The document explores how game mechanics can be utilized to encourage productive behavior in various settings, from video games to real-life scenarios, particularly in the context of education. It discusses the implementation of specific game mechanics such as collecting, earning points, and providing feedback to foster engagement among students and enhance their learning experience. The author highlights examples of engaging platforms like Foursquare and strategies to make mundane tasks enjoyable through gamification.

1. productive games
How game mechanics steers user behavior
kevin lim / cyberculturalist / 25th sept 2009
/ /

2. Michael Heilemann’s 25 Most Influential Games
http://www.flickr.com/photos/heilemann/5013484/

4. http://www.flickr.com/photos/anarbol/3944027663/

5. I'm interested in how
game mechanics acts
as a form of
architecture that
doesn't necessary
focus on restriction,
but rather stimulates
specific behaviors.

6. From video games to
real-world settings
such as classrooms,
we can be steered
towards socially
productive ends, e.g.
to override tragedy
of the commons

7. Why this is interesting...

8. WTF consists of...
a crazy collection of
addictive mini-games
drive the player to
perform trivial tasks
in pursuit of the
almighty dollar.

9. Real-life consists of...
a tired collection of
boring mini-games
drive the player to
perform trivial tasks
in pursuit of the
almighty dollar.
Photo by flickr user: kenyee, 2004

10. Why?

11. doesn’t have to be boring.

12. our social responsibility
to make things fun.

13. examples of fun
in boring places!

14. Passively Multiplayer Online Game
pmog.com (now thenethernet.com)

16. making house / work chores fun... chorewars.com

19. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/31/science/earth/31compete.html

24. ok how the heck
do I create fun?

25. What makes popular social platforms addictive?

26. Visible Scoreboard
To motivate student blogging communities, I tried using
Amy Jo Kim's game mechanics (2006)

27. Photo by flickr user: Nemo's great uncle (Aug, 2008)
Amy Jo Kim explained game mechanics
with how Frequent Flyer Miles work

28. Using Game Mechanics
Five Game Mechanics
1. Collecting
2. Earning Points
Amy Jo Kim
3. Feedback
Creative Director
ShuffleBrain 4. Exchanges
5. Customization

29. Using Game Mechanics
“I see a game mechanics
working well on sites like
YouTube, Yelp, Twitter, and
Flickster. [...] like points,
Amy Jo Kim leaderboards, level-ups,
Creative Director
ShuffleBrain
social exchanges, and
customization to a strong
core experience.”

30. 1. Earning Points
Amy Jo Kim’s idea was in the
presence of a scoring mechanism.
Established a blogging leaderboard
via technorati.com authority
ranking algorithm.
Provide our students a basic
measure of how they were doing
against one another.
Students also given weekly audits
of the class overall performance.

31. 2. Collecting Things
For quality blog posts, students earned weekly awards.
Variety of awards promotes diverse behaviors (e.g. Early Birdie)
Awards can be traded for extra credits or the ability to gain
“immunity” from extra assignments.

32. 3. Feedback
Comments and trackback
allow students to understand
the quality of the blog and
wiki contribution.
Students are given the
opportunity to improve on
posts if they have not reached
the assignment deadline.
Accessibility of feedback
allows students to accelerate
mastery in each week’s theme.

33. 4. Customization
Students instinctively
personalized their blogs by
the first week of use.
Low level: Blog templates
High level: Sidebar widgets
Social Objects
personal photos
favorite music
branding
chat box

34. 5. Exchanges
To track the layers of interaction, we visually aggregated
RSS feeds of their blogs and wikis using Net vibes.com

35. Amy Jo Kim’s Community Building on the Web (Peachpit, 2000)

36. Explicit
Game mechanics

38. foursquare iPhone app
location-aware gaming with virtual & real-world rewards

39. Whiffies Fried Pies
food trucks on t witter

41. Foursquare aims to encourage people to explore
their neighborhoods and then reward people
for doing so. We do this by combining our
friend-finder and social city guide elements
with game mechanics - our users earn points,
win mayorships and unlock badges for trying
new places and revisiting old favorites.
http://foursquare.com/businesses/

42. Implicit
Game mechanics
Fast Company: The Kid Who Made Obama President (April 2009)
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/134/boy-wonder.html

44. obama by BohPhoto Change Has Come to America by Tony the Misfit
No. of “Obama” photos on
Flickr.com = 660,315
A Vision for America by Tony the Misfit Jan08 378 by Lord Jim

45. No. of “Obama” videos on
Youtube.com = 495,000

46. 14K gold Obama YES WE CAN
pendant by strandbyme
Obama Rocks print by toastmania
No. of handmade “Obama”
items on Etsy.com = 2774
peth
Barack Obama painting by Robin Huds
Obama Inspired Lim
BATMOBAMA and R ited Edition
OBIDEN Giclee Prin
by PaulyPants ts
Obama Necklace DESIGNER Obama NEW ERA T-shirt
by LePhotique by 57thirtythree

47. Ladder of citizen participation
Arnstein, Sherry R. "A Ladder of Citizen Participation," JAIP, Vol. 35, No. 4, July 1969
http://lithgow-schmidt.dk/sherry-arnstein/ladder-of-citizen-participation.html

48. Social Technographics Ladder
Social Technographics Ladder from Groundswell, Forrester Research (2008)
http://blogs.forrester.com/groundswell/2007/04/forresters_new_.html

49. Tiers of Social Media Engagement
Recruit others to donate
ADVOCATE Create a group
Host an event
Post pictures/videos
SOCIAL Write a blog post
Join a group
Create a profile
PERSONAL Post a comment
Make a donation
Sign up for e-mail/SMS
Friend on social networks
“Barack Obama’s Social Media Toolkit” by Monte Lutz (Feb 2009)
http://www.slideshare.net/montelutz/social-pulpit-barack-obamas-social-media-toolkit

50. Thank you
Reach me at @brainopera or http://theory.isthereason.com

51. Questions?