The landscape of online Risk playing sites is constantly changing. It seems that every month there is a new entrant to the mix and another one is committed to the rubbish bin. It can be hard to keep up with so I am going to run down the current start of Risk online with my own analysis. All figures are accurate to February, 21, 2011.

Active Members for Selected Sites.  Total active users: about 25K web based +63K+ on XBLA.

• 21,650 Active Users (25,475 Active Games  / 5,028 Open Games)- Conquerclub.   The ol Rock has maintained a steady active base of around 20K for a long time.  I don’t see these numbers moving very much any time soon. 504,920 Total Registered Users.
• 1011 Active Users (355 Active Games / 96 Open Games) MajorCommand. Total active users has been capped at around 1,000 for months and the site is invite only.  Site activity seems healthy and should increase rapidly when the restriction is lifted.  Unknown total users (2-3k?).
• 758 Active Users (Unknown Active Games /13 Open Games) WarGear.  There is a steady flow of new players but retention may be a problem.  Activity levels seem steady.  Charts can be found here. 7,866 Total Registered Users.
• 2,804 Active Users (2,799 Active Games) - LandGrab.  I haven’t been keeping a close eye on this one but there appears to be a steady flow of users.  64,610 Total Registered Users
• 256 Active Users (Unknown Active Games / 6 Open Games) Dominating12.  A small community possibly with retention problems.  2900? Total Registered Users

There are other sites out there that have small communities or dying communities that are not listed.  Additionally there are many Risk-like iphone and ipad apps that have download numbers in the thousands.  Risk: Factions, the console adaptation from EA for the XBLA attained 63,000+ downloads in the first half of 2010.

New Entrants:

• MajorCommand - A very promising site that has been in beta for over 6 months now.  Definitely the one to watch for 2011.
• Victors United - Just popped on the radar and in early beta.  With a talented team and modern design, this could be a contender.
• Dominating12 - In development for 18 months now, its unclear whether it can survive.  Low players and project fatigue may kill off its small community.
• ArtofWar - Also in development for 18 months, unfocused development and lack of players may kill this site as well.

Conclusions:

The Risk playing field is strong and major productions by EA and Hasbro reinforce that there is a viable Market.  There is room for growth in the web and device sector and I expect to see some new entrants grow strongly there.  The current landscape of established sites is only getting older and less user friendly as web standards and expectations change.  I suspect that were will be a slow exodus from these sites as the landscape becomes more varied and competitive.