The aim of combining game mechanics and experience design is to get us to digitally engage (Burke, 2014; Insley & Nunan, 2014). It incorporates a fun element into our interaction with brands but how much we engage can depend on a variety of internal and external factors. Gartner (2011) predicted that over 70% of the Forbes Global 2000 would be utilising gamification by 2014 with M2 Research (2012) claiming that gamification strategies can result in an engagement increase of 100-150%. With this being the case lets take a quick look at how a couple of companies deployed the technique.
Collapse
Taking inspiration from the upcoming game The Division, Ubisoft unveiled a web-based simulator called Collapse to show how a hypothetical virus can quickly spread and be the downfall of society as we know it. The concept in itself creates a confusing mixture of curiosity and fear which is increased manifold by only the addition of a small piece of personalisation.
The game draws on real life data from Street Map, NASA & IATA and makes you, yes you, patient zero. You can choose your starting location to be anywhere in the world, but who chooses anywhere in the world when you could start somewhere you know? Somewhere you feel safe? Somewhere like home?
You dictate how the global pandemic ensues. Your choice of local hospital you visit. Your choice of local pharmacy to get medicine. Your choice of shop for rations. All these familiar places that you know in the physical world create an emotional response which can lead to a greater connection with the brand.
Games have been seen to increase spatial memory (Lin et al., 2014) with research from Friestad & Thorson (1986) showing that emotional messages create stronger memories and more positive judgments. It is suggested by Hupbach et al. (2007) that memories can be modified when they are reactivated. Does this game have the potential to latch onto our memories we’ve had at the physical locations we chose and seep into the new ones we make?
This simulator is based largely around a one off marketing strategy to promote a final product, so let’s take a look at how else gamification has been used to stimulate people to participate.
Code Academy
The website Code Academy helps you to learn everything from basic HTML through to Ruby & Python. It took my interest back in 2012 before I came to university because it made for an interesting and simplified way of learning to code but I never really considered though at the time as to why it drew me in so much.
Just like in school no-one has a text book dumped in front of them and are expected to read it cover to cover in one go (well hopefully not!). The site breaks down the learning into manageable chunks or lessons which users get awarded with badges and achievements for completing. More so users also get rewarded for coming back everyday to continue their learning.
This gamification style successfully utilises the ‘Development & Accomplishment’ and ‘Empowerment of Creativity & Feedback’ sides of Chou’s (2015) Octalysis framework through positive motivations. Although this technique is used for relatively objective learning maybe it could pave the way to a complete overhaul of certain education systems. One where people can learn at their own pace but be motivated to do so through rewards and leader boards.
We shouldn’t be too hasty to implement gamification for gamification sake though. Google attempted to reward users with badges for their achievements in reading news articles. It sounds nice in the beginning but when you think about it? Why? Just why? Unlike Code Academy where you earn badges because you want to learn how to code there is no real motivation to achieve badges because you have read more than someone else. After all who’s to say you even read the article properly? Unsurprisingly, Google quickly scrapped it.
We’ve seen two examples here using different approaches on what could make for an effective gamification strategy. Using emotion and using rewards. The possibilities are almost endless but we of course have to remember don’t just do it because everyone else is, do it because it adds value to the users experience.
Burke, B. (2014) Gartner Redefines Gamification. [Online] Available at: <http://blogs.gartner.com/brian_burke/2014/04/04/gartner-redefines-gamification/> [Accessed 1st April 2016].
Chou, Y-K. (2015) Octalysis: Complete Gamification Framework. [Online] Available at: <http://yukaichou.com/gamification-examples/octalysis-complete-gamification-framework/> [Accessed 1st April 2016].
Friestad, M. & Thorson, E. (1986) Emotion-Eliciting Advertising: Effects on long term memory and judgment. Advances in Consumer Research. Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 111-116.
Gartner. (2011) Gartner Predicts Over 70 Percent of Global 2000 Organisations Will Have at Least One Gamified Application by 2014. [Online] Available at: <http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/1844115> [Accessed 1st April 2016].
Hupbach, A., Gomez, R., Hardt, O & Nadel, L. (2007) Reconsolidation of episodic memories: A subtle reminder triggers integration of new information. Learning & Memory. Vol. 23, No. 4, pp. 47-53.
Insley, V. & Nunan, D. (2014) Gamification and the online retail experience. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management. Vol. 42, No.5, p340-351.
Lin, C.-H., Chen, C.-M., & Lou, Y.-C. (2014). Developing Spatial Orientation and Spatial Memory with a Treasure Hunting Game. Educational Technology & Society. Vol. 17 , No. 3, pp. 79–92.
M2 Research. (2012) Gamification in 2012: Trends in Consumer and Enterprise Markets with Metrics. [Online] Available at: <http://www.slideshare.net/wandameloni/gamification-in-2012-trends-in-consumer-and-enterprise-markets-13453048> [Accessed 1st April 2016].