Standing on top of a temple in Egypt I had a vision of how to change the world with play. Games and work both require decisions, only games are often more engaging. Today we can use what people are naturally inclined to do to architect systems of engagement to better themselves and their world. We can use these games to succeed where corporations and public service institutions have failed. We can use the psychology of fun to create games of engagement to make us happier and smarter, help us achieve our goals, solve challenging problems like poverty and climate change. Research shows that people who are in a happy engaged brain states are 50% more productive. We can use the emotions from play to create brain states that drive success in the workplace and in life. Over thirty years games have evolved techniques to create strong emotions that drive play. Ultimately these games can actually deliver public services, such as Tilt World a game to plant 1 million trees. http://bit.ly/TiltWorld Movies like Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth, viral videos like Kony 2012 raise awareness about important issues. Games, the medium of the 21st century, have the power to turn this awareness into action. In this talk we cover what brain states improve performance, how games create engagement to create these brain states, how to design the specific choices with the Four Keys to Fun, and ultimately how to amplify a game's impact on the player and the real world.

1. XEODesign: Putting Emotion
in Play
The Four Keys to Engagement
The Psychology of Fun:
Transform Awareness to Impact with the Emotions from Play
Nicole Lazzaro
XEODesign, Inc.
GSummit SF, April 18, 2013
www.xeodesign.com @NicoleLazzaro 1
©2013 XEODesign Inc.

2. I Am of the Pong Generation
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I Grew Up Reading Sci Fi and Playing Games in the Arcades

3. www.xeodesign.com
© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
20 Years of Player Experience
Research and Design
XEODesign
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100 Million Player Experiences

4. www.xeodesign.com
© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
How Can Fun Take Us from
Awareness to Impact?
Want Reality
Work Fun
20% 20%
Fun Work
80% 80%
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If This Is What We Want, Why Is This What We Get?

5. www.xeodesign.com
© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
Create Natural Engagement
Fun
20% Work
30%
Fun
Work
50%
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The 4 Keys to Engagement: What we want is more fun

6. www.xeodesign.com
© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
Dopamine Enhances Focus
It Rewards and Feels Good Too
DOPAMINE
• Reward System
• Focus increases focus
(addiction is an over focus)
• Love brain centers activate
Instead of aiming for
addiction, let’s use dopamine for
good! Help people focus on what
they need to unlock their
potential and improve their
quality of life.
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Positive Brain States Focus Attention

7. www.xeodesign.com
© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
Positive Engaged Brains
Boost Productivity 50%
Positive Mental States Increase:
• 50% more productive
• 237% generated new leads
• Up to 50% closed sales faster
• 210% increased profits
• 67–100% more emotionally
engaged
Fear State Happy State
AMA Survey 2013
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If You Want People to Think Fear Is Not A Great Motivator

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© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
Deep Engagement = Fun
The Good News is that Happiest Moments are in
the Zone
• In Flow engaged and happy
• Balance difficulty and skill
• Fiero requires frustration o/
Modified from “Flow” Csikszentmnihalyi
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Work Also Requires a Balance of Difficulty and Skill

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© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
Emotion During Play
Fiero Curiosity
Amusement Relaxation
Watched Player Emotions to Measure Kinds of Engagement

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© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
Categorized Most Engaging
Moments by Player Emotion
Frustration Wonder
Fiero Surprise
Relief Curiosity
Schadenfreude Relax
Amusement Desire
Naches Excite
Positive Engagement
Player’s Favorite Moments Created Many Kinds of Emotions 10

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© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
Identified Engagement
Mechanics
Frustration Wonder
Fiero Surprise
Relief Curiosity
CHOICES CHOICES
Schadenfreude Relax
Amusement Desire
Naches Excite
CHOICES CHOICES
Positive Engagement
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Player Choices Create Many Kinds of Emotions

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© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
Created Map for Designing
Engagement
Frustration Wonder
Fiero Surprise
Relief Curiosity
CHOICES CHOICES
Schadenfreude Relax
Amusement Desire
Naches Excite
CHOICES CHOICES
Positive Engagement
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Identified Systems to Create Engagement

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© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
This Model Increases
Engagement Metrics 20-40%
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We are More Engaged When Emotion Surrounds Choice

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© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
4 Keys To Engagement
Novelty, Challenge, Friendship, Meaning
• Most Engaging
Moments created
emotion
• Best Selling Games
have 3-4 keys
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Easy Fun> Hard Fun> People Fun> Serious Fun

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© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
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Free to Download at: www.4K2F.com

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© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
Hard Fun
You can’t just push a button to win
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Challenge> Novelty> Friendship> Meaning

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© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
Obstacle
Goal
Strategy
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Hard Fun

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© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
Easy Fun
The bubble wrap of game design
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Challenge> Novelty> Friendship> Meaning

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© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
Easy Fun
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Easy Fun: Controls, Creativity, Exploration, Fantasy

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© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
People Fun
People are addictive
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Challenge> Novelty> Friendship> Meaning

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© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
People Fun
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People Fun: Communicate, Cooperate, Compete

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© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
Serious Fun
Play creates value through learning and meaning
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Challenge> Novelty> Friendship> Meaning

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© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
Serious Fun
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Serious Fun: Impact, Collection, Rhythm

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© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
Play is How We Learn
Dr. Sergio Pellis
Rats who played are
better at*
• Novelty
• Problem Solving
• Social Skills
• Handling Stress
*Compared to Rats without same age playmate
I’m Often Asked What Play Can Do for Us 24

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© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
Awareness to Impact:
Here’s what you can do
• Take players through all
4 engagement loops
• Design strong emotional
brain state required for
the desired action
• Design systems to create
brain states with your
brand’s emotions
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The Four Keys> Emotion> Engagement

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© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
Easy Fun: Emotion from
Interaction is Enjoyed and
Remembered More
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Input> Output> Result

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© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
Hard Fun: Reward From
Challenge
Increases Engagement
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Challenge> Strategy> Progress

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© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
People Fun: Emotion Between
Friends Increases Engagement
and Viral Spread
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Communicate> Cooperate> Compete

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© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
Serious Fun: Meaningful
Experiences are More Engaging
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Serious Fun: Values and Meaning

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© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
Tilt World: Points to Trees
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Real World Impact Amplifies the Results and Meaning

31. Tag You’re It!
Nicole Lazzaro
• Email: nlazzaro@xeodesign.com
• Twitter: @NicoleLazzaro
• Blog: NicoleLazzaro.com
• Game: TiltWorld.com
The 4 Keys to Fun Poster
Free Download
• xeodesign.com Download Tilt World
• slideshare.com/NicoleLazzaro An iOS game that
• 4k2f.com <- Downloads plants trees!
www.xeodesign.com

32. www.xeodesign.com
© 2013 XEODesign, Inc.
Motivation
"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up
the men to gather wood, divide the
work, and give orders. Instead, teach them
to yearn for the vast and endless sea."
- Saint-Exupéry
www.xeodesign.com 32
Motivation is About Values and Meaning