PC future: Raptr growing by 1.5 million users every month

Raptr is growing — and it's looking to PCs as the future of gaming.

The online platform, which began as a social networking site in 2007, has switched gears to focus on PC optimization. That's paying off big in growth for the company, which now has 22 million members in more than 100 countries worldwide. It's gained 1.5 new registered users every month for the past five months.

"We are excited to help make the PC gaming experience better in a meaningful way," said CEO Dennis Fong. "Some of the most popular games in the world, like League of Legends, are actually several years old and are being played on older PCs. We are unlocking the power of PCs people already own and turning them into capable gaming machines."

Fong told GI.biz that it's "not done with consoles," though: "Consoles will remain a major component in capturing the gaming lives of our members, so we'll continue to enable them to attach their XBL and PSN accounts so that their playtime and achievement history can be included in their gamer profiles."

Raptr's switch to a PC focus makes good business sense. PCs are more prevalent than other gaming machines, and cutting-edge technology is becoming less of a requirement — meaning gamers will have to devote less money to constant upgrades.

"Our service helps gamers unlock the potential of the rigs they already own," said Fong. "So from a business standpoint that's a big market that offers huge growth potential for us."