Wazap
Encyclopedia
Wazap! is a vertical search engine
, video game database and social networking site to distribute gaming news, rankings, cheats, downloads and reviews. As a vertical search engine
, it indexes gaming sites and categorizes the information as news, reviews, cheats, downloads, previews and articles. Wazap uses a search algorithm
, developed internally, to rank indexed pages according to their relevance. Further relevance to the Search engine results page
(SERP) is obtained from user interactivity. Users can "Top" or "Flop" any of the results on the SERP and influence its relevance. Wazap's "bot
" or "crawler
" finds gaming related sites across the internet
and tags pages according to the pre-defined categories. They also use a user submission tool. Wazap combines internal proprietary information with their indexed gaming-related information from the web. The results obtained are then accessibly displayed according to the derived quality, publisher submissions, user popularity and preference.
, may connect the term with another word. For example, "waza-ari" means "technique existent." The two words "waza" and "up" were similarly combined to create a new word which means "to improve, to reach/aim higher."
. Results are presented based on quality and user popularity.
(SERP). This Site has been closed now and re-directs to Japanese page.
Wazap uses a dynamic XML
structure which generates an automatic RSS
feed based upon the search query. When users search Wazap's web search, they can add the RSS feed to any RSS reader. As Wazap indexes gaming content that's relevant to their search query, that new information will be distributed to the user's RSS reader.
.
Each game is organized to display the cover art of the game, an aggregation of ratings from multiple review sources and user rankings. Users can then comment on the game, find related games and browse the top results from Wazap's web search organized into cheats, news, articles, downloads and natural web results.
Another social component of Wazap's site is the commenting feature. Registered users can provide opinions, commentary, reviews, previews, evaluations and analysis.
to determine the order of results on the search page. This algorithm measures multiple aspects of the individual page to determine the page's content. The algorithm then determines what the applicable keywords
on the page are and what position the page will result when those keywords are searched.
News items, articles and search results are categorized and ranked using the top 'TOP/FLOP' voting feature.
Two types of scores are displayed within the Games Database. The first is the aggregate of various gaming publication reviews while the other is solely the aggregate of Wazap! users' scores and votes.
Search engine
A search engine is an information retrieval system designed to help find information stored on a computer system. The search results are usually presented in a list and are commonly called hits. Search engines help to minimize the time required to find information and the amount of information...
, video game database and social networking site to distribute gaming news, rankings, cheats, downloads and reviews. As a vertical search engine
Search engine
A search engine is an information retrieval system designed to help find information stored on a computer system. The search results are usually presented in a list and are commonly called hits. Search engines help to minimize the time required to find information and the amount of information...
, it indexes gaming sites and categorizes the information as news, reviews, cheats, downloads, previews and articles. Wazap uses a search algorithm
Algorithm
In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm is an effective method expressed as a finite list of well-defined instructions for calculating a function. Algorithms are used for calculation, data processing, and automated reasoning...
, developed internally, to rank indexed pages according to their relevance. Further relevance to the Search engine results page
Search engine results page
A search engine results page , is the listing of web pages returned by a search engine in response to a keyword query. The results normally include a list of web pages with titles, a link to the page, and a short description showing where the Keywords have matched content within the page...
(SERP) is obtained from user interactivity. Users can "Top" or "Flop" any of the results on the SERP and influence its relevance. Wazap's "bot
Bot
Bot or BOT may refer to:-Computing:* Bot, another also name for a Web crawler* Bots , an open-source EDI software* BOTS, a computer game* Internet bot, a computer program that does automated tasks...
" or "crawler
Crawler
Crawler may refer to:* Crawler, a person who crawls or creeps along the ground* Crawler , a British rock band* Crawler-transporter, a vehicle used to move space vehicles on Earth...
" finds gaming related sites across the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
and tags pages according to the pre-defined categories. They also use a user submission tool. Wazap combines internal proprietary information with their indexed gaming-related information from the web. The results obtained are then accessibly displayed according to the derived quality, publisher submissions, user popularity and preference.
History
Wazap first launched in Japan as a community website for gamers. Initially a mix of gaming news and user generated content, Wazap was then brought into a larger, more global role of gaming search and information distribution. Wazap AG had two regions at launch, Wazap (JP) and Wazap (DE). Both officially launched in 2004 with Japan first and then Berlin, Germany shortly thereafter. In November 2006, Wazap launched Wazap (CN) in China. The US version of Wazap launched in June 2007.Origin of the name
The origin of the name "Wazap" has historical relevance to both Japanese and English languages. "Wazap" is a combination of the word "Waza" and the English word for "up." In Japanese, "Waza" means "technique." Judokas, apprentices of the martial art of JudoJudo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
, may connect the term with another word. For example, "waza-ari" means "technique existent." The two words "waza" and "up" were similarly combined to create a new word which means "to improve, to reach/aim higher."
Features
Wazap's ranking system works dynamically with user-generated contentUser-generated content
User generated content covers a range of media content available in a range of modern communications technologies. It entered mainstream usage during 2005 having arisen in web publishing and new media content production circles...
. Results are presented based on quality and user popularity.
Gaming Web Search
Wazap's Gaming Web Search uses two methods to find video game content on the web. Firstly it uses an automated web crawler to find and index gaming content. It gathers information from gaming content sites, from gaming blogs, forums and independent news sources. Secondly, Wazap accepts user submissions. Each user submission, pending approval by the content filter, is added to the search index. Once a page is indexed, it is tagged for content and type. Wazap's web search algorithm determines whether the page is a gaming review or preview, a media item like a demo, video, mod or patch, a cheat or a news item. Based upon these tags, a search query will automatically filter the search results and display them on the Search engine results pageSearch engine results page
A search engine results page , is the listing of web pages returned by a search engine in response to a keyword query. The results normally include a list of web pages with titles, a link to the page, and a short description showing where the Keywords have matched content within the page...
(SERP). This Site has been closed now and re-directs to Japanese page.
Wazap uses a dynamic XML
XML
Extensible Markup Language is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine-readable form. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C, and several other related specifications, all gratis open standards....
structure which generates an automatic RSS
RSS
-Mathematics:* Root-sum-square, the square root of the sum of the squares of the elements of a data set* Residual sum of squares in statistics-Technology:* RSS , "Really Simple Syndication" or "Rich Site Summary", a family of web feed formats...
feed based upon the search query. When users search Wazap's web search, they can add the RSS feed to any RSS reader. As Wazap indexes gaming content that's relevant to their search query, that new information will be distributed to the user's RSS reader.
Game Database
Wazap's Game Database contains over 10,000 video games. As new games are announced and as older games are cataloged, the game database is a constantly growing feature. Wazap organizes the database by game console and genreGenre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
.
| Platform | Genre | Sorting Field |
|---|---|---|
| PC Games | Action game Action game Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some... s |
Popularity |
| Xbox 360 Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles... |
RPG Role-playing game (video games) Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests... |
Sales |
| PlayStation 3 PlayStation 3 The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles... |
Strategy game Strategy game A strategy game or strategic game is a game in which the players' uncoerced, and often autonomous decision-making skills have a high significance in determining the outcome... s |
Name |
| Wii Wii The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others... |
Entertainment Games | Release Date |
| PlayStation 2 PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan... |
Adventure game Adventure game An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,... s |
Recently Released |
| Xbox Xbox The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console... |
Sports gamess | Available Soon |
| Nintendo GameCube Nintendo GameCube The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia... (GC) |
Simulation games | |
| PlayStation Portable PlayStation Portable The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004... (PSP) |
Platform game Platform game A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps... s |
|
| Nintendo DS Nintendo DS The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP... |
Racing Games | |
| Game Boy Advance Game Boy Advance The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China... (GBA) |
Children's Games | |
| PlayStation PlayStation The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000... (PSX) |
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| Macintosh Macintosh The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a... |
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| Linux Linux Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds... |
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| Sega Saturn Sega Saturn The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe... |
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| Game Boy Color Game Boy Color The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than... (GBC) |
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| Nintendo 64 Nintendo 64 The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil... (N64) |
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| Dreamcast DC | ||
| Nokia N-Gage | ||
| Game Boy Game Boy The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on... (GB) |
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| Sega Genesis Sega Mega Drive The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that... |
Each game is organized to display the cover art of the game, an aggregation of ratings from multiple review sources and user rankings. Users can then comment on the game, find related games and browse the top results from Wazap's web search organized into cheats, news, articles, downloads and natural web results.
Community
Registered users can create profiles noting their games of choice, game ratings given and bookmarked favorites.Another social component of Wazap's site is the commenting feature. Registered users can provide opinions, commentary, reviews, previews, evaluations and analysis.
User Influenced Search
Wazap also uses user activity to determine the order of the search results. As users search for information, they select "Top" or "Flop". Based on the user's response to the search result, multiple "Flops" could result in the site's decrease in the order of search results. Similarly, multiple "Tops" from users can bring more relevant content to the top of the page.Algorithmic Search
Wazap uses an algorithmAlgorithm
In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm is an effective method expressed as a finite list of well-defined instructions for calculating a function. Algorithms are used for calculation, data processing, and automated reasoning...
to determine the order of results on the search page. This algorithm measures multiple aspects of the individual page to determine the page's content. The algorithm then determines what the applicable keywords
Keywords
Keywords are the words that are used to reveal the internal structure of an author's reasoning. While they are used primarily for rhetoric, they are also used in a strictly grammatical sense for structural composition, reasoning, and comprehension...
on the page are and what position the page will result when those keywords are searched.
Reviews and rating system
Games are categorized on a sliding percentage scale ranging (0-100%). This rating method is applicable to specific game titles across multiple platforms and the registered user can only vote on any chosen item once to ensure unique results.News items, articles and search results are categorized and ranked using the top 'TOP/FLOP' voting feature.
Two types of scores are displayed within the Games Database. The first is the aggregate of various gaming publication reviews while the other is solely the aggregate of Wazap! users' scores and votes.
Executives
- Andreas Rührig: CEO & Co-founder
- Timo Meyer: COO & Co-founder
- Philip Gienandt: CFO
- Alexander Piutti: CCO, & General Manager, Europe
- Jeff Tang: General Manager, China
- Thom Kozik: General Manager, U.S.