Gaming Website Crispy Gamer Buys Social Network GamerDNA

Online social network GamerDNA has been acquired by video game news and reviews website Crispy Gamer, GamerDNA founder and digital entrepreneur Jon Radoff announced on his blog Thursday. "After looking at all the options available to us, we decided it didn’t make sense for us to 'go it alone' in the market any longer," wrote Radoff. "Yesterday we merged with Crispy Gamer, which has very ambitious plans to build a media company around the gaming market." Radoff launched Cambridge, Mass.-based GamerDNA about a year and a half ago. Radoff didn't give specifics on the future of Crispy Gamer or the selling price, and his own involvement in the two entities' futures will be limited. Radoff will help Crispy Gamer CEO Chris Heldman transition into the new arrangement, then the GamerDNA founder will move on to "start something new in 2010." "People have asked me what it will be, but the reality is that I don’t know yet," said Radoff, who will be "mentoring and advising a few cool startups and larger companies in the areas that interest me" in the meantime. GamerDNA is a games-centric online social network that follows users' gaming habits and links it to a profile that shares personal gaming activity via more mainstream social hubs like Facebook and Twitter. A rep for New York-based Crispy Gamer told website Mass High Tech that it will continue to operate as a separate entity following the completion of the acquisition. Mass High Tech also noted that GamerDNA laid off half of its staff less than two months ago. Crispy Gamer was home to 15 full-time employees prior to the acquisition -- an undisclosed amount of GamerDNA staff will come over after the buy. Crispy Gamer and GamerDNA had a working relationship prior to the acquisition, as the two partnered to bring Crispy Gamer content to GamerDNA.com, which generates revenues through advertising.