4 Ways Extrinsic rewards bit me in the ass

Silver 4 Ways Extrinsic rewards bit me in the ass

Not long ago I wrote about my daughters school and their usage of certificates to incentivise reading. The idea is that if a child reads a certain amount each half term, they can get a bronze, silver or gold certificate.

As you may remember, I have spent a lot of time trying to encourage my daughter to read. I thought I had cracked it after long gamified engagement. Little did I know, that in the background the school was undoing all my (and my wife’s) hard work.

Olivia has consistently got Gold awards for her reading, we have ensured that every school night for the entire school year she has read. Two weeks ago, she missed two days. This did not seem like that big a deal, two days in an entire year should not mean much in the long run. Read More ...

Virtual Economies

A little free section from the new book 😉

Virtual economies are not as common an addition to a gamified system, but I wanted to include a little bit about them.  Virtual economies can be based entirely in the virtual world, or can break that barrier and have some effect on the real world, depending on how they are designed. If you consider points and badges, they are a type of virtual currency, though they have no real world value, in the system they represent effort and skill. If that virtual currency can then be used to purchase virtual goods, you being to have an actual economy. For example, many games allow you to collect coins or points and then exchange them for in game goods. For example, Fallout Shelter from Bethseda. As you play the game, you earn bottle caps – the in game currency. Those bottle tops can then be used to purchase new rooms for your shelter. Read More ...

No Blog Post – New Book

As you may have noticed, for the first time in over a year – there is no blog this week. The reason is two fold.

1. I have been insanely busy!

2. My spare time has been spent finally finishing up my second – as yet untitled – book!

So, instead of a blog, here are some random bits of development stuff from the book :). It will be available soon on Amazon as an eBook and I am trying to make sure that it is available in print (through self publishing). More info soon 🙂

Cover Ideas

Title Ideas

  • Gamification: Get Serious and Start Playing
  • Gamification: How to hold your own in conversation
  • Ninja Monkeys Rule: Gamification…
  • Game Thinking: Gamification and Games Based Solutions
  • Gamification: An Insiders View
  • Gamification: How do sound smart… :p
  • Gamification: Understanding the power of game based solution design

Contents Page

Defining Gamification
Game Thinking
Play, Games and Playfulness
Motivation
Intrinsic Motivation RAMP
User Types
Rewards and Leaderboards
Feedback and Getting Rewards Right
The User Journey
Goals, Activity Loops and Flow
Loyalty
Cheating
Game Mechanics
Gamification Mechanics and Elements
Neurotransmitters in Gamification
Design Tips
Modelling Systems Read More ...

Hidden in the User Types Hexad

For the first time that I can remember, someone has asked a question about a little “hidden” feature of the User Types Hexad. Two secrets actually.

Take a look at it now, what is odd?

I love symmetry – it is a quirk of mine. I hate how my kids build with LEGO, they always put the wrong colours together and use odd numbers of bricks and the like! Drives the little picky part of my brain insane. That’s part of why I have the hexagon shape, it is perfectly symmetrical – except for the circle in the middle. Read More ...

Amazon: Getting customer care wrong

Recently my wife pre-ordered a book from Amazon. She put her order in the day after pre-orders opened and chose super-saver delivery. Her understandable assumption was that if she pre-ordered, then the book would at least be dispatched on the day of release. She knew she would have to wait a few days for delivery, but that was fine.

The truth was a little different. The book was due for release on the 18th of June. Looking at her delivery estimates in Amazon, it stated the book was due for dispatch on the 22nd of June with a delivery estimate of 27th of June. She was a little confused by this. Read More ...

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