What Is Gamification? Why Is It So Popular?
What Is Gamification? Why Is It So Popular?
What Is Gamification? Why Is It So Popular?
By Hall Koss
May 7, 2020
Summary
Gamification isn't only popular among consumer product designers: Plenty of HR departments rely on it, gamifying the workplace in order to increase employee productivity.
Jane McDonigal gave her popular 2010 TED Talk, "Gaming Can Make a Better World," in which she extolled the concept's virtues.
Zynga, the company behind simple and addicting games like Farmville, went public in 2011, alerting organizations everywhere that video games resonated with the average person.
"About ten years ago, gamification was a really big deal. It became trendy," said Rahul Vohra, chief executive officer of Superhuman.
Why Gamification Is ControversialAs gamification rose to prominence, it drew fire from critics.
"Gamification is bullshit," wrote Ian Bogost, an academic and game designer.
When gamification works, it's because the overall experience is designed like a game, thus appealing to the intrinsic motivation of users.
"I am genuinely afraid that in a few years, companies will look at gamification and say, 'Hey, we tried the points stuff and it didn't work out. I guess gamification was just a short-term fad,'" wrote Yu-Kai Chou in Actionable Gamification.
COMMON GAMIFICATION ELEMENTSThere are dozens, if not hundreds, of mechanics and concepts derived from games that are used to gamify everyday activities and environments.
GAME DESIGN PRINCIPLES IN ACTIONThe game design principles underpinning a successful product or experience are often invisible to the user.
Reference
Koss, H. (2020, May 07). Gamification: A Guide. Retrieved May 09, 2020, from https://builtin.com/software-engineering-perspectives/gamification