep/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/05/gamer-dna-further-conclusions-from-digging-deep/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Today, we have another in a continuing series of articles written by the highly talented Sanya Weathers for GamerDNA. In this, her latest column, Sanya looks into the numbers and just what the breakdown for MMO players means.

When you compare groups of MMO consumers, grouped by game title, it's easy to be overwhelmed by World of Warcraft's market dominance. Indeed, many developers have learned the wrong lessons from Blizzard's success, and copied/are copying WoW features - without copying WoW's reasoning, methodology, or execution. The results are products that feel derivative and incomplete, with features that the consumers identify as being less than organically developed. Furthermore, WoW's market reach is so extensive that the most influential players in a social network sense will identify a borrowed feature as being WoW's (even if WoW itself borrowed the feature), and cost the new product credibility as innovators.

Still, when you just look at the data, it's hard to avoid the desire to copy WoW. As we saw last week, WoW players log in more often, and play for longer sessions.

Continue reading Gamer DNA: Plenty of market opportunity in MMOs

MassivelyGamer DNA: Plenty of market opportunity in MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 May 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chartseditorialgamer-dnagamerdnaguest-editorialmmommogssanya-weathersstatisticsTue, 05 May 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How much do guilds matter?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/25/how-much-do-guilds-matter/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/25/how-much-do-guilds-matter/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/25/how-much-do-guilds-matter/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Today, we have another in a continuing series of articles written by the highly talented Sanya Weathers for GamerDNA. In this, her latest column, Sanya runs down some interesting and illuminating statistics about players and guilds, and just how they fit in to the macrocosm of MMOs.

A long time ago, in a fantasy world far far away, I wrangled guilds as part of my job. At first, I wrangled them because it was terribly efficient for one person struggling with a beta. Why deal with thousands of individuals when I could deal with fifty, and put them in charge of their own groups? Guild leaders will always be more informed, more tuned in, and better suited to herding their own cats than a studio representative could ever be.

But what started as expediency turned in to more.

As a community weenie, I had my dearly beloved "frequent flyers" - people who sent in feedback, usually through email no matter how many systems I built for them to use, with a regularity previously reserved for clocks, robots, and dripping faucets. If it was 3 PM on a Thursday, it was time to get mail from him, him, her, and what I was pretty sure was a him but hadn't ever asked.

Continue reading How much do guilds matter?

MassivelyHow much do guilds matter? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>change-in-levelclass-breakdownfeaturedgamer-dnagamerdnaguildguilded-vs-unguildedguildsjoystiqfeaturesmetricssanya-weathersstatisticstime-playedunguildedWed, 25 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Can your other favorite games be predicted based on your most played?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/12/can-your-other-favorite-games-be-predicted-based-on-your-most-pl/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/12/can-your-other-favorite-games-be-predicted-based-on-your-most-pl/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/12/can-your-other-favorite-games-be-predicted-based-on-your-most-pl/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


GamerDNA regularly likes to data mine their own site and look for possible correlations between games and the gamers that play them. What ends up surfacing is almost always intriguing and thought-provoking.

This time GamerDNA has put your second favorite game to the test as they look at what players of online free-to-play games like to play in their spare time in their second round of "Also Played." Does playing Shaiya mean that you'll be more likely to try and enjoy World of Warcraft? Do MapleStory users really enjoy Counter-Strike? Is playing Runescape akin to playing Solitare or Minesweeper?

These questions and more are probed inside of Also Played, and trust us, the answers can be pretty surprising. For the full story, check out the article over at GamerDNA, complete with handy charts.

MassivelyCan your other favorite games be predicted based on your most played? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>also-playedcounter-strikedata-miningfavorite-gamesgamerdnamaplestoryminesweeperrunescapeshaiyasolitareworld-of-warcraftThu, 12 Feb 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The race to 80 in Wrath of the Lich King analyzed]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/26/the-race-to-80-in-wrath-of-the-lich-king-analyzed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/26/the-race-to-80-in-wrath-of-the-lich-king-analyzed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/26/the-race-to-80-in-wrath-of-the-lich-king-analyzed/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


The dust has had time to settle over Azeroth since the launch of World of Warcraft's latest expansion Wrath of the Lich King, and most semi-active players who stick to a main character will probably have hit the new level cap of 80. That's the lazy way to summarize the expansion-leveling situation, but for a bit (well, a heck of a lot) more depth, it's worth checking out gamerDNA's study of how their users went once WotLK's starter pistol fired. To fit the nature of the study, the sample of 3000 users was limited to people who had a level 70 character at the expansion's launch, had picked up the expansion within 10 days of launch, and did not take on the new Death Knight class as their main.

The picture above shows one of the resulting pie charts from gamerDNA's study. From the sample, the biggest group (44%) took between 16 and 30 days to reach level 80, but quite a large percentage (18%) managed to finish up their leveling in just 5 to 15 days. Only a very small group from the sample (2%) took longer than 60 days. Interestingly, further pie charts show that there wasn't one particular class that was favored in the race to 80 -- in fact, in the quickest group, where you'd expect class to matter more, the class make-up was probably at its most even across the board.

If these sorts of facts and figures get your pulse racing, perhaps you could help us do a quick poll of our own: in which group would you fit on the above chart?

MassivelyThe race to 80 in Wrath of the Lich King analyzed originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>classesgamerdnalevelingstudysurveyworld-of-warcraftwotlkwowwrath-of-the-lich-kingMon, 26 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Fun with Death Knight data pt. 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/14/fun-with-death-knight-data-pt-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/14/fun-with-death-knight-data-pt-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/14/fun-with-death-knight-data-pt-2/#commentsFiled under:


This pie shows the gender of the player, not the character. In WOW as a whole the ratio of men to women is still around 4.5 to 1, so the DK (at least as a main character) is definitely skewing to the manly players. Again, not really a shock to anyone.


Each column represents the average number of points spent in each tree by players with a DK as a main. I made the mistake of asking some DKs of my acquaintance to tell me a little more about the different builds. My head exploded. One of the people I spoke with, a former reporter who understands the perils of too much information, suggested I check out an uberguild's DK forum and provide a link, rather than try to regurgitate it all here.

Continue reading Fun with Death Knight data pt. 2

MassivelyFun with Death Knight data pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>death-knightsgamerdnaworld-of-warcraftwowWed, 14 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GamerDNA and Massively offer up Death Knight data goodness]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/14/gamerdna-and-massively-offer-up-death-knight-data-goodness/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/14/gamerdna-and-massively-offer-up-death-knight-data-goodness/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/14/gamerdna-and-massively-offer-up-death-knight-data-goodness/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


By Sanya Weathers for GamerDNA

Back in October, we ran a couple of articles that gave you a snapshot of the kind of person who played the various classes in World of Warcraft. Now that the Death Knight class has been out for nearly three whole months, we figure the flavor of the month kids have had their turn at bat, and the real fans of the new class are settled in.

The sample for today's column is a little more than 500 people, all of whom were active WOW players before the launch, and now continue to actively play their Death Knight. "Actively" as measured by playing sessions - just having one of the new class in the character list isn't enough to count here. Read on to see how the Arthas' legions stack up!

Continue reading GamerDNA and Massively offer up Death Knight data goodness

MassivelyGamerDNA and Massively offer up Death Knight data goodness originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzarddatadeath-knightsfeaturedgamerdnaworld-of-warcraftwowwrath-of-the-lich-kingWed, 14 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A nearly complete list of MMO companies on Twitter]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/13/a-nearly-complete-list-of-mmo-companies-on-twitter/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/13/a-nearly-complete-list-of-mmo-companies-on-twitter/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/13/a-nearly-complete-list-of-mmo-companies-on-twitter/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Not surprisingly, when a complete list of videogame companies and developers on Twitter is compiled, MMO devs and companies take up a large chunk of the list. We would expect nothing less from such online socially-orientated companies.

The list -- created by Sam "QforQ" Houston, community manager GamerDNA -- is a great resource for anyone looking to keep up to date with companies like SOE, BioWare, NCsoft, 38 Studios, ArenaNet, Blizzard, Carbine Studios, FunCom, CCP Games, Flying Lab Software, Mythic Entertainment and many more. It's an impressive list, although being Massively meant we had to double-check it for missing links. As such, we found that there was no Cryptic Studios love in there. So, for the sake of completion, we've gone ahead and provided the link for any fans of Champions Online or Star Trek Online.

MassivelyA nearly complete list of MMO companies on Twitter originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>38-studiosarenanetbiowareblizzardcarbine-studiosccp-gameschampions-onlinecryptic-studiosflying-lab-softwaregamerdnamythic-entertainmentncsoftsam-houstonstar-trek-onlinetwitterTue, 13 Jan 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GamerDNA's Year in review pt. 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/29/gamerdnas-year-in-review-pt-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/29/gamerdnas-year-in-review-pt-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/29/gamerdnas-year-in-review-pt-2/#comments
Aside from that, what do the numbers tell us? Let me begin with one caveat - GamerDNA's own growth is not accounted for with these numbers. In other words, a slight growth line is actually a function of more members for GamerDNA, NOT the product. In previous Market Trends columns, we've addressed this by using the same group of players and taken snapshots of their playing habits over time. With this year in review column, we are looking at total logins for every member. And since the number of members is growing, so too are the logins. Upward trends are not as good as they appear, and downward trends are actually worse than they look. So keep that in mind as you're reading.

Continue reading GamerDNA's Year in review pt. 2

MassivelyGamerDNA's Year in review pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamerdnayear-in-reviewMon, 29 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GamerDNA and Massively look back at the MMO year in review]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/29/gamerdna-and-massively-look-back-at-the-mmo-year-in-review/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/29/gamerdna-and-massively-look-back-at-the-mmo-year-in-review/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/29/gamerdna-and-massively-look-back-at-the-mmo-year-in-review/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Continuing on from GamerDNA's year in review (pt. 1) Massively and everybody's favorite gaming social service have come together to feature some great MMO numbers for 2008. Written by the highly talented Sanya Weathers, these stats will run down the winners and not-so-much winners for the last six months of MMO gaming. This kicks off a series of article collaborations between Massively and GamerDNA - we hope you enjoy them!

What a freaking year. The weather outside is frightful for newcomers to the MMO genre, with a Blizzard that's been going on for so long that no one remembers what swimsuit weather is like. WAR broke out. Expansion packs rained down like meteors, but left no craters in the marketplace. And yet, good news abounds if you know how to read the signs. Come along with us as we look over half of 2008

Today's column features data from July through December. GamerDNA being a startup, our data collection in the first half of the year was not consistent enough to use for anything but wild guessing and drinking games.

Listen, a start up tech company can make ANYTHING into a drinking game.

Gallery: Massively/GamerDNA Year in Review

Continue reading GamerDNA and Massively look back at the MMO year in review

MassivelyGamerDNA and Massively look back at the MMO year in review originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanfeaturedgamerdnajoystiqfeatureslord-of-the-rings-onlinetabula-rasawarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftyear-in-reviewMon, 29 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GamerDNA shows their year in review graphically]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/23/gamerdna-shows-their-year-in-review-graphically/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/23/gamerdna-shows-their-year-in-review-graphically/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/23/gamerdna-shows-their-year-in-review-graphically/#commentsFiled under: , ,

In the spirit of the season, GamerDNA is giving the gift of insight to all its users in the form of a year in review column. Part one of this column describes several interesting metrics about the number of new titles tagged in user profiles by release month, platform, or specific game (no hard numbers given).

Some interesting notes:
  • The top title added by users was Age of Conan. It was released in May and correlated to a month of lower unique titles being added. No mention is made of how many users subsequently removed titles from their profiles... but maybe they're saving that for part two.
  • There is a noticeable drop in game titles being added for the months of June and July, around the time of the re-branding effort and subsequent server issues.
  • The largest uptick in titles added (by release date) was in September, presumably due to Warhammer Online. November is still creeping up on the September numbers with the Lord of the Rings Online expansion, Mines of Moria, and World of Warcraft's Wrath of the Lich King still gaining traction.
We are promised more phat numbers in the next few days so keep your eyes peeled... well, not literally.

MassivelyGamerDNA shows their year in review graphically originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>datagamerdnaguild-cafeguildcafenumbersyear-in-reviewTue, 23 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GamerDNA provides insight into how we view our MMOs]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/13/gamerdna-provides-insight-into-how-we-view-our-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/13/gamerdna-provides-insight-into-how-we-view-our-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/13/gamerdna-provides-insight-into-how-we-view-our-mmos/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Massively multiplayer online games, and our experiences within them, don't always fit into neat categories like "Fantasy" and "Sci-fi." The depth of these games -- in terms of setting, general tone, opposition faced (players or NPCs), how we envision ourselves in these games, and how that affects our playstyles -- gives way to a wide range of differing viewpoints among players on those very same games.

Sanya Weathers of gamerDNA explores how we view our games in her column "MMO Focus: Traits of Popular Subscription Games". For those unfamiliar with gamerDNA, it's a social network for gamers which touts a new feature called the Discovery Engine. It allows its users to assign various traits to the games they play -- or create their own -- which in turn provides metrics for gamerDNA, and a collective glimpse into how we relate to our games. The results Weathers gathered from gamerDNA's trait system were a bit unexpected, leading her to say, "Either we have a massive identity crisis here in the gaming world, or what you think you are has nothing to do with the games you play. Rampant individualists for the win!"

Continue reading GamerDNA provides insight into how we view our MMOs

MassivelyGamerDNA provides insight into how we view our MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 13 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardcity-of-heroescohcoxdiscovery-enginegamerdnammo-industryncsoftopinionsanya-weatherssocial-networkingstatisticsstatstraitsworld-of-warcraftSat, 13 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GamerDNA to unleash new Discovery Engine this Monday]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/13/gamerdna-to-unleash-new-discovery-engine-this-monday/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/13/gamerdna-to-unleash-new-discovery-engine-this-monday/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/13/gamerdna-to-unleash-new-discovery-engine-this-monday/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

This Monday, gamerDNA will be unveiling their newest feature entitled the Discovery Engine, specifically created for members of their social networking site. This new engine aims to show gamers what types of games they would be interested in playing based on more factors than simply what they've purchased previously or what game they might be playing right now. It is created to refine gaming interests based on the "hows" and the "whys", more than simply the "whats".

We caught up with gamerDNA's founder Jon Radoff for a comprehensive tour of this new feature and an explanation of how it works to benefit the current generation of gamers immersed in a world of overwhelming choices. Follow along just after the cut below for our impressions and more information on the Discovery Engine.

Continue reading GamerDNA to unleash new Discovery Engine this Monday

MassivelyGamerDNA to unleash new Discovery Engine this Monday originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 13 Dec 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingcommunitydiscovery-enginegamerdnahands-onjon-radofftourSat, 13 Dec 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Raptr founder Dennis Fong discusses the importance of social networking]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/10/xfire-and-raptr-founder-dennis-fong-discusses-the-importance-of/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/10/xfire-and-raptr-founder-dennis-fong-discusses-the-importance-of/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/10/xfire-and-raptr-founder-dennis-fong-discusses-the-importance-of/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

In the world of social networks for gamers, the competition is certainly growing, Starting with sites like Xfire and branching into more feature-rich services like gamerDNA, any new gaming social networking site would certainly have its work cut out for it.

During a recent interview with Obsessable, Raptr's founder Dennis Fong explains his company's vision in regards to providing more comprehensive features for social gamers. As a co-founder of Xfire, Fong understands gaming trends and the underlying social infrastructure of gamers. "We want to help people to know when their friends are playing games in realtime across multiple platforms." Fong says in the interview. "Our ultimate hope is that literally any platform that games are played on, if someone's playing on it and you're a user on that platform, then you'll know about it through Raptr." Read much more on Fong's vision with Raptr on his extensive interview with Obsessable.

MassivelyRaptr founder Dennis Fong discusses the importance of social networking originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dennis-fonggamerdnainterviewobsessableraptrsocial-networkingxfireWed, 10 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Comparing the expansion launches for WoW, EQ2, and LotRO]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/29/comparing-the-expansion-launches-for-wow-eq2-and-lotro/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/29/comparing-the-expansion-launches-for-wow-eq2-and-lotro/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/29/comparing-the-expansion-launches-for-wow-eq2-and-lotro/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


World of Warcraft's second expansion did pretty well. Like, 2.8 million units in the first 24 hours well. This, we all know. The important question is, what sort of impact did Lich King have on the WoW playerbase? What kind of impact did the expansions for EverQuest 2 (The Shadow Odyssey) and Lord of the Rings Online (Mines of Moria) have on those communities? Thankfully, GamerDNA is doing its level best to answer these sort of weighty questions by datamining the heck out of their userbase. We have some hard-and-fast metrics, as a result, exploring these exact issues.

Lich King's launch, purely from a 'size of the graph bars' perspective, was an unmitigated success. As Sanya puts it, "what we're seeing is the triumph of advertising combined with critical mass. Lich King was promoted harder, louder, and in more places than the other two expansions." Which is not to say that TSO and MoM were failures. In fact, both expansions resulted in some serious bumps for both games. The graphs make it apparent that their success was somewhat mitigated by the almost-simultaneous launch of Lich King, with EQ2 feeling the burn more than LotRO. What will be fascinating to see is how this story pans out months from now, when dedicated players of these other two games have full-force returned after 'completing' the content from WoW's newest expansion. We'll keep you posted.

MassivelyComparing the expansion launches for WoW, EQ2, and LotRO originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 29 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eq2everquest-2expansionsgamerdnalord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromines-of-moriastatisticsthe-shadow-odysseyworld-of-warcraftwowwrath-of-the-lich-kingSat, 29 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Child's Play and gamerDNA launch Game Community Contest for charity]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/21/childs-play-and-gamerdna-launch-game-community-contest-for-char/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/21/childs-play-and-gamerdna-launch-game-community-contest-for-char/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/21/childs-play-and-gamerdna-launch-game-community-contest-for-char/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The online community website gamerDNA has recently announced their association with the non-profit charity Child's Play for a new online contest. This contest will run through December, gathering donations for children's hospitals across the globe in a cause that Child's Play has remained dedicated to for quite a while. In fact, last year alone, Child's Play raised over $1.3 million in donations from gamers everywhere.

In this current contest held by gamerDNA, members of participating gaming communities will compete in the gamerDNA Decades of Influence Quiz, which is described as "an entertaining and nostalgic multiple-choice quiz that helps gamers learn what aspects of the past four decades of gaming have had the most influence on their individual gaming identity." From there, the participants will share their quiz results badges with as many online communities as possible. The gaming community that shares the most badges will have the power to chose which charity receives the assortment of prizes provided by gamerDNA. Sound like something you or your gaming community might be interested in? Check out their complete rules at gamerDNA.com.

MassivelyChild's Play and gamerDNA launch Game Community Contest for charity originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>charitychilds-playcommunitycontestgamerdnaFri, 21 Nov 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Failed MMOnogamy: An analysis of multi-gamers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/06/failed-mmonogamy-an-analysis-of-multi-gamers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/06/failed-mmonogamy-an-analysis-of-multi-gamers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/06/failed-mmonogamy-an-analysis-of-multi-gamers/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


GamerDNA is at it once again with what they do best: crunching numbers and making pretty graphs! Ok, so it's much more than that, but we've become accustomed to some interesting analysis of our favorite MMOs and why we play them. In their most recent article, Sanya Weathers takes a look at people who play multiple MMOs, and which ones they're playing.

The article explains the details of the research, as the sample set was taken from gamerDNA users who have Xfire turned on. Within this research, we learn that 76% of users only play one title. Not surprising, that one title is mostly either World of Warcraft or Warhammer Online. To be relatively fair to WAR's newness, this research was done later than one month after the game's launch.

Continue reading Failed MMOnogamy: An analysis of multi-gamers

MassivelyFailed MMOnogamy: An analysis of multi-gamers originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>analysisgamerdnammonogamysanya-weatherswarwarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftwowThu, 06 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[World of Warcraft's Horde and Alliance fight it out in data sets]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/25/world-of-warcrafts-horde-and-alliance-fight-it-out-in-data-sets/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/25/world-of-warcrafts-horde-and-alliance-fight-it-out-in-data-sets/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/25/world-of-warcrafts-horde-and-alliance-fight-it-out-in-data-sets/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Sanya Weathers (who you may recognize from Massively Speaking Episode #25), continues the march to data-fueled enlightenment with her Market Trends column over at GamerDNA. She's been using the site's great player database to draw some conclusions about the overall World of Warcraft gaming populace. You may recall last week's discussion of WoW avatars based on their Bartle Type? Or perhaps (prior to that) how your Bartle choice influences your pick of a Warhammer class? Or their data-driven examination of the Warhammer Online launch?

This lastest article tackles World of Warcraft players with gusto, specifically looking at Horde vs. Alliance choices based on classes and real-world gender differentiation. The results are interesting if not earth-shattering. Fun facts:
  • There are still slightly more Shamans on the Horde-side than Alliance.
  • Warlocks are significantly more popular on the Horde side than the Alliance side.
  • Women are preferentially drawn to Druids and Hunters.
  • Women prefer Alliance characters to Horde, even over the general statisical preference for Alliance over Horde.
And of most import to the single male player out there, straight from Sanya Weathers: "The moral of this story, gentlemen, is that if you want to talk to a woman in game, find yourself an Alliance Druid. Half of them are actual females." Well worth a look.

MassivelyWorld of Warcraft's Horde and Alliance fight it out in data sets originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 25 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancedatagamerdnahordesanyaworld-of-warcraftSat, 25 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How your Bartle Type influences your class choice: WoW style]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/20/how-your-bartle-type-influences-your-class-choice-wow-style/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/20/how-your-bartle-type-influences-your-class-choice-wow-style/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/20/how-your-bartle-type-influences-your-class-choice-wow-style/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Last week we showed the Massively readers a research report done at gamerDNA regarding MMO players' Bartle Type and how it influences their Warhammer Online class choices. In the comments at their site, and at ours, many asked if this could be done for other games as well, namely World of Warcraft. Well this week they treat us to just that, and the results might surprise you.

While not as clearly-defined as the WAR/Bartle results, this report shows some interesting statistics relating to WoW players and their gender, personality, class type and more. Keep in mind though that these results are based on around 45k+ members at gamerDNA who play WoW, not every single player out there. Even so, it's always enlightening to see these things in solid numbers. I mean, who knew there were more Hunters than any other class? /cough
One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!

MassivelyHow your Bartle Type influences your class choice: WoW style originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bartle-typesblizzardgamerdnagenderpersonalitysanya-weathersworld-of-warcraftwowMon, 20 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GamerDNA rolls out their guild roster API]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/15/gamerdna-rolls-out-their-guild-roster-api/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/15/gamerdna-rolls-out-their-guild-roster-api/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/15/gamerdna-rolls-out-their-guild-roster-api/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Remember that super nifty Warhammer Online signature API we showed you a little while back? Well, GamerDNA is back but this time with a guild roster tool that throws together a pretty nice website with little effort. They have a quick and dirty example for guild leaders to check out, but emphasis that more could be done with a larger portion of time. GamerDNA seems more than able when it comes to making use of all this data, in fact we're inclined to say they're data-masters to some degree -- mostly because it sounds kinda cool.

We're sure there'll be more cool code coming from the guys 'n gals over at GamerDNA as Mines of Moria and Wrath of the Lich King see their release dates roll up.

MassivelyGamerDNA rolls out their guild roster API originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eaelectronic-artsgamerdnagames-workshopmythicmythic-entertainmentwarwarhammerwarhammer-onlineWed, 15 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How your Bartle Type influences your WAR class choice]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/12/how-your-bartle-type-influences-your-war-class-choice/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/12/how-your-bartle-type-influences-your-war-class-choice/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/12/how-your-bartle-type-influences-your-war-class-choice/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


A few weeks ago, gamerDNA made a push to get 500k gamers to take the Bartle test located on their site. Not only did they crush that number, but they've put the statistics to good use. In an interesting research article by Sanya Weathers (who was just recently on the Massively speaking podcast), you'll notice some fascinating results combining the Bartle Type of gamers as it pertains to their Warhammer Online class choice.

First off, this article shows the interesting distribution of class choices in WAR (from the people with that information in their gamerDNA profiles). Then that information is broken down to show gender preference per class and ultimately the Bartle Type in relation to each class. The entire article is certainly a worthwhile read, and says a lot about the balance of the game's classes and how the game can appeal to as many people as it has. Hopefully, as hinted in the article, gamerDNA will do research like this for other popular MMOs in the future.
Warhammer Online Coverage Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out our Warhammer guides: Massively's Character Creation Guide and our WoW Player's Guide to Warhammer. Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

MassivelyHow your Bartle Type influences your WAR class choice originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 12 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bartle-testbartle-typesclassesgamerdnagendermythicpreferencessanya-weatherswarwarhammer-onlineSun, 12 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A data-fueled examination of Warhammer Online's launch]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/06/a-data-fueled-examination-of-warhammer-onlines-launch/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/06/a-data-fueled-examination-of-warhammer-onlines-launch/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/06/a-data-fueled-examination-of-warhammer-onlines-launch/#commentsFiled under: , ,

GamerDNA has a very interesting article taking a look at the effect of Warhammer Online's launch on games like World of Warcraft and Age of Conan. It was written by our most recent guest on Massively Speaking, Sanya Weathers. They've primarily watched the login rates of 250 players since beta who'd been certain that they'd pick up the title on launch day and the results are quite interesting. Neither World of Warcraft nor Age of Conan seem immediately affected by the game's launch, but that hasn't stopped its numbers from skyrocketing among the group of test players. Strangely enough, it also seems like the launch of Warhammer Online has caused people to play more games in general, including Lord of the Rings Online and Spore.

The coolest thing about all of this is that GamerDNA plans to continue its data mining over the coming months in order to build up a big pile of information. WAR has undoubtedly made a big splash in the ocean of MMOs and we can't wait to see if any big waves -- either good or bad -- come of it.
Warhammer Online Coverage Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out our Warhammer guides: Massively's Character Creation Guide and our WoW Player's Guide to Warhammer. Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

MassivelyA data-fueled examination of Warhammer Online's launch originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activision-blizzardage-of-conanaocblizzardeaelectronic-artsfuncomgamerdnalord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromythicmythic-entertainmentturbinewarwarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftwowMon, 06 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GamerDNA's new WAR signature generator]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/23/gamerdnas-new-war-signature-generator/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/23/gamerdnas-new-war-signature-generator/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/23/gamerdnas-new-war-signature-generator/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


We've been hearing quite a bit about gamerDNA lately, and for good reason. Following our interview with their CEO, Jon Radoff, during PAX this year, they've been steadily making headlines everywhere. In fact, just last week they surpassed 500,000 sign-ups for the quizzes on their site, and now they've announced their very own Warhammer Online Signature Generator.

This handy little generator isn't a separate downloadable app, like others, but instead is done straight through the gamerDNA site itself. It displays your class, rank, reknown rank, server name and guild name. Check out their press release for complete info on getting one for yourself. Also, don't forget about their 60-day WAR game card contest still going on!
Warhammer Online Coverage Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

MassivelyGamerDNA's new WAR signature generator originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamerdnajon-radoffmythicsigsignature-generatorwarwarhammer-onlineTue, 23 Sep 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Play Warhammer Online for free!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/18/play-warhammer-online-for-free/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/18/play-warhammer-online-for-free/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/18/play-warhammer-online-for-free/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

With today's retail launch of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, what could possibly make your game experience any better? How about if you played it absolutely free for 60 days? The good folks at gamerDNA have announced a contest that will give you the chance to do just that. From Friday, September 19th through Sunday, September 28th, you can enter to win one of five 60 day Warhammer Online prepaid time cards.

To play, you simply need to create a profile on the gamerDNA site and add any WAR-related information to your profile, post a WAR experience or play WAR. Then on Wednesday, October 1st, they'll announce the lucky winners drawn randomly. Be sure to check out the complete rules on the site, and good luck!

MassivelyPlay Warhammer Online for free! originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-reckoningcontestgamerdnatime-cardwarwarhammer-onlineThu, 18 Sep 2008 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[PAX08: GamerDNA interview focuses on subscription numbers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/pax08-gamerdna-interview-focuses-on-subscription-numbers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/pax08-gamerdna-interview-focuses-on-subscription-numbers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/pax08-gamerdna-interview-focuses-on-subscription-numbers/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

During our time at PAX08 this year, we got together with Jon Radoff, Founder and CEO of GamerDNA, a company that focuses on the community aspect of today's online games. Radoff was kind enough to give us an overview of what the company is about and how it pertains to the ever-growing MMO market. Originally this rough audio was meant for notes only, but it came out fairly well, so we thought we'd go ahead and post it for all to hear themselves.

So in this audio interview that you'll find enclosed below, Radoff explains something that we found quite peculiar. "Interestingly, a high percentage of those people who quit Age of Conan didn't go back to WoW, they actually just went off MMORPGs in general," he explains. This is the type of number-crunching that they do at GamerDNA to discover not only subscription numbers and box sales, but who is actually playing what, and how dedicated they are to their games. We encourage you to learn more about this truly unique company at their website, and be sure to listen to the complete interview below.

MassivelyPAX08: GamerDNA interview focuses on subscription numbers originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredgamerdnaguildcafeinterviewjon-radoffjoystiqfeaturespax-08pax-2008Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:00:00 ESTPAX 08 GamerDNA InterviewShawn Schusterinterview<![CDATA[PAX08: Day three impressions]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/pax08-day-three-impressions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/pax08-day-three-impressions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/pax08-day-three-impressions/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Day three is now behind us, marking the end of PAX 2008. Sunday showed a crowd of gamers just as strong as the first two days, and there is no doubt that the attendance numbers from this year blew away last year's figures. As far as panels for this last day, there was an interesting mix of MMO development-type panels with a particularly interesting one called "MMO and Virtual World Business Models" that we will be reviewing in more depth later. Plus, who could forget the intriguing "How to Get Your Girlfriend into Gaming" panel?

So now we look forward to the future of this mega expo. If next year's PAX grows as much as the previous years have progressed, they're going to need a larger booth floor, no doubt about it. As this blogger sifts through the bags of free swag and begins the recovery process, you can look forward to more coverage of interviews with Jon Radoff of GamerDNA, Jeffrey Steefel of Turbine on Mines of Moria, Dane Caruthers of NCsoft on Tabula Rasa, Adam Powell and Aaron Matthew of Meteor Games on Twin Skies and much much more!

Gallery: PAX 2008 General Gallery

MassivelyPAX08: Day three impressions originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Sep 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamerdnajeffrey-steefelmeteor-gamesmines-of-moriancsoftpanelspax-08pax-2008penny-arcade-expotabula-rasatwin-skiesMon, 01 Sep 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GamerDNA offers Frostmourne replica contest]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/03/gamerdna-offers-frostmourne-replica-contest/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/03/gamerdna-offers-frostmourne-replica-contest/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/03/gamerdna-offers-frostmourne-replica-contest/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


GamerDNA, the GuildCafe offshoot, has opened up a new contest to World of Warcraft players. Send in a screenshot of your character -- armored, naked, alive, dead, it doesn't matter -- and you stand a chance to win a replica of Frostmourne, Arthas' evil runeblade from Epic Weapons.

The sword itself is a $379 value, but of nearly equal worth to many players is the $20 game card that five players could win by entering a picture they've created themselves, either traditionally or digitally. These hand-done portraits are also eligible for the Frostmourne prize. To enter, simply register for GamerDNA through GuildCafe and send in your favorite character's picture. The deadline is June 30th, so get snapping!

[Thanks, Sam!]

MassivelyGamerDNA offers Frostmourne replica contest originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arthascontestepic-weaponsfrostmournegame-cardgamerdnaguildcafereplicaworld-of-warcraftTue, 03 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GuildCafe expands its horizons with GamerDNA]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/18/guildcafe-expands-its-horizons-with-gamerdna/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/18/guildcafe-expands-its-horizons-with-gamerdna/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/18/guildcafe-expands-its-horizons-with-gamerdna/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

GuildCafe has been often called the Myspace or Facebook for MMO players, but not only is it much more than that, it's expanding even further. This summer, the mega-guild social site will be changing its focus onto a new venture (and company name) called GamerDNA. This new site will have much more than GuildCafe offers currently, and will cater to a larger audience of Xbox gamers, and eventually all platforms. This all stems from the fact that the site has recently received a $3 million Series A investment from Boston's Flybridge Capital Partners.

According to GamerDNA's founder and CEO Jon Radoff, "the idea behind GamerDNA is to provide a means of identity-a place where players can record all the stories around all of the cool stuff they've done, be it achievements, accomplishments, or experiences they've had." So in essence, it will help broaden the players experiences in-game, as well as help other players experience games they may not play yet on a much more personalized level. All of this done in a larger scope, reaching a wider audience than GuildCafe alone could do targeted at the MMORPG market alone.

[Thanks Sam!]

MassivelyGuildCafe expands its horizons with GamerDNA originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>facebookflybridgegamerdnaguild-warsguildcafeguildsmyspaceuberguildsworld-of-warcraftwowxbox360Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST