Gamification

5 essential Ps of gamification

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Ppppp 5 essential Ps of gamification

I always like to try and simplify concepts to help me explain them to people, hence I keep creating acronym based frameworks!! (RAMP, EEEE, GAME etc.).

Well, my latest is five essential Ps that gamification projects have to have to stand a chance of any success. The scary thing is, that in many projects I have seen, at least one is always missing!

  • Purpose: This covers three things in gamification. The first is many implementations lack a clear purpose. They are often the product of a conversation that starts with “I’ve heard about gamification, lets get in on that and gamify something.” The Second is the kind of purpose I speak of in my RAMP framework. A sense that what the user is involved in is worth something more than just earning points. Finally there is the fact that often many users have no idea what the system is for or why it exists!
  • Progress: Without progress, there is no way of knowing that you are heading in the right direction and at the right pace. Progress involves feedback, acquisition of skills, development of skills and more.
  • Proficiency: Linked strongly with progress, there needs to be some level of improvement and development in skills to keep people engaged. If the system does nothing more than ask the user to click “like” for points, it won’t take very long for them to master it!
  • Pride: People need to feel proud of their achievements. If a system gives them no way to feel that, then they will quickly lose interest. Pride is not a bad thing, it is key to our self-esteem.
  • People: Your potential users are people, first and foremost. Never treat them like commodities or cattle. You have to understand their wants and needs as much (if not more) than those of the system or the management who commissioned it.

If you build a system with any of these missing, you are in danger of create very shallow layers of gamification that will not hold interest for any length of time. You can also end up alienating and even angering potential users – especially if the purpose part is not completely understood by all! Read More ...

A-Z of Gamification

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Alphabet 1430830397 A Z of Gamification

This is a total cop-out of an article. However, I would love to hear your versions! It all came about when listening to an advert for a kids show called the Dinosaur Train, where there is a song that teaches A-Z using the names of Dinosaurs!

On a side note, I will be speaking at Gamification World Congress in November. I was wondering if you had any thoughts on topics. I was considering a story about real loyalty, but if you want to hear about User Types again or anything else – let me know in the comments! Read More ...

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 ...

Don’t be afraid to say no to Gamification

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No to gamification Don 8217 t be afraid to say no to Gamification

Here is something that many who know me or know of me would be surprised to hear. Gamification is not always the answer!

There, I said it.

Often gamification is just a concept people have heard of and know may be of use. In these cases they will ask if it can be used as a solution for an issue they have. The trouble is that it is very easy to fall into the trap of just saying yes. As a gamifier, we really want to use gamification to solve business problems. We know the power that games and game elements can have and want to demonstrate this whenever we can. Read More ...

What if we could never use the word Gamification again…?

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Gamification What if we could never use the word Gamification again 8230

A few days ago on the awesome Facebook group Gamification Hub – I posed the following question.

Andrzej Marczewski

If the word gamification was banned from all usage – what would you replace it with. I’d go with “game thinking” personally.

What followed was a fantastic conversation that I felt deserved to be shared. This is just a small example of the great content this group generates.

Roman Rackwitz

In this case, I would try to get rid off everything that sounds like game (because it will still confuse everyone). Read More ...