GuildCafe 

GamerDNA Inc.
Type Private
Founded September 21, 2006
Headquarters Cambridge, Massachusetts
Key people Jon Radoff
Industry Computer and video game industry
Slogan Bringing the World Together Through Games
Website http://www.gamerdna.com/

GamerDNA Inc. is a social media company for computer and video game players founded on September 21, 2006. Members may tag themselves with information on games they have played, server names and guild affiliations, and use this information to find people they have played with in the past, or find guilds or other gamers to play with based on play style.1 The company is funded by Flybridge Ventures (formerly known as IDG Ventures Boston).23

Contents

Social Network for Online Gamers

The company operates the GuildCafe.com social network and guild hosting service for MMORPG gamers. It has announced that the GamerDNA service will expand the offering to other videogame markets, including the Xbox.4

The company has been compared to a Facebook and MySpace for online game players 5 Some industry analysts have observed that social networks for online games such as GuildCafe are part of a new trend in which major MMORPG products are spawning secondary industries.6

Also like other social networks, the service allows members to form social connections with other members, and traverse the database of member profiles by these social connections or by user-defined tag clouds. However, the member profiles are geared toward the alter-egos that people play as within online games,7 and supports the storage of game histories, guild/clan memberships, scores and profiles, and screenshots of game accomplishments. These features allow players to maintain social contact with each other as they grow beyond individual games, guilds or servers. The service also allows members to form groups oriented around their gaming guilds and clans, including features for event scheduling, roster management and private communication.

The site features a number of tools to help game-players learn about what aspects of games they enjoy. One example is the Bartle Test, which helps a player identify what aspects of game play they are most interested in--and then form connections with other players with similar interests.8

History

Jon Radoff founded the company in 2006. In April 2008, the company changed its name from GuildCafe Entertainment Inc. to GamerDNA Inc.9

References

  1. ^ "Meet me at the Cafe," PC Gamer Magazine, p.14, August 2007, http://www.synthscribe.com/media/pcg_cafe.jpg
  2. ^ Alistair Wallis, Gamasutra, August 7, 2007, "Q&A: Guildcafe's Radoff Talks VC Backing, Game 2.0, http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=14995
  3. ^ Wagner James Au, GigaOM, April 18, 2008, "GamerDNA gets $3M from Flybridge," http://gigaom.com/2008/04/18/gamerdna-gets-3m-from-flybridge/
  4. ^ Wade Roush, Xconomy, April 18, 2008, "Capturing the Essence of Personal Gaming," http://www.xconomy.com/2008/04/18/capturing-the-personal-essence-of-gaming-an-interview-with-gamerdna-ceo-jon-radoff/
  5. ^ Derek Boiko-Weyrauch (December 4, 2006). "GuildCafe introduces social networking to the world of online gaming", Monsters and Critics. Retrieved on 4 January 2007. 
  6. ^ Brady Forrest (December 4, 2006). "WoW and Cottage Industries", O'Reilly Radar. Retrieved on 4 January 2007. 
  7. ^ Gamasutra, Jan. 17, 2006, "Q&A: GuildCafe's Jon Radoff On MMO Community," http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=12425
  8. ^ Hiawatha Bray, September 3, 2007, Boston Globe, "A place where Online Gamers Can Hang Out After the Game," http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2007/09/03/a_place_where_online_gamers_can_hang_out_after_the_game/
  9. ^ Chris Remo, April 18, "Social Site GamerDNA Raises $3M, Renames Self," http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=18304

External links