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METANOMIC LAUNCHES ‘THUNDERSTRUCK’ – 1st gamer analysis tool powered by AI

Published

4 years ago

September 6, 2022

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Metanomic, the complete game economy and player analytics company, today proudly announces the global launch of its Thunderstruck player analytics platform; which is poised to revolutionise game developers’ use of behavioural data to improve retention and monetisation.

Thunderstruck is the first ever video game analytics platform to leverage AI-powered behavioural analytics. It makes use of Bayesian inference-backed AI to understand data from real in-game events, drawn directly from game servers. Thunderstruck analyses player motivations, play styles, and reward preferences, providing developers with live information on who their game is for, what types of players have the highest retention, and which players spend the most in-game. Until now, game creators have had to rely on outdated player classification models combined with market research, and plug gaps in insight with assumptions and guesswork.

Metanomic was founded in 2021 by veteran game designers, AI experts, and professional economists, and has successfully secured USD $2.9 million pre-seed funding to-date. Thunderstruck is launching with 7 player types – Killers, Achievers, Explorers, Socialisers, Speedsters, Conquerors, and Scientists – which can be tailored to the priorities of individual game titles. Player types will be refined and added to as the platform analyses data from more titles, while its Bayesian AI means Thunderstruck can even identify the series of events that lead to specific player actions.

Announcing the launch of Thunderstruck, Theo Priestley, CEO and Founder of Metanomic, said:

“For too long, game developers have relied on blunt instruments to understand their players. It’s no exaggeration to say that the bulk of the games industry’s framework for player classification dates back to a 1996 essay by Richard Bartle. A generation later, Thunderstruck is the next big leap forward, taking just a few days to generate more insight than a team of analysts could in a month. We understand that players can straddle multiple personas or even change persona based on their motivations, and use custom AI and live data to accurately anticipate how they’ll respond to metagame changes. Thunderstruck is all about empowering game developers with a better way to identify, acquire, and impact the right players for their game.”

Thunderstruck is equally suitable for mobile, console, and PC; existing as well as new games; and web3 as well as traditional web2 games. It works in tandem with Metanomic’s free Economy Engine platform, which was launched earlier this year to help studios to build, simulate and monitor their game economies.

Thunderstruck is launching with 7 player types.

Killers

These players enjoy killing, creating chaos, and competitive elements most of all. They focus on winning, climbing player rankings, obtaining status, provoking, and imposing drama onto others.

Achievers

These players are competitive and enjoy overcoming difficult objectives, whether set by the game or themselves, in order to obtain prestige, prizes, and other types of material possessions.

Explorers

Those that like to learn as much about the game as possible, Explorers seek to understand the finer details of game mechanics. The thrill of discovery and uncovering hidden areas or objectives motivate these players over points or prizes.

Socialisers

Players that experience fun in interacting with other players through social systems like using chat, managing guilds, or role-playing rather than playing the game itself. They tend to collaborate or join forces with others to achieve objectives than they could on their own.

Speedsters

Cheetahs race to objectives in order to be among the first to reach the end-game content or the highest level. They spend most of their time grinding experience and playing for long hours.

Conquerors

Conquerors enjoy the struggle against adversity and beating impossibly difficult odds. They are persistent, forceful, and repetitive in their pursuit to overcome their objectives.

Scientists

Commonly referred to as ‘Crafters,’ Scientists seek to improve their skills by gathering resources and creating or improving items for themselves and to sell to others. They find enjoyment in more passive forms of game mechanics and objectives.

The Thunderstruck player personas are also influenced by ‘passion’ – how often and how well they play.

They can also be tailored by the game developer or publisher depending on their priorities. For example, in different types of game, ‘Achiever’ could mean the highest skilled, the richest, or the players with the most wins.

In future, Metanomic will frequently add additional and more granular player types to further studios’ understanding of their players.

horse racing

BOYLE Sports opens 400th shop at Galway Racecourse under new deal

Published

5 hours ago

June 22, 2026

Wladimir P.

boyle-sports-opens-400th-shop-at-galway-racecourse-under-new-deal

The bookmaker signs an initial three-year partnership with Galway Races, adding an on-course betting shop and expanded sponsorship.

BOYLE Sports has signed an initial three-year partnership with Galway Races that includes opening its 400th retail betting shop on-site at Galway Racecourse in Ballybrit.

Under the agreement, BOYLE Sports will operate a dedicated on-course betting shop and expand branding and visibility across the Galway racing calendar. The partnership also includes additional race sponsorship opportunities, according to the company.

BOYLE Sports said the deal builds on its existing involvement at the venue, including title sponsorship of the Saturday at the Galway Races festival. Sponsored races include the €110,000 BOYLE Sports Handicap Hurdle and the €80,000 Galway Tribes Hurdle.

Sinéadh Crowe, Head of Irish Retail Operations for BOYLE Sports, said: “Opening our 400th shop here marks a major milestone in the BOYLE Sports journey and reflects just how far we’ve come since John Boyle set up his first shop in County Armagh in 1982. It’s a proud moment for everyone involved and underlines our continued commitment to retail, Irish horse racing and delivering a top-class experience for customers on race day.”

Michael Moloney, CEO of Galway Racecourse, added: “It’s a real privilege to have BOYLE Sports open their 400th shop here on-site as part of this exciting new multi-year partnership with Galway Races.

“We’re absolutely delighted to strengthen our ties with such a powerhouse brand with deep roots in Irish racing and we’re excited to build on that shared heritage as we work together to enhance the experience for racegoers over the coming years.”

The post BOYLE Sports opens 400th shop at Galway Racecourse under new deal appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

amd

S8UL partners with AMD ahead of Esports World Cup 2026 campaign

Published

6 hours ago

June 22, 2026

Wladimir P.

s8ul-partners-with-amd-ahead-of-esports-world-cup-2026-campaign

AMD Ryzen and Radeon hardware will be used across S8UL’s esports, streaming and creator workflows as the Indian org ramps up its EWC push.

S8UL has signed a strategic partnership with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) ahead of its Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 campaign, as the Indian esports and gaming content organization targets further international expansion.

Under the agreement, AMD will equip S8UL’s players and creators with AMD Ryzen AI 400 Series processor-based PCs, AMD Ryzen 9000 Series processors, and AMD Radeon RX 9000 Series graphics cards for gaming, streaming, content creation and general productivity.

The deal lands as S8UL prepares for EWC 2026 after being selected for the Esports World Cup Foundation’s Club Partner Program for a second consecutive year. The organization said it has already secured qualification spots in Apex Legends, Chess, Fortnite, Honor of Kings, and Trackmania, while continuing to pursue additional slots in other titles. The partnership also follows S8UL onboarding Campa Energy as the Title Sponsor for its EWC 2026 campaign.

“S8UL has always focused on both competitive success and content creation. As we prepare for the Esports World Cup, AMD’s technology will support our players and creators across competition, streaming and content production. We’re excited to work together as we continue to grow our presence globally,” said Animesh ‘Thug’ Agarwal, Co-Founder and CEO, S8UL.

“India’s gaming ecosystem is expanding beyond competition, with creators playing an increasingly important role in how communities connect and grow,” said Vinay Sinha, Managing Director, Sales, AMD India. “Organizations like S8UL are helping shape that evolution, and we’re excited to support their players and creators with AMD technology as they continue to engage gaming and creators’ communities in India and around the world.”

EWC 2026 is scheduled for July 6 to August 23, with the Esports World Cup organisers stating it will feature more than 2,000 players and 200 clubs from over 100 countries competing for a $75 million prize pool.

The post S8UL partners with AMD ahead of Esports World Cup 2026 campaign appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Artificial intelligence

Kaizen Gaming rolls out GenAI-powered Betano Trivia across 20 markets

Published

13 hours ago

June 22, 2026

Wladimir P.

kaizen-gaming-rolls-out-genai-powered-betano-trivia-across-20-markets

Kaizen Gaming has launched Betano Trivia, a live trivia product it describes as the world’s first fully GenAI-powered live trivia experience. The free-to-play game is now available across the 20 markets where Kaizen Gaming operates.

The product was developed by Kaizen Labs, the company’s innovation incubator. Kaizen Gaming said Betano Trivia uses generative AI to power the avatar presenter, create dynamic trivia content, and generate supporting audiovisual assets, positioning it as a new engagement format inside the Betano brand.

Players are invited to answer questions spanning sports, entertainment and pop culture and compete for prizes, according to the company. Kaizen Gaming also tied the timing of the launch to heightened global football attention, pitching the game as a second-screen-style entertainment layer for fans.

George Kourakos, Director of Innovation at Kaizen Gaming, stated: “Betano Trivia demonstrates how AI can be used to create entirely new forms of entertainment and customer engagement. At Kaizen Gaming we never use technology for its own sake. We have a clear goal to elevate the world-class gaming experience we offer to our customers. What makes this achievement particularly special is that it was developed entirely by our internal teams, combining creativity, engineering excellence and a shared passion for innovation across the board.”

Kaizen Gaming framed the release as part of its broader generative AI push, arguing that internal teams can use the technology to scale new product experiences across multiple regulated markets.

The post Kaizen Gaming rolls out GenAI-powered Betano Trivia across 20 markets appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.