I’ve been toying around with Raptr for some time now, but it wasn’t until a couple weeks ago that I really took notice. Their new desktop client, combined with their new gamercards and their use of Sony’s new PS3 API brings Raptr from a neat curiosity to a seriously useful application.
Their desktop application scanned my system and compiled a list of all games I had installed. Now, when I launch Thief: Deadly Shadows, Raptr automatically reports that I’m playing the game. No further action required on my behalf. While it grabbed all my Steam games and even all the crappy OS games like Freecell and Minesweeper, it did miss certain games. It couldn’t find Hexxagon and Pacman, both of which are swf files sitting on my C drive, and it missed my copy of Prototype, which was an import version. It also overlooked Fairway Solitaire. I sent a message to Raptr, asking for the ability to manually add games, but from the sound of it they don’t plan to have that functionality any time soon. Personally, while I can see it being a problem if somebody wanted to add obscure older titles like “Dark Earth” or “Tass Times in Tonetown” that might not be in their database, I can’t see why they wouldn’t let somebody manually add any old executable that might be on their machine and associate it with a known game in their database.
What I do love is the ability to add games that aren’t in any way online. While this won’t let the client automatically track the game in the way that XBox or PC games are tracked any time you play them, it lets me tell Raptr that I’m playing Scribblenuats and Final Fantasy XII, and for how long. This is one of my favorite things about Raptr.
Raptr also has the ability to handle multiple-client instant messenging in the same way that Trillian and Digsby do. After Digsby’s Processing-Theft scandal, (http://lifehacker.com/5336382/digsby-joins-the-dark-side-uses-your-pc-to-make-money) I may decide to use Raptr for IM at home. Raptr also has automation for downloading game patches, updating Twitter and/or Facebook with your gaming status, and coordinating for online play.
Raptr still doesn’t report accurately when you start playing Playstation 3 games, but I suspect that this may have more than anything to do with the information (or lack thereof) provided by Sony’s PS3 API. At least Raptr is able to track PS3 Trophies.
As you can see by looking in the left sidebar here, I’ve written my own gamercard software, but I have to update it manually. Now, for the first time, I’m considering replacing that with a customized version of Raptr’s gamercard. As long as I give Raptr.com credit, I can’t imagine that the guys over at Raptr would mind much.
