Gamification Class Week

         

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  Coursera  Gamification  Class  -­‐  Week  1  Review   By  Sudarshan  Gopaladesikan       What  is  Gamification?     • Introduction   o Techniques  that  game  designers  use  can  be  applied  to  health,   business,  education.  This  is  gamification   o In  the  6  weeks  of  the  course,  it  will  teach  what  gamification  means   and  how  you  can  apply  it  to  solve  real  world  problems   o What  is  cool  about  games?  They  are  so  addicting!  Why  are  they   addicting?  That  is  what  we  want  to  learn.  What  engages  and  motivates   people  in  a  game  environment.     o Understanding  what  makes  games  successful  (commercially  and   personally).  Understanding  what  makes  games  engaging.   Understanding  what  games  can  do.  Why  games  have  power.     o Samsung  Nation  is  an  example  that  is  given  in  the  course.      Samsung  wants  to  increase  internet  traffic      They  create  incentive/rewards  for  “desired  behavior”:  interact   with  their  site,  post  a  comment,  write  reviews,  watch  videos,   etc.      Leaderboards,  badges,  points,  etc.  are  things  that  are  used  to   make  Samsung  Nation  more  than  just  a  website.  It  is  gamified!     o Although  the  course  explains  it  in  depth  later  on,  I  want  to  comment   on  the  difference  between  game  elements,  mechanics,  and  dynamics.   Using  Bunchball’s  white  paper  “Gamification  101”,  they  say:    Game  mechanics:  points,  levels,  challenges,  virtual  goods,   leaderboards,  gifts/charity      Game  dynamics:  rewards,  achievement,  self-­‐expression,   altruism,  competition,  status    Game  elements  can  mean  mechanics.  These  terms  seem  to  be   interchangeably  used,  so  just  be  careful  that  you  distinguish   what  you  are  talking  about.     • Course  Overview   o Understand  what  gamification  is   o How  it  MIGHT  be  valuable      This  is  simply  to  show  that  gamification  is  not  the  answer  for   EVERY  real  world  problem.    

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o Learn  how  to  do  it  effectively     o Understand  applications  of  gamification   o Gamification  is  amazing  because  it  is  one  of  the  most  interdisciplinary   studies.  It  combines  games,  math  (statistics),  psychology,  economics,   philosophy,  anthropology,  sociology,  and  the  list  goes  on.      For  example,  it  may  be  easy  to  see  why  these  subjects  can  help   understand  gamification.  Anthropology  is  a  great  discipline   because  every  culture  plays  games  different.  If  someone  wants   to  create  global  gamified  products,  they  would  have  to  take   into  account  cultural  differences  to  make  sure  the  rules  aren’t   offensive/complex/etc.     Definition  of  Gamification   o Gamification  is  the  use  of  game  elements  and  game  design  techniques   in  non-­‐game  contexts.      Game  elements—similar  to  mechanics  (from  Introduction)    Game  design  techniques—similar  to  game  dynamics  (from   Introduction)    Non-­‐game  contexts—events  that  occur  in  real  life  (ex.   Running)   o Nike+    This  is  an  app  that  Nike  created.  It  allows  them  to  take  an   accelerometer  chip  and  place  it  in  a  person’s  shoe.      The  chip  records  running  stats  and  can  be  uploaded  on  a   smartphone/pc  to  see  your  records.      Achievements,  Goals,  Stats,  etc.  are  some  elements  that  Nike+   uses  to  “gamify”  running.     o Zombies  Run  is  another  good  example.  Remember,  gamification  isn’t   about  making  a  game  better.  It  is  about  how  to  use  games  to  solve  real   world  challenges.     o An  important  thing  to  remember  is  observer  bias.  Gamification  is   about  tracking  progress  of  an  individual.  However,  if  the  individual   understood  the  rules  and  who  is  tracking  progress,  he/she  may  act   differently  because  he  is  being  “observed”.     o Subtle  gamification  will  help  to  solve  this,  but  this  isn’t  easy.     o Gamification  can  also  be  defined  as  “the  observation  and/or   implementation  of  a  playful  environment  using  systematic  rules   in  a  non-­‐game  context.”    Observation—this  is  Nike  “tracking”  the  running  of  an   individual      Implementation—the  elements/mechanics/dynamics  used  to   create  the  “gamified”  environment.      Playful  environment—in  the  later  sections,  the  course  talks   about  game  vs.  play.  The  playful  environment  is  the  area  within   the  “Magic  Circle”  that  gives  complete  freedom  to  the  user  with   some  given  constraints.  For  example,  Nike+  gives  users  a  lot  of  

         

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freedom  where  to  run  given  the  constraint  that  they  do   actually  run  with  the  chip  in  the  shoe.      Systematic  rules—these  are  the  rules  of  the  game.  They  explain   the  goal  and  how  it  is  possible  to  get  from  start  to  finish.     Why  Study  Gamification     o A  great  reason  to  study  it  is  because  it  is  new  but  will  become  a   growing  topic  in  both  the  academic  and  business  worlds.     o Fortune  Magazine  Oct  2011  said  that  gamification  is  the  hot  new   business  concept.     o What  is  it  about  games  that  make  them  so  engaging?  I  keep  writing   this  sentence  down,  but  this  is  a  key  question  to  ask.     o They  solve  personal  behavior  change  challenges,  but  they  can  also   solve  business  challenges  like  how  to  better  engage  customers,   increase  sales,  and/or  but  not  limited  to  improve  efficiency  in  the   workplace.     o Reasons  why  you  should  study  gamification:    Gamification.co  might  create  a  workshop  for  students  and   professionals.  This  certification  will  be  something  you  can  take   to  employers.  They  will  see  that  you  are  “gamification”   certified.  This  means:   • You  can  work  successfully  in  a  “gamified”  environment   • You  understand  gamification  and  how  it  can  help  all   areas  of  a  business.     • You  are  capable  of  understanding  what  it  takes  to   successfully  “gamify”  a  business.      It  is  an  interdisciplinary  study  so  you  get  to  learn  a  lot  from   bunch  of  different  disciplines.      Games  are  becoming  a  part  of  everyone’s  life.  Understanding   games  will  give  you  a  new  way  to  approach  problems.      Another  reason  to  study  gamification  is  that  it  will  DIE  if  it  isn’t   explored  properly.  Just  like  how  video  games  are  typically  good   if  they  are  different,  unique,  and  offer  exciting  game  play.  Same   with  gamification.  Gamified  environments  in  real  life  have  to   be  different  and  unique  because  otherwise  it  will  be  dull.     History  of  Gamification   o 100  years  ago,  Cracker  Jack  used  to  put  a  surprise  toy  in  each  box.   (Awesome  way  to  engage  people  into  buying  their  product.)   o Richard  Bartle.  These  notes  don’t  give  him  enough  credit.  Google  him   to  learn  more  about  him.      In  1980,  he  created  MUD1.  It  was  a  multi-­‐user  dungeon  with  a   text-­‐based  system.  (Ex.  You  see  a  rock,  what  do  you  do?  A)  hit   it  B)  Ignore  it)    He  actually  jokes  today  that  gamification  then  meant  taking   something  that  wasn’t  a  game  and  making  it  a  game.    

  4   Now,  it  involves  breaking  games  down  into  important   elements.     o James  Paul  G  at  ASU  wrote  many  books  about  how  video  games   encode  power  information  and  creation  tools  that  explain  how  people   learn.     o Serious  Games  Initiative  is  focused  on  creating  real  world  simulations.      This  isn’t  actually  gamification.  This  is  because  Serious  Games   are  creating  a  game  simulation  that  simulates  real  life.   Although  it  is  amazing,  it  isn’t  under  the  scope  of  gamification.      Serious  Games  would  be  more  of  augmented  reality.     o Games  for  Change  helped  used  games  to  raise  world-­‐issue  awareness   (ex.  Peace  Maker  is  a  game  that  explains  the  Arab  Israeli  Conflict)   o Games  are  great  for  teaching  systems  thinking,  showing  you  that  your   individual  actions  fit  into  a  much  more  complex  system.   o In  2005,  Bunchball  was  created.  In  2007,  they  crated  the  first   gamification  platform.  Since  then,  other  competitors  like  Bigdoor,   Gigya,  and  Badgeville  have  entered  the  scene.     o In  2010,  gamification  became  a  “coined”  term  because  it  reached   critical  mass  within  the  biz  tech  community.  Why?    Jesse  Schell’s  DICE  conference  talk  on  gamification  went  viral.      Jane  McGonigal’s  book,  Reality  is  Broken,  helps  show  how   games  can  help  our  lives.     o As  Jane  does  not  put  the  term  “gamification”  in  her  book,  she  says  that   “gamification”  trivializes  how  powerful  games  are.  I  agree  with  her.     o In  context  of  this  course,  I  understand  why  the  scope  is  what  it  is.   However,  to  spark  creativity,  imagination,  and  possible  new   outcomes,  gamification’s  scope  would  be  widened  so  that  people   really  believe  that  there  are  elements  and  dynamics  within  games  that   can  help  solve  problems  such  as  world  hunger,  climate  change,  what   to  wear  for  work,  and  everyday  life.     Examples  and  Categories   o Categories  are  External,  Internal,  and  Behavioral  Change.      External—this  is  similar  to  B2C.  Businesses  want  to  use   gamification  to  increase  traffic  to  site,  sales,  engagement,  and   fan  loyalty.      Internal—this  is  similar  to  B2E.  Businesses  want  to  use   gamification  to  improve  worker  efficiency  and  satisfaction  in   the  workplace.  A  great  reading  is  Bunchball’s  whitepaper  on   “Gamification  at  work”    Behavioral  Change—This  is  Nike+.  People  who  want  to  lose   weight,  stop  smoking,  study  better,  etc.  can  use  gamification  to   help  motivate  themselves  to  better  themselves.     o The  examples  the  course  uses  are  Club  Psych  (B2C)  and  Microsoft   Language  bug  tracking  (B2E).     •

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o For  behavioral  change,  the  speeding  ticket  lottery  was  amazing.  Each   time  a  car  drove  the  speed  limit,  they  were  entered  into  a  lottery  to   win  a  prize.  This  helped  people  slow  down  in  total.  Amazing  results!     o Gamification  is  all  about  exploring  what  motivates  people!     o While  gamification  can’t  be  used  for  everything,  it  sure  can  be  used  for   a  lot  of  different  challenges  that  occur  in  life.  With  each  challenge  that   can  be  solved  through  gamification,  it  makes  it  that  much  more   important  that  we  make  gamification  unique.      

Games   • Gamification  in  Context   o Not  turning  everything  into  a  game.  Gamification  is  taking  a  real  world   experience  and  making  it  “better”.      What  does  better  mean?  Well  that  depends  on  the  context  of   what  you  are  trying  to  gamify.     o Gamification  is  and  is  not  game  theory.  Game  theory  is  more   organized.  It  is  a  set  of  mathematical  models  and  logic  to  come  to   conclusions  and  consequences.  The  prisoner’s  dilemma  is  a  famous   example.      However  game  theory  plays  a  huge  role  in  how  people  make   choices.  Game  theory  assumes  that  people  are  rational,  but   people’s  deviation  from  rational  thinking  helps  give  insight.  It   is  almost  as  if  gamification  is  game  theory  with  the  assumption   that  people  like  to  “do  their  own  thing”.     o There  are  three  things  that  gamification  does:    The  first  is  that  gamification  is  about  listening  and  learning   from  games.      Gamification  is  about  learning.  Learning  from  games  and   interdisciplinary  studies.      Gamification  is  about  having  fun.  Games  are  more  than  just   mathematical  models.  Capturing  that  “fun”  is  what  gamification   tries  to  do.     o There  are  four  components  that  make  of  gamification:    Game  vs.  play    Whole  vs.  partial      The  course  will  explain  this  better  but  just  remember:   • Whole  games—serious  games     • Partial  games—GAMIFICATION   • Whole  play—toys     • Partial  play—playful  thinking     o Play  is  a  term  that  NEEDS  to  be  given  much  credit  and  awareness.   Keep  that  in  mind  for  later  segments  of  this  course.     • What  is  a  game?  

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o Wittgenstein  said  that  games  are  impossible  to  define  because  of  the   flaws  of  the  English  language.     o However,  Bernard  Suits  is  a  Canadian  philosopher  who  said  that   games  can  be  defined  by  three  things:    Pre-­‐lusory  goal—this  is  the  goal  that  is  set  before  the  game   starts.  It  is  understand  on  a  global  level.  Lusory  comes  from   ludus,  which  means  games.      Constituent  rules—these  are  the  rules  that  are  used  in  the   game.  The  user  needs  to  abide  and  respect  these  rules.  These   are  the  rules  that  make  the  activity  a  game.      Lusory  attitude—this  is  similar  to  the  user’s  respect  of  the   rules,  but  this  is  saying  that  the  user  uses  only  the  rules  given   to  him  to  achieve  the  game  properly.     o Huizinga’s  Magic  Circle  is  an  extension  of  Suits’  explanation  of  what  a   game  is.  The  Magic  Circle  helps  separate  the  real  world  from  the  game   world.  The  circle  represents  the  rules  that  affix  the  game  world.   However,  inside  the  Magic  Circle  is  where  the  user  is  fully  immersed   into  the  experience.  This  explains  “playing”.  This  freedom  given   subjected  to  some  constraints  is  the  playing  that  the  user  can  do.   However,  the  playing  is  bounded  by  the  circle’s  boundaries  (ex.  Rules   of  the  game)   o To  extend  upon  Wittgenstein’s  thought  that  games  can  be  explained,   think  about  it  like  this:  Pretend  you  went  to  Europe  for  vacation.   When  you  come  back,  people  ask  you  how  the  trip  was.  However,   when  you  are  explaining  the  trip  to  your  friends,  you  can  only  explain   it  in  terms  of  what  it  was  like,  not  what  is  actually  was.  That  is  because   the  moment  in  time  in  which  you  could  explain  how  it  was  only   happened  once.  Your  brain  is  just  trying  to  remember  all  the   important  highlights,  but  you  could  never  give  a  100%  explanation  of   how  the  trip  was.      The  same  thing  goes  for  games.  A  person  can’t  explain  what  a   game  is  because  the  user  is  having  a  unique  experience  within   the  magic  circle.  Each  user  gets  a  different  experience,  so  it  is   hard  to  really  explain.     o The  lusory  attitude  is  subjective.  There  are  people  who  exist  that  love   to  “game”  the  system  by  figuring  out  ways  on  how  to  cheat  the  game.   This  is  a  serious  issue  that  always  needs  to  be  taken  into   consideration.  For  more  information,  google  “goldfarming”   o I  believe  that  more  research  should  be  done  on  what  it  means  to   “play”.  It  is  the  freedom  of  giving  the  user  the  choice  of  what  to  do   given  certain  freedom  and  constraints.  The  ability  to  understand  play   will  help  us  understand  games.     Games  and  Play   o Roger  Callois  was  the  first  to  term  game  and  play  together.  What  is  it   exactly?  

         

Game  is  the  methodical  approach  from  start  to  finish  using   rules.      Play  is  the  expenditure  of  exuberant  energy.  More  easily  said,  it   is  simply  the  freedom  given  to  a  user  with  no  strings  attached.   There  is  no  sake  to  the  action  except  for  “just  cause  I  wanted  to   do  that”   o The  zone  of  proximal  development  says  that  children  use  play  to   reach  higher  levels  in  their  cognitive  thinking.  Play  allows  children  to   explore  ideas  and  thoughts,  and  given  a  proper  environment,  can  help   children  improve  their  thinking.     o Games  are  a  domain  of  contrived  contingency  that  generates   interpretable  outcomes.     o Games  are  a  problem  solving  activity  with  a  playful  attitude.     o Too  much  game,  it  is  frustrating.  Too  much  play,  it  isn’t  meaningful   enough.  The  right  mix  is  needed.     Video  Games   o Pong  was  the  first  game  that  really  made  people  say,  “hey,  let’s   interact  with  a  computer  because  it  seems  to  play  along  with  me”   o Many  games  have  now  come  up.      Social—Zynga  is  a  prime  example.  Farmville,  Cityville,  etc.  are   all  great  examples  of  social  games.  They  give  people  the  ability   to  spend  the  time  to  make  a  great  experience  or  they  can  buy   their  way  to  the  top.  In  6  weeks,  Cityville  reached  100  million   registered  users.      Shooters—Call  of  Duty,  Halo    Platformer—Braid,  Super  Mario  Bros.    RPG—WoW,  Runescape,  2nd  Life,  etc.     o Video  game  industry  is  worth  60-­‐80  billion  dollars  a  year  in  revenue.     o Virtual  goods—games  have  created  a  new  industry.  More  to  come  on   this.      The  economy  for  virtual  goods  is  7.3  Bn  dollars.     o Both  women  and  men  play  games  almost  equally.  Girls  play  more   social  games  while  guys  play  more  shooter  type  games.     o Mobile  games  are  addicting  but  offer  less  time  to  play  it.  More  core   games  like  Xbox  live  has  120  billion  minutes  of  play  time  per  month.     o One  of  the  types  of  games  that  aren’t  really  talked  about  is  indie   games.  Games  that  come  from  Humble  Indie  Bundle  or  other  indie   developers  create  games  that  are  super  addicting.  They  create  “cult”   followings.  There  is  something  special  in  these  types  of  games.  What  is   it  exactly?  Research  should  be  done  here.     Just  a  Game?   o There  is  a  huge  trend  between  games  and  technology.  The  use  of   technology  will  help  gamification  be  effective.     o Games  are  also  social.  Competition,  Altruism,  and  other  factors  show   that  games  are  a  multi-­‐user  thing.     

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  8   o The  two  non-­‐digital  building  blocks  are  loyalty  programs  and  the  fact   that  games  and  real  world  are  getting  closer.  Games  tries  to  replicate   real  life  and  real  life  is  trying  to  be  “gamified”.    Loyalty  program  market  is  valued  at  50  Bn  dollars.