Latest News

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 Until now, game creators have had to rely on outdated player classification models combined with market research, and plug gaps in insight with assumptions and guesswork.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

Latest News

Golden Boomerang Awards First Half by Boomerang Partners wrapped: next prize – the Formula 1 Grand Prix experience

Published

6 minutes ago

June 30, 2026

Master Editor

The third season of the Golden Boomerang Awards by Boomerang Partners is not losing momentum. Following the conclusion of the First Half, the tournament has confirmed one of the main ideas behind this season: long-term mechanics can increase partner engagement, while a sports-focused strategy can help turn that activity into measurable results.

First Half leaderboard and highlights

The Kickoff stage concluded on June 9, with impressive participant engagement. Mystery Boxes were raffled off among all participants, featuring exclusive prizes such as limited-edition FIFA World Cup 2026 jerseys – three per box, each representing a different participating country. The winner of this opening stage – team AskBonus – will attend the Wimbledon Championships from June 29 to July 12, 2026. For Boomerang Partners, sport remains one of the key areas of expertise, which is why it runs through the tournament mechanics, partner activities, and even the prize pool.

The rules are the same across all stages: the top 10 teams qualify for a random draw for the main stage prize, while Mystery Boxes are available to all active participants – not only the leaders. This keeps the competition open for everyone.

Tracking the leaders: The GBA 2026 standings update

Currently, a clear leader has emerged in the tournament. Team Lily has already scored 6,029 points (of which nearly 5,200 points come from sports FTDs). Team O follows in second place with 2,677 points. The rest of the top five – third, fourth, and fifth – currently hold 750, 504, and 341 points respectively. At the same time, the leaderboard is changing dynamically, driven by high participant activity.

The sports vertical accounts for nearly half of all FTD activity

According to Boomerang Partners, about half of the FTDs brought by Golden Boomerang Awards participants to the partner brands in the company’s portfolio come from the sports segment. This confirms a strong audience interest in sports events, especially given the active stage of the FIFA World Cup in North America.

The organizers have noted on multiple occasions that the third season of GBA prioritizes long-term strategy over participants’ short-term successes. This point is backed up by data on activities in the online casino segment. So, about a third of participating teams actively use the LUCKY FIVE mechanic. It allows affiliate teams to earn 5 bonus points per week if they generate 10 or more Casino FTDs during the reporting week.

The second half has introduced upgraded mechanics

The Second Half kicked off on June 10 – the winner of this stage will visit the Formula 1 Grand Prix on September 6. The stage runs through July 19. Thus, even for those joining the race now, there is every chance of catching up with the leaders and seriously competing for the prize.

To help teams with this, Boomerang Partners introduced a key feature for the Second Half aimed at new participants – WELCOME BOOST. Every new affiliate team will receive double points for every FTD throughout the first 14 days from the moment of joining. The LUCKY FIVE and LAST MINUTES WINNER mechanics also continue to be active, with the latter allowing participants to earn three times the points for every FTD during the last 7 days of the stage. In addition, the value of sports FTDs has increased – compared to the first stage, teams can now earn 3 points instead of 2 for each such FTD. This will be particularly beneficial for sports-focused affiliates, especially given that the stage runs alongside the FIFA World Cup and Wimbledon, both of which are driving high demand from audiences.

Race remains open at any stage of the season

As soon as the Second Half concludes, the Overtime stage will begin, featuring its own prizes, bonus mechanics, and enhanced point scoring. This keeps the tournament challenges completely open, giving every active participant a real opportunity to reach the top ranks. The awards ceremony in 11 categories will take place in September in Lisbon as part of the SBC Summit, allowing winners to gain not just physical prizes, but a sense of belonging among the best in the affiliate marketing industry – a feeling that fully aligns with the concept of the third season, Beyond the Moment. More details are available on the official Golden Boomerang Awards website.

About Boomerang

Boomerang Partners is a rapidly growing global marketing agency offering a wide range of services. Boomerang Partners is an Official Regional Partner of AC Milan. In 2024, it launched the inaugural Golden Boomerang Awards – a global tournament for affiliate teams. More than 400 affiliate teams participated in the second season of the tournament in 2025. Partners of the Agency launched six new products in 2024-2025, contributing to a nearly 1.5-fold increase in product users.

The Agency’s clients’ portfolio contains 10+ brands offering affiliate and entertainment services across multiple markets in compliance with local regulations. These products provide incentive programs and 24/7 multilingual support.

Disclaimer:

The FIFA World Cup and Wimbledon Championships are made for descriptive purposes only. Boomerang Partners is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to these entities in any way.

BOYLE Sports

BOYLE Sports extends West Ham United front-of-shirt deal for 2026/27

Published

27 minutes ago

June 30, 2026

Wladimir P.

boyle-sports-extends-west-ham-united-front-of-shirt-deal-for-2026/27

Logo will appear on West Ham’s Men’s and Women’s home, away and training kits under the Principal Partner agreement.

BOYLE Sports will continue as West Ham United’s front-of-shirt sponsor for the 2026/27 season, the company said today. The BOYLE Sports logo will feature on the club’s Men’s and Women’s team home, away and training kits.

The extension keeps BOYLE Sports in place as West Ham’s Principal Partner into 2026/27. The company said it will continue supporter-facing activity across matchdays, digital channels and other club moments.

BOYLE Sports pointed to a “strong first year” of the multi-year partnership, including a scarf giveaway ahead of the first home match of the season and two editions of its ‘Shirt Swap’ activation.

BOYLE Sports CEO, Vlad Kaltenieks said: “West Ham United is one of the most recognisable clubs in English football, with a proud history and a passionate fanbase. We were proud to begin our partnership last season, but this is only the start and we look forward to an exciting season ahead.”

West Ham United’s Interim Chief Executive Officer, Karim Virani, added: “We’re delighted to have BOYLE Sports continue as our front of shirt partner as part of the multi-year Principal Partnership. As we enter an exciting new era for the club and prepare for a pivotal season, it matters that our commercial partners share the same passion and drive that we have for our loyal fans. BOYLE Sports has approached the partnership in that spirit, and we look forward to continuing to work with them.”

The post BOYLE Sports extends West Ham United front-of-shirt deal for 2026/27 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

affiliate marketing

Quantum buys Cashback.co.uk and Custard rewards brands from Submission Technology

Published

27 minutes ago

June 30, 2026

Wladimir P.

quantum-buys-cashbackco.uk-and-custard-rewards-brands-from-submission-technology

Quantum has agreed to acquire Cashback.co.uk, JoinCustard.co.uk and the Custard mobile app from Submission Technology, with the transaction set to complete on 1 July 2026. The deal adds two consumer rewards brands to Quantum’s portfolio and marks its entry into the digital rewards and cashback segment.

Cashback.co.uk operates as a UK cashback platform, while JoinCustard.co.uk launched in October 2024 as a digital rewards and gifting platform. The Custard mobile app is included as part of the acquisition.

Quantum said the acquisition expands its footprint beyond affiliate marketing into direct-to-consumer rewards products. The buyer pointed to 36% year-on-year revenue growth in 2025 and recent launches in Ireland, South Africa and multiple US states, adding that it now operates across the UK, US, Ireland and South Africa.

Jamie Walters, CEO of Quantum International Holdings, said: “Cashback and Custard are proven platforms with loyal users, clear product-market fit, and strong commercial potential. What they need now is scale, and that is where Quantum can add real value.

“We have the data, technology, and performance mindset to grow these platforms quickly and responsibly. This is a bold move into a fast-growing consumer rewards space, and a natural next step in our ambition to connect more people with better value across the digital economy.”

Quantum said its Qi Platform will support the acquired assets through faster product iteration, improved personalisation and deeper insight into user behaviour, with its in-house data engineering, machine learning and software engineering teams supporting integration.

Neil Durrant, CEO of Submission Technology, said: “We built Cashback and Custard from the ground up, and we are incredibly proud of what the team has achieved. Quantum is the right home for these platforms.

“Their technology, commercial relationships and ambition make them well placed to take Cashback and Custard to a much bigger audience. It is an exciting next chapter for both businesses.” Financial terms were not disclosed.

The post Quantum buys Cashback.co.uk and Custard rewards brands from Submission Technology appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.