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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 Until now, game creators have had to rely on outdated player classification models combined with market research, and plug gaps in insight with assumptions and guesswork.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.

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Plaza Hotel & Casino and The Mob Museum launch ‘Wiseguy Getaway’ package

Published

7 hours ago

May 18, 2026

Wladimir P.

plaza-hotel-&-casino-and-the-mob-museum-launch-‘wiseguy-getaway’-package

Downtown Las Vegas bundle includes a two-night minimum stay, Mob Museum tickets and Oscar’s Steakhouse perk; booking window runs through Dec. 26, 2026.

Plaza Hotel & Casino and The Mob Museum said May 18, 2026 they are partnering on a new downtown Las Vegas hotel offer called The Wiseguy Getaway.

The package includes a two-night minimum stay at the Plaza Hotel & Casino, two complimentary tickets to The Mob Museum, a complimentary appetizer at Oscar’s Steakhouse during happy hour, and an “exclusive autographed photo” of Oscar B. Goodman, described by the companies as a reputed mob attorney and former mayor of Las Vegas.

“From being in Casino to the mobsters Oscar Goodman once represented, the Plaza is uniquely tied to this captivating element of Vegas history, so creating the Wiseguy Getaway with The Mob Museum made perfect sense,” said Jonathan Jossel, CEO of the Plaza Hotel & Casino. “The drama and intrigue of the mob era continue to fascinate our guests, so we believe this new hotel package will be very popular.”

“Las Vegas has no shortage of incredible experiences, and the Wiseguy package adds something truly unique to the mix. This Downtown Las Vegas adventure combines world-class history, curated dining and an iconic hotel stay into something you genuinely can’t find anywhere else in the city,” said Ashley Miller, vice president of marketing, communications and sales, The Mob Museum.

Stays must be booked by Dec. 26, 2026, and occur by Dec. 28, 2026. Reservations are available via the Plaza’s website.

The post Plaza Hotel & Casino and The Mob Museum launch ‘Wiseguy Getaway’ package appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

bonus abuse

SEON warns World Cup betting surge will expose retention and loyalty fraud

Published

7 hours ago

May 18, 2026

Wladimir P.

Fraud expert George Pace says operators focused on welcome bonus abuse risk missing ongoing “back door” losses during peak volume.

SEON fraud expert George Pace is warning betting and gaming operators to brace for a World Cup-driven spike in account activity that could strain fraud teams and increase losses from promotion and loyalty abuse.

“The World Cup will be one of the biggest stress tests for fraud teams in betting and gaming. Promotion abuse and loyalty abuse already account for a significant share of fraud losses, and that’s before you factor in the World Cup surge. Logins, registrations and transactions will all spike at the same time, while operators compete aggressively with welcome bonuses and free bets.”

Pace said operators often prioritize stopping welcome bonus abuse, but argued the larger threat during high-volume events is repeat exploitation tied to retention mechanics. “Most attention goes to welcome bonus fraud, but that’s only a one-time hit. The bigger risk is retention abuse. It creates an ongoing revenue stream for fraudsters and often goes unnoticed for longer, especially during high-volume events.”

He added that fraudsters may not need advanced tactics if they can blend in while legitimate traffic rises. “When thousands of legitimate, high-value players become active at once, fraudsters don’t need to be particularly sophisticated. They just need to blend in with normal behavior, making detection harder at the exact moment teams are already stretched.”

Pace also pointed to what he described as a growing gap between fraud losses and topline performance for operators. “Recent data shows many operators aren’t prepared for this shift. Already, 57% report fraud losses growing faster than revenue, a gap that only widens during high-volume events like the World Cup. Operators that only protect the front door are going to get robbed through the back.”

The post SEON warns World Cup betting surge will expose retention and loyalty fraud appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Latest News

Plaza Hotel & Casino and The Mob Museum to offer The Wiseguy Getaway

Published

7 hours ago

May 18, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

Plaza Hotel & Casino and The Mob Museum to offer The Wiseguy Getaway

The Plaza Hotel & Casino and The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, are partnering to offer a special downtown Las Vegas hotel package, The Wiseguy Getaway, as the best way to see Las Vegas beyond the Strip and experience the classic mob era of Las Vegas.

The Wiseguy Getaway package was created by the Plaza and The Mob Museum given the high interest guests have for the mobster era of Las Vegas and how they both uniquely highlight the city’s past. The Plaza’s iconic glass domed restaurant was featured in the classic mobster movie Casino and today, is named after reputed mob attorney and former Mayor of Las Vegas, Oscar B. Goodman. Many of the menu items at Oscar’s Steakhouse pay homage to Goodman’s infamous ‘friends,’ like No Nose’s Mob Meatballs, Crazy Phil’s Onion Soup, and Joey C’s Filet Mignon. Goodman was also the primary visionary of The Mob Museum, which consistently ranks as one of the most unique things to do in Las Vegas and has become the predominant authority on the history of organized crime, law enforcement and the mob in Las Vegas with its unmatched collection of artifacts, immersive storylines, and interactive exhibits.

The Wiseguy Getaway package offers guests:

2-night stay (minimum) at the Plaza Hotel & Casino
2 complimentary tickets to The Mob Museum
Complimentary appetizer at Oscar’s Steakhouse during happy hour
Exclusive autographed photo of reputed mob attorney and former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman

“From being in Casino to the mobsters Oscar Goodman once represented, the Plaza is uniquely tied to this captivating element of Vegas history, so creating the Wiseguy Getaway with The Mob Museum made perfect sense,” said Jonathan Jossel, CEO of the Plaza Hotel & Casino. “The drama and intrigue of the mob era continue to fascinate our guests, so we believe this new hotel package will be very popular.”

Stays must be booked by Dec. 26, 2026, and occur by Dec. 28, 2026. Reservations can be made online at .plazahotelcasino.com/hotel-packages/wise-guy-room-package/.

The post Plaza Hotel & Casino and The Mob Museum to offer The Wiseguy Getaway appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.