GamificationWay of the future or just the latest fad?

IntroductionWho I am

James Patten. A postgrad with the Biocomputing and Developmental Systems Research Group in UL

What I’m researchingGame Design and Evolutionary Algorithms

Why I’m here todayTo talk about Gamification

What is Gamification?Definition:

“Gamification is the integration of game mechanics or game dynamics into a website, service, community, campaign, or application in order to drive participation and engagement.”

Game Mechanics Definition“Game mechanics are a construct of rules intended

to produce an enjoyable game or gameplay”.1

“Game mechanics are rule based systems / simulations that facilitate and encourage a user to explore and learn the properties of their possibility space through the use of feedback mechanisms”.2

“…what the players are able to do in the game-world, how they do it and how that leads to a compelling gameplay experience”.3

“…primarily refers to the rules but can also refer to the equipment, the venue or anything else, necessary to play the game”. 4

Game Dynamics DefinitionDynamics refer to what might be called the

“behaviour“ of the game, the actual events and phenomena that occur as the game is played4

Traditional Game SpacesWhat spaces come to mind when you think

about game mechanics and dynamics?Digital Video Game?

Traditional Game SpacesNon-Digital Games?

Non-Traditional GamespacesIf we accept the “Traditional Gamespaces”

that means that anything outside of this could be considered as “non-traditional”?

(Recap)“Gamification is the integration of game mechanics or game dynamics into a website, service, community, campaign, or application in order to drive participation and engagement.”

Who’s Talking about Gamification?

Jesse Schell Carnegie Mellon University

Seth PriebatschOne of the founders of SCVNGR

A Game Layer on Top of the WorldSee Talk at the following link:http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/seth_priebatsch_the_game_layer_on_top_of_the_world.html

Recap of Dynamics Seth mentionedAppointment DynamicInfluence and Status DynamicProgression DynamicCommunal Discovery Dynamic

Sounds Convincing?Just add game mechanics and we will

increase engagement?Sebastian Deterding (UX Designer) delivered

an insightful presentation at Playful 2010 conference in London last month (September 24th)

He seems to be a bit more cautious about Gamification

Deterding’s Main PointsGamification Vendors Confusions:Games are not necessarily funRewards are not achievementsFeedback is not a game mechanicNovelty is not engagementCompetition is not for everyone

Unintended Consequences of Poorly Applied MechanicsUnintended BehavioursGaming the systemHitting the Target but missing the pointMessing with implicit social norms

ConclusionGamification could be powerful but

remember that “90% of everything is crud!”Need the convergence of things to succeed

Smart People Bad Intentions

Non-Smart People

Good Intentions

Smart PeopleGood

Intentions

Questions?

References http://g4tv.com/videos/44277/dice-2010-design-outside-the-box-presentatio

n/

http://www.slideshare.net/chrismcclelland/engagement-through-gamification

http://www.slideshare.net/dings/pawned-gamification-and-its-discontents http://

www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/seth_priebatsch_the_game_layer_on_top_of_the_world.html

http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/25/scvngr-game-mechanics/