Game tracking and social network service Raptr has crunched data from over 10 million users to name Bethesda Softworks’ The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim as the “most played” game of 2011.

While Activision Blizzard’s Modern Warfare 3 actually showed 9 percent more total first-month playtime than Skyrim among Raptr’s user base, Bethesda’s RPG saw significantly longer average play sessions and total playtime per player in its first month, pushing it ahead in Raptr’s “most played” formula.

It should be noted that Raptr’s data comes from a self-selected group of members who sign up for a free Raptr account, which tracks and shares their gameplay usage with friends. The service does not track PS3 and Wii game usage, meaning console exclusives like Uncharted 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword were not included in the data.

Other heavily played games, as grouped by genre and ranked in descending order of total first month playtime, include:

  • Shooters: Modern Warfare 3, Gears of War 3, Battlefield 3, Crysis 2, Bulletstorm
  • RPG: Skyrim, Dragon Age 2, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Dark Soules, Two Worlds 2
  • Open-world: Batman: Arkham City, LA Noire, Dead Island, Saints Row: The Third, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
  • Sports: FIFA 12, Madden 12, NBA2K12, NHL12, MLB 2K12
  • Social: The Sims Social, CastleVille, Empires and Allies, Diamond Dash, Mafia Wars 2
  • New IP: LA Noire, Bulletstorm, Homefront, Brink, Rage, Catherine
  • Overall: Modern Warfare 3, Skyrim, Gears of War 2, Battlefield 3, Batman: Arkham City

Raptr’s report also shows heavily increased usage for a number of pay-to-play massively multiplayer online games that transitioned to a free-to-play model this year. The service recorded an astounding 1,000 percent increase in players for Warner Bros.’ DC Universe Online in the month after it discarded a paid subscription model, as well as a 2,500 percent increase in total play time. Champions Online, All Points Bulletin and City of Heroes also saw heavy increases in average daily playtime after their free-to-play transitions.