The workshop presents actionable gamification strategies for eBay, led by Yu-kai Chou, a gamification expert with extensive experience. It emphasizes that effective gamification should prioritize human motivations over superficial game mechanics, highlighting core drives such as accomplishment and social pressure. The document outlines a framework for integrating gamification into eBay's user experience to enhance engagement and drive desired behaviors.

1. Workshop:
Actionable Gamification
For: eBay By: Yu-kai Chou

2. Guild Leader:Yu-kai Chou

3. Early Pioneer of Gamification with 10 Years of
Experience
Co-Founder of RewardMe and many other
gamification companies; Partner at Spark Solutions
Regular Speaker/Lecturer at Stanford University,
Google, Conferences,VC Gatherings
Gamification Consultant/Advisor for Startups and
Fortune 500s
Started career as a passionate eBay Seller

4. Games?

5. Games?
Entertainment Software Association (2012)

6. Games?
Average Gamer: 35 Years Old
68% Gamers Over 18 Year Old
47% Gamers are Women
More Adult Women than Under 18 Male
Entertainment Software Association (2012)
Source: Entertainment Software Association (2012)

7. What is Gamification?
Game Elements Non-Game (Boring) Context

8. The Magic
Kids nowadays have bad work ethics?
No Discipline?

9. The Magic
Waking up behind parents’ back 3AM in the
morning to level up = AMAZING work ethics

10. The Magic
In Role-Playing Games (RPG), Leveling up often
involves killing the same monsters in the same stage
over and over again for hours or weeks

11. The Magic
Gamers call this “grinding.”
It’s Fun & Addicting.

12. The Magic
In the real world, this is called Grunt
Work. It’s Boring & Torturous.

13. The Magic
If games can get kids to voluntarily do hours of
secret grunt work, it can get anyone to do
anything.

14. The Magic
(IF well designed)

15. “Human-Focused Design”
• As opposed to “Function Focused Design”
• System that is designed to optimize for the
motivations and feelings of the human inside
• ...instead of assuming the people within are robots
that will complete the task
vs

16. Example: FoldIt

17. Example: FoldIt
15 Year AIDS Problem solved in 10 Days

18. Example: Opower

19. Example: Opower
Over 1 Terawatt ($120M) of energy savings

20. Example: Autodesk

21. Example: Autodesk
Increase Trial Usage by 40% and
Conversions by 15%

22. Global Movement
Gartner predicts 70% of Fortune 500 will use
Gamification by 2014

23. Except...
Gartner also predicts 80% of the gamified apps
will fail due to bad design

24. The Cause
Agencies and individuals claim to be experts at
whatever is the new “Buzzword”

25. The Cause
Everyone focuses on PBLs (Points, Badges &
Leaderboards)
Points Leaderboards
Badges

26. The Cause
Similar to “Social Media Marketing” 3 years ago

27. The Cause
Similar to “Social Media Marketing” 3 years ago
Real SMM is not simply creating a Twitter
Profile and Facebook Page

28. The Cause
Beginning with “game mechanics” instead of
the Core Drives

29. Bad Game Designer
We need swords...where can they go? Oh yes, monsters. Of
course! We need cows! And friends that can fertilize crops!
+ + + = ????

30. Bad Game Designer
We need swords...where can they go? Oh yes, monsters. Of
course! We need cows! And friends that can fertilize crops!
+ + + = ????
A game can have all the right “game
elements” but still be stupid/boring.

31. Bad Game Designer
We need swords...where can they go? Oh yes, monsters. Of
course! We need cows! And friends that can fertilize crops!
+ + + = ????
In fact, ALL games have “game elements”
but most games suck and are losers.

32. Bad Game Designer
We need swords...where can they go? Oh yes, monsters. Of
course! We need cows! And friends that can fertilize crops!
+ + + = ????
Only a few well-designed games achieve
the status of Winning & Addicting

33. Good Game Designer
How do I want my users to FEEL? Inspired? Proud? Scared?

34. Good Game Designer
How do I want my users to FEEL? Inspired? Proud? Scared?

35. Good Game Designer
How do I want my users to FEEL? Inspired? Proud? Scared?
Hmm, Okay. What game elements do I need in
order to accomplish that goal?
? ? ? ?

36. Good Game Designer
How do I want my users to FEEL? Inspired? Proud? Scared?
Game Elements are a means to an
end, not an end in itself

37. Good Gamification does not
start with Game Elements but
starts off with our Core Drives

38. -Narrative -Beginners Luck -Milestone Unlock
-Points -Elitism -Free Lunch -General’s Carrot
-Badges -Humanity Hero -Chosen One -Real-Time Control
-Fixed Action Rewards -Chain Combos
-Leaderboard -Instant feedback
-Progress Bar -Boosters
-Quest Lists -Blank Fills
-Win Prize -Step-by-Step Tutorial
-High-Five
-Crowning Meaning
-LevelUp Symphony
-Aura Effect
-Juicy Feedback
-Boss Fights Accomplishment Empowerment
-Friend Invites
-Social Treasure/Gifting
Break Time
-Virtual Goods -Envy
Octalysis
-Build from Scratch -Group Quest
-Collection Set -Touting
-Dangling Ownership Social
-Earned Lunch Pressure -Bragging
-Learning Curve -Must Marketing
-Protection -Thank-You Economy
-Recruitment -Mentorship
-Monitoring -Social Prod
-Avatar Scarcity Unpredictability
-Glowing Choice
-Appointment Dynamics Avoidance -MiniQuest
-Fixed Intervals -Visual Storytelling
-Prize Pacing -Easter Eggs
-Options Pacing -Random Rewards
-Patient Feedback -Sudden Tips
-Count Down -Rolling Rewards
-Throttles -Grounded -Mischief
-Sunk-Cost Tragedy -Scarlet Letter
-Moats -Sudden Rewards
-Lost Progress -Visual Grave -Suspense
-Guilting -Weep Tune

39. Is Gamification for eBay?
?
Game Elements

40. eBay is already a Top eCommerce
Gamification Case Study

41. “eBay is addicting!”

42. Tons of “strategy guides” to
play the game

43. And people trying to
game the system

44. eBay is ingrained with GREAT
gamification activities at its core.
Why neglect that for UI/UX?

45. The question is not “if”
Gamification
IF

46. The question is not “if”
Gamification
IF HOW
The question is “how.”

47. -Narrative -Beginners Luck -Milestone Unlock
-Points -Elitism -Free Lunch -General’s Carrot
-Badges -Humanity Hero -Chosen One -Real-Time Control
-Fixed Action Rewards -Chain Combos
-Leaderboard -Instant feedback
-Progress Bar -Boosters
-Quest Lists -Blank Fills
-Win Prize -Step-by-Step Tutorial
-High-Five
-Crowning Meaning
-LevelUp Symphony
-Aura Effect
-Juicy Feedback
-Boss Fights Accomplishment Empowerment
-Friend Invites
-Social Treasure/Gifting
-Virtual Goods -Envy
Octalysis
-Build from Scratch -Group Quest
-Collection Set -Touting
-Dangling Ownership Social
-Earned Lunch Pressure -Bragging
-Learning Curve -Must Marketing
-Protection -Thank-You Economy
-Recruitment -Mentorship
-Monitoring -Social Prod
-Avatar Scarcity Unpredictability
-Glowing Choice
-Appointment Dynamics Avoidance -MiniQuest
-Fixed Intervals -Visual Storytelling
-Prize Pacing -Easter Eggs
-Options Pacing -Random Rewards
-Patient Feedback -Sudden Tips
-Count Down -Rolling Rewards
-Throttles -Grounded -Mischief
-Sunk-Cost Tragedy -Scarlet Letter
-Moats -Sudden Rewards
-Lost Progress -Visual Grave -Suspense
-Guilting -Weep Tune

48. Meaning
Left Accomplishment Empowerment
Right
Brain Brain
Octalysis
Ownership Social
Pressure
Scarcity Unpredictability
Avoidance

49. White Hat Gamification
Meaning
Accomplishment Empowerment
Octalysis
Ownership Social
Pressure
Scarcity Unpredictability
Avoidance
Black Hat Gamification

50. -Elitism
-Staying in touch with friends
-Stalking -Sharing whatever you want
-Completed Profile
-More friends -TONS of Facebook games
-Increased likes and comments -Instant feedback of friends “liking”
-Aura Effect Meaning
Accomplishment Empowerment
Social
Ownership
Pressure
GScore: 448 -Friend Invites
-Conformity
-Build from Scratch -Social Prod
-Photos/Profiles -Social Treasure
-Friends Scarcity Unpredictability Group Quests
-Memories -Touting
-Protection -Envy
-Recruitment
-Earned lunch
-Monitoring Avoidance
-Inner Circles -Glowing Choice
Note: (Early -MiniQuests
Facebook has -Refreshing Content
HIGH scarcity -Suspense
score with certain
universities only)
-Scarlet Letter
-Sunk Cost Tragedy

51. -Farm getting Bigger & Better -No higher meaning besides being a farmer
-Difficult badges for sorts of crops
-Reward Loops
-Allows the ability to “paint” with
your farm
Meaning
Accomplishment Empowerment -Leaderboard
-Group Farming
-Free Social Gifts
-Ownership of Farm -Neighbors
-Virtual Goods
Octalysis
Ownership
Octalysis Score: 414
Social
Pressure
Scarcity Unpredictability
Avoidance
-Waiting for what’s next in the game
-Appointment Dynamics
-Milestone Unlock
-Real-money Only Crops -Avoid plants withering
-Free Social Gifts -Avoid losing opportunities
-Season-based Gifts -Avoid Sunk-Cost Tragedy

52. -Leveling Up -Saving the world of “Sanctuary”
-Plot line -Diablo II Legacy
-4 Difficulties -Help others
-Skills
-Gear -Massive Skill Combinations
-Different challenges each stage
Meaning
Accomplishment Empowerment
-Multiplayer Game
-Characters -Friend gear and hours
Octalysis
-Items -Mentoring
-Auction House
Social
Ownership
Pressure
Octaylsis Score: 284
Scarcity Unpredictability
Avoidance
-Storyline
-Item Drops
-Randomized Maps
-Randomized Elites
-Item Drops -Repetitive Plot
-Skill Sets -Item Durability
-Bottleneck
-Avoid Sunk-Cost Tragedy

53. -Follower Gain
-Retweets -Character Limit
-Responses -Microblogging Wave
-Witty/valuable content
-Unique Information
Meaning
-Friends on Twitter
Accomplishment Empowerment -Followers
-Responses
-Companionship
-Thank You Economy
-Followers
Ownership Social
-Information
Pressure
Octalysis Score: 267
Scarcity Unpredictability
Avoidance
-Interesting Tweets
-Surprising content
-Fail Whale -Will someone respond?
-Character Limit -Quick news
-Follower Count
-Friend Loss

54. -Narrative -Beginners Luck -Milestone Unlock
-Points -Elitism -Free Lunch -General’s Carrot
-Badges -Humanity Hero -Chosen One -Real-Time Control
-Fixed Action Rewards -Chain Combos
-Leaderboard -Instant feedback
-Progress Bar -Boosters
-Quest Lists -Blank Fills
-Win Prize -Step-by-Step Tutorial
-High-Five
-Crowning Meaning
-LevelUp Symphony
-Aura Effect
-Juicy Feedback
-Boss Fights Accomplishment Empowerment
-Friend Invites
-Social Treasure/Gifting
-Virtual Goods -Envy
Octalysis
-Build from Scratch -Group Quest
-Collection Set -Touting
-Dangling Ownership Social
-Earned Lunch Pressure -Bragging
-Learning Curve -Must Marketing
-Protection -Thank-You Economy
-Recruitment -Mentorship
-Monitoring -Social Prod
-Avatar Scarcity Unpredictability
-Glowing Choice
-Appointment Dynamics Avoidance -MiniQuest
-Fixed Intervals -Visual Storytelling
-Prize Pacing -Easter Eggs
-Options Pacing -Random Rewards
-Patient Feedback -Sudden Tips
-Count Down -Rolling Rewards
-Throttles -Grounded -Mischief
-Sunk-Cost Tragedy -Scarlet Letter
-Moats -Sudden Rewards
-Lost Progress -Visual Grave -Suspense
-Guilting -Weep Tune

55. 1) Epic Meaning & Calling
Part of something bigger than yourself

56. 2) Development & Accomplishment
Feeling Progress and Achievement
!!

57. 3) Expression of Creativity
& Feedback
The creator inside of us

58. 4) Ownership & Possession
The more you have, the more you want

59. 5) Social Pressure
Acceptance and Envy

60. 6) Scarcity & Impatience
The Grass On The Other Side
!!

61. 7) Unpredictability & Curiosity
What kills the cat

62. 8) Loss & Avoidance
The threat is stronger than the execution

63. -Narrative -Beginners Luck -Milestone Unlock
-Points -Elitism -Free Lunch -General’s Carrot
-Badges -Humanity Hero -Chosen One -Real-Time Control
-Fixed Action Rewards -Chain Combos
-Leaderboard -Instant feedback
-Progress Bar -Boosters
-Quest Lists -Blank Fills
-Win Prize -Step-by-Step Tutorial
-High-Five
-Crowning Meaning
-LevelUp Symphony
-Aura Effect
-Juicy Feedback
-Boss Fights Accomplishment Empowerment
-Friend Invites
-Social Treasure/Gifting
-Virtual Goods -Envy
Octalysis
-Build from Scratch -Group Quest
-Collection Set -Touting
-Dangling Ownership Social
-Earned Lunch Pressure -Bragging
-Learning Curve -Must Marketing
-Protection -Thank-You Economy
-Recruitment -Mentorship
-Monitoring -Social Prod
-Avatar Scarcity Unpredictability
-Glowing Choice
-Appointment Dynamics Avoidance -MiniQuest
-Fixed Intervals -Visual Storytelling
-Prize Pacing -Easter Eggs
-Options Pacing -Random Rewards
-Patient Feedback -Sudden Tips
-Count Down -Rolling Rewards
-Throttles -Grounded -Mischief
-Sunk-Cost Tragedy -Scarlet Letter
-Moats -Sudden Rewards
-Lost Progress -Visual Grave -Suspense
-Guilting -Weep Tune

64. -Finished a listing
-Feedback Score
-None (becoming an entrepreneur?)
-Power Seller
-eTRS
-Sold! -Allows people to decide how they want to
Meaning list to maximize profits
Accomplishment Empowerment
-Sellers forum/
Social
Ownership community
Pressure
-Seller’s profile eTRS
Customized selling
-Building a business empire
Scarcity Unpredictability
Avoidance
-Pay to play
-How many bids
-Final sell price
-Losing money
-Negative Feedback

65. 4 Experience Phases of a Game
Treat a product as 4 different products

66. Phase 1: Discovery
Why would the user use my
service to begin with?

67. Phase II: Onboarding
How do users learn the basic
tools to play the game?

68. Phase III: Scaffolding
How to make the journey fun?

69. Phase IV: Endgame
How to keep the veterans motivated?

70. Level 2 Octalysis
Design for All 4 Phases
Discovery Onboarding Scaffolding Endgame

71. Level 2 Octalysis
Design for All 4 Phases
Break Time
Discovery Onboarding Scaffolding Endgame

72. Gamification for eBay
1. Define: Business Metrics - Game Objective
2.Define: Users - Players
3.Define: Desired Actions - Win-State
4.Define: Metrics - Stats
5.Define: Incentives - Carrots

73. Phase I: Discovery
Discuss how people currently discover
the dashboard and WHY?
Discuss how you can make that more
interactive utilizing the 8 Core Drives

74. Phase II: Onboarding
Discuss how people currently learn
how to use the dashboard and WHY?
Discuss how you can make that more
interactive utilizing the 8 Core Drives

75. Phase III: Scaffolding
Discuss why people currently would
continue to sell on eBay.
Discuss how you can make that more
interactive utilizing the 8 Core Drives

76. Phase IV: Endgame
Discuss why powersellers continue to
sell
Discuss how you can make that more
interactive utilizing the 8 Core Drives

77. Level 2 Octalysis
Design for All 4 Phases
Discovery Onboarding Scaffolding Endgame

78. Level 2 Octalysis
Design for All 4 Phases
Discovery Onboarding Scaffolding Endgame

79. Beyond Level 2- the Long
Journey of Gamification

80. Killers
Socializers
Explorers
Achievers
Discovery Onboarding Scaffolding Endgame

81. Killers
Socializers
Explorers
Achievers
Discovery Onboarding Scaffolding Endgame

82. Thank You.
Truly.
@yukaichou Yukai@SolutionsBySpark.com