1.
Gamification - defining, designing and using it
Zachary Fitz-Walter
Mobile Innovation Lab, QUT
http://www.flickr.com/people/8473570@N02
http://zefcan.com

2.
Today’s missions >>
1. What is gamification?
2. Designing gamification

3.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ramblingtraveler/3544734138/
Let’s say you caught the train this morning to
work...

4.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/walkingsf/5463240793/
...and you know you should take the stairs,
but the escalator is just so much easier.

5.
How can we encourage people to take the
stairs and get a little more exercise?

6.
Odenplan, Stockholm, Sweden
http://www.thefuntheory.com/piano-staircase
Here’s an interesting idea...

7.
Piano Stairs
http://www.thefuntheory.com/piano-staircase
Turn them into a piano?

8.
Using play to motivate
http://www.thefuntheory.com/piano-staircase

9.
Gamification
http://www.thefuntheory.com/piano-staircase
Gamification is similar...

10.
Gamification
http://www.forbes.com/sites/danieltack/2013/01/02/world-of-warcraft-gearing-up-at-level-90
...but it draws more specifically on video
games rather than just play.

11.
1. What is gamification?

12.
Gamification is a special word

13.
It hasn’t been around for very long...

14.
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Web search interest in gamification
trends.google.com

15.
Foursquare really took off in 2011...

16.
Text
...and was well known for the game
elements it added

17.
“By 2015, More than 50 percent of organizations that
manage innovation processes will gamify those processes”
Gartner Press Release - 2011
http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1629214
Gartner released this statement in 2011

18.
Gamification became a buzzword

19.
http://www.bogost.com/blog/gamification_is_bullshit.shtml
And it’s made a bit of a name for itself both
good... and not so good.

20.
http://www.flickr.com/people/14516334@N00
It’s become a bit of a cure all for
engagement problems...

21.
“80 Percent of Current Gamified Applications Will Fail to
Meet Business Objectives Primarily Due to Poor Design”
Gartner Press Release - 2012
http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2251015
And then Gartner released this statement...

22.
http://www.redherring.com/internet/gamification-platform-badgeville-raises-25m/
Yet still there is a lot of money in it...

23.
Mixed Messages?

24.
Gamification
To understand it...

25.
Games
...we have to go back to it’s roots.

26.
http://laportecreative.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/nerdyrevenge.jpg
The average gamer?
Is a young, nerdy male who plays video
games (often violent) all by themselves right?

27.
Not really...

28.
Video games have become mainstream

29.
92% of Australians live in a household with
at least one device used for playing games
Interactive Games & Entertainment Association, 2012
http://www.igea.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DA12FinalLinkVideo.pdf

30.
The average age of a gamer is 32
Interactive Games & Entertainment Association, 2012
http://www.igea.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DA12FinalLinkVideo.pdf
(And 43% of people aged 51 or older are also gamers)

31.
Gender
of Australian gamers
53%
Male
47%
Female
Interactive Games & Entertainment Association, 2012
http://www.igea.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DA12FinalLinkVideo.pdf

32.
Video games have become big business

33.
The video game industry in Australia
netted $1.161 billion in revenue last year
Interactive Games & Entertainment Association, 2012
http://www.igea.net

34.
In the US consumers spent $24.75 billion on
video games, hardware and accessories in 2011.
Entertainment Software Association, 2011 - http://www.theesa.com/facts/index.asp
The Numbers, 2011 - http://www.the-numbers.com/market/

35.
Video games have become mobile

36.
Mobile phones are used to play games in 43%
of game households, tablet computers in 13%
Interactive Games & Entertainment Association, 2012
http://www.igea.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DA12FinalLinkVideo.pdf

37.
Video games have become social

38.
1 in 5 gamers play social network games
1 in 10 play massively multiplayer games
Interactive Games & Entertainment Association, 2012
http://www.igea.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DA12FinalLinkVideo.pdf

39.
Games are incredibly engaging

40.
World of Warcraft
One of the most engaging games out there
is this one.

41.
You create a character...

42.
...and then embark on quests and
adventures in the world with other players.

43.
You get quests.

44.
Kill 3 boars
Like this one.

45.
You go off and complete them.

46.
And then get a reward.

47.
Wait... this is just like work
After playing for 8 hours straight it hit me...

48.
But it was really fun work

49.
12 million subscribers in 2010
Others think it’s fun as well, even many years
after it was released.

50.
So what is a game?

51.
Most games boil down to solving a problem...

52.
• Find a way to kill 3 boars
• Find a way to get more points than the other
team
• Find a way to get to the finish line before the
other players
• Find a way to complete this level
• Find a way to destroy the other player before
they destroy you
Last four examples are from The Art of Game Design, Jesse Schell, 2008

53.
It’s how this activity is presented that plays an
important part in creating a fun experience

54.
"Fun from games arises out of mastery. It arises out of
comprehension. It is the act of solving puzzles that makes
games fun. In other words, with games, learning is the drug”
- Raph Koster
A Theory of Fun, 2005

55.
Hang on, if games are so engaging...

56.
...could we use them to make other
things engaging?

57.
Gamification
Now we’re seeing where this concept of
gamification comes from...

58.
Serious games
...but wait, the concept of serious games has
been around long before gamification.

59.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/photos/uncategorized/2009/02/09/oregontrail.jpg
Oregon Trail - 1971

60.
http://www.whatisthe2gs.apple2.org.za/files/ReaderRabbit/ScreenGrab_1/reader_rabbit_shot.gif
Reader Rabbit - 1986

61.
Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego
http://www.abandonia.com/games/13

62.
Why gamification? Why now?

63.
First, video games have become really
popular...

64.
...and second there has been a change in
technology like no other. In particular mobile
devices, constant connection and sensors.

65.
With our powers combined...
The world is our playground

66.
Gamification

67.
Framing real life activities like a video game, in order to
make these activities more engaging
Gamification

68.
Sustainability - Nissan My Leaf
Sustainability Nissan CARWINGS

69.
Sustainability - Nissan My Leaf
Sustainability Nissan CARWINGS

70.
Exercise Nike+

71.
Exercise Nike+

72.
Lifestyle Health Month

73.
Lifestyle Health Month

74.
Education Khan Academy

75.
Education Khan Academy

76.
Finance Mint

77.
Finance Mint

78.
Productivity Epic Win

79.
Google Glass
If technology continues to evolve...
http://pctechmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/google-glasses.jpeg

80.
Eran May-raz and Daniel Lazo, 2012, https://vimeo.com/46304267

81.
But can it actually work?

82.
2. Designing Gamification

83.
Gamification Blueprint

84.
•Points
•Badges
•Leaderboards
•Levels

85.
Became popular with Foursquare

86.
•Points
•Badges
•Leaderboards
•Levels

87.
•Points
•Badges
•Leaderboards
•Levels
= Rewards
}

88.
Behaviour + Rewards = Fun!

89.
Behaviour + Rewards = Fun!Behaviour + Rewards = Fun!

90.
progresswars.com
Otherwise this would be the best game out
there...

91.
So what’s missing?

92.
"Fun from games arises out of mastery. It arises out of
comprehension. It is the act of solving puzzles that makes
games fun. In other words, with games, learning is the drug”
- Raph Koster
A Theory of Fun, 2005

93.
Where’s the puzzle? Where’s the challenge?

94.
So how can we design engaging
gamification experiences?

95.
Motivation
There are two types...

96.
Extrinsic Motivation
http://2bgr8stock.deviantart.com/art/Money-Cash-113445826
Motivation for an external reward

97.
Behaviour + Rewards =
Extrinsic
Motivation

98.
Intrinsic Motivation
Tim Pierce http://www.flickr.com/photos/48439369@N00
When an activity is performed for the internal
satisfaction of under the activity itself

99.
Intrinsic Motivation
http://www.flickr.com/photos/allisonjohnstonn/6332963681/
The act of playing a game is generally
considered an intrinsically satisfying activity

100.
So what makes a game
motivating to play?

101.
• Autonomy - choice to play and choice over
actions
• Competence - ability to optimally challenge
players
• Relatedness - connection with others
(Ryan, Rigby, and Przybylski, 2006)
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11031-006-9051-8

102.
Flow
http://www.flickr.com/photos/allisonjohnstonn/6332963681/
Proposed by Csíkszentmihályi

103.
• Intense and focused concentration
• Merging of action and awareness
• A loss of reflective self-consciousness
• A sense control or agency over the activity
• A distortion of time
• Experience of the activity as being intrinsically
rewarding
Nakamura, J., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2009). Flow theory and research. In C. R. Snyder & S. J.
Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology (pp. 195-206). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Factors of a flow experience

104.
• A clear goal
• Clear progress
• Clear and immediate feedback
• Balance of challenge and skill
Conditions for flow

105.
Based off a graph proposed by Csíkszentmihályi

106.
These are important factors to consider
when trying to design a game.

107.
These are important factors to consider
when trying to design gamification.

108.
Designing gamification

109.
Start with an activity
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoteldelapaixgeneve/5726470040/

110.
Ask, do you really need gamification?

111.
• Have you got an engagement or motivation
problem, or is it something else? E.g., Usability
• Ask yourself is this a problem that can’t be
improved in any other way?
• If motivation is lacking... looking towards game
elements and theory might be worthwhile.

112.
Ask why is this activity boring?
What’s missing?

113.
• Clear and interesting goals?
• Feedback?
• Interesting and playful mechanics?
• Challenge?
• Progression and Mastery?

114.
Determine the goals
The goals of the activity you’re trying to
encourage (e.g., getting fit)

115.
Derive goal metrics
Work out how you can measure these goals

116.
Sensors?
http://www.wired.com/reviews/2012/10/fitbit-zip/

117.
People
http://gamingtheclassroom.wordpress.com/syllabus/

118.
Design the gamification

119.
Design like a game
http://www.flickr.com/people/8473570@N02

120.
Think of the player
http://www.flickr.com/photos/allisonjohnstonn/6332963681/
What are their demographics? What do they
like playing?

121.
http://bizfest.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/bartle.png

122.
Test and playtest!
http://www.flickr.com/people/8473570@N02

123.
Dangers of Gamification

124.
Games get boring
What happens after your user gets bored of
the gamification? Will they keep using it?

125.
Cheating
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cheating.JPG
People cheat, it’s a challenge. How will
cheating affect your underlying activity?

126.
Cheating
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cheating.JPG

127.
Real life dangers
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ellenm1/6050529448/
In games you get many lives... however in
real life you only get one. Gamify carefully.

128.
A good example...

129.
• Clear and interesting goals
• Feedback
• Interesting and playful mechanics
• Challenge
• Progression and Mastery
• Aesthetics and Narrative
•Handles potential dangers
Billie Weiss, Original uploader Rschuman at en.wikipedia http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zombie_Chase.jpg

130.
Wrapping it all up

131.
Gamification is more than just badges

132.
Design it like a good game

133.
It’s easy, so start trying it!

134.
•Name: Zac Fitz-Walter
•Class: PhD Candidate from QUT
•Abilities: Research, Teaching, iPhone Development
•Weaknesses: Cats and Mangoes
<Replay?>
Zac Fitz-Walter
•Email: z.fitz-walter@qut.edu.au
•www: http://zefcan.com
•Newsletter: http://gamificationweekly.com
•Twitter: @zefcan