Andrzej Marczewski

Gamification Expert, author, consultant and designer. I love to write about it, talk about it and bore people to death with it! If you really want to get to know me, check out the About page.

What can comedy teach us about gamification?

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Comedy 1430402323 What can comedy teach us about gamification

I was reading an old article, on the Telegraph website, that had Jimmy Carr and Lucy Greeves explaining how comedy works. It was actually much more interesting that I had expected and offers valuable insights into how to apply gamification in a more engaging way.

Whilst it is true that we all find different things funny, the general way in which jokes are constructed and delivered is as important as the content or the context of them.

Surprise

Surprise is the fundamental joke mechanism. Most punchlines rely on an element of surprise – that’s why they’re not funny the third time you hear them. Read More ...

MINDSPACE – Influencing Behaviour

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Sometimes you come across stuff that you really wish you had come up with, but it is so good that shareing it is much better than trying to develop your own version!

One such idea is that of MINDSPACE.

In 2010 the British Government commisioned research into influencing behaviour through policy. What they produced was a report that we in gamification should find really useful – all revolving around this MINDSPACE acronym.

  • Messenger: we are heavily influenced by who communicates information
  • Incentives: our responses to incentives are shaped by predictable mental shortcuts, such as strongly avoiding losses
  • orms: we are strongly influenced by what others do
  • Defaults: we ‘go with the flow’ of pre-set options
  • Salience: our attention is drawn to what is novel and seems relevant to us
  • riming: our acts are often influenced by sub-conscious cues
  • Affect: our emotional associations can powerfully shape our actions
  • Commitments: we seek to be consistent with our public promises, and reciprocate acts
  • Ego: we act in ways that make us feel better about ourselves

Rather brilliantly, they released all the info in a couple of reports. So follow these links for loads more info, it is really good stuff (if a little worrying that the government are look at how to control us this way…). Read More ...

Zombies Run! 5K – Attempting to get fit

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Well, the scales have shouted at me again and it is time to get in shape. I have let myself go over the last few years and my body is beginning to tell me off as well!

I used to run, but always hated it. For a while I was trying to use Zombies Run! from Six to Start, however there was an assumption that you were already fit enough to run in the first place. This time, I thought I would start slow and steady with the help of Zombies Run’s baby sibling – Zombies Run 5K.

It is an app that takes you through an 8 week program that should help you get from couch potato (me) to someone who can run 5 kilometres. Obviously there is nothing all that new about this idea. What Zombies Run! adds to the equation is a narrative that helps to keep you going through the exercises. Read More ...

7 Deadly sins of making serious / educational games

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I wanted to add a short post just highlighting 7 things that I repeatedly see people doing wrong when they are making or considering making serious / educational games. This is by no means an exhaustive list though – I just like the idea of 7 deadly sins 😀

  1. Assume because you think it is fun that everyone else will.
  2. Forget that it is actually a game.
  3. Forget that it is meant to teach something or provide a message.
  4. Test with the wrong people.
  5. Think that it doesn’t need to look good.
  6. Think that playing games will make you a good game designer.
  7. Underestimate how hard it is to make a good game.

In a little more detail.

Assume because you think it is fun that everyone else will.

  • Fun is really subjective and just because you think it is amazing doesn’t mean that the rest of us will! See sin 2…
    • Read More ...

    It’s time for you to grow down a little

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    One of the really obvious things that has come out of looking into play and fun, is how resistant us grown ups are to letting go and doing things that seem, on the surface of it, to be of no value.

    I think it is time for use to grow down a little and learn to let go and enjoy moments of silliness, fun and play. Not everything has to earn you money or respect or power to be worthwhile. Sometimes you have to do things that are just done to may you happy – nothing more nothing less!

    https://youtu.be/QsSMkN2iz5s Read More ...

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