This document outlines 10 potential pitfalls of gamification: 1. The Crap Crab - Abuse is not a value proposition 2. The Maelstrom of Misplaced Challenge - Getting in the way of efficiency 3. The Trapped Sea of Staleness - No fresh content and challenge 4. The Urobus of Unintended Consequence - Neglecting side effects 5. The Social Signal Sea Serpent - Ignoring context meanings 6. The Autonomy Leech and Value Vampire - Curbing autonomy through control 7. The Ice Shelves of Ignorance - Not knowing your users 8. The Feature Shallows - Neglecting design process

1. There Be Dragons
ten potential pitfalls
of gamification
Sebastian Deterding (@dingstweets)
Digital Shoreditch, London, May 4, 2011
cbn

2. (Grumpy monster talk)

3. With unexplored territories ...

4. … comes dangerous ground.

5. 7
3 10
8
9
4
6
2
5
1
A (partial) map of troubles ahead

6. 1
The Crap Crab
Abuse is not a value proposition

8. 8 Million
Foursquare Accounts!
But daily checkins/user dropped from 0,5 to 0,4 to 0,34 while growing from 2
to 5 to 8 million accounts (foursquare’s own data, 2011).

9. Who knew?
Foursquare has an
engagement problem.

10. http://www.creative360.com/blog/2009/09/why-i-quit-playing-foursquare/

11. »What we have learned from our users is that any
game aspect has to be, at least for finance, more
oriented toward some specific thing that you are
working toward: I want to buy a house or a car, take a
vacation, get out of debt ... Otherwise you have a
system of points with no levels or no end game.«
Aaron Patzer
founder, mint.com (2010)

12. We give you points
User Business
value value
You check in
The gamification battlefield*
* Courtesy Buster Benson, “The Game always Wins”

13. »The marketing dictum that “good marketing
cannot compensate for a bad product” is
patently turned upside down in the Funware
world. Game mechanics and the
psychological conditions they exploit are
powerful tools that marketers can use, and
they’re a lot cheaper … than cash in the long
run.«
Gabe Zichermann
game-based marketing (2009)

14. Points and badges for
loyalty – you are so
cheap!
That one coupon and
I’m gone!
An abusive relationship

15. Stack Overflow

16. You get answers & build reputation,
we grow our platform
User Business
value value
The gamification honeymoon

18. Playing field

User Business
value value
Off
Stay in the playing field

19. What do users value?*
• Getting things done, easier
• Self-improvement
• Community recognition and belonging
• A sense of meaning and meaning
• Instrumental value, cash
• Fun and enjoyment
• Competence and achievement
* A completely off-the cuff, non-comprehensive, non-scientific etc. pp. list

20. Getting things done, easier

21. Self-improvement

22. Community recognition & belonging

23. »Would my non-geek friend
brag about this during dinner
with colleagues?«
(The community status litmus test)

24. Sense of meaning and contribution

25. »Imagine a world in which
every single human being can
freely share in the sum of all
knowledge. That's our
commitment.«
Wikimedia Foundation
slogan

26. Cash, instrumental value

27. Fun and entertainment

28. The Feedback Blowfish
Rewards are not achievements
2

31. Score: 964,000,000,000,000
(You rock!)
Earn 1,000,000,000,000 points

33. »Fun is just another word
for learning.«
Raph Koster
a theory of fun for game design (2005)

34. »Fun from games arises out of mastery.
It arises out of comprehension. It is the
act of solving puzzles that makes games
fun. With games, learning is the drug.«
Raph Koster
a theory of fun for game design (2005)

37. Clear goals ...

38. plus constraining rules ...

39. equals interesting challenges.

40. Plus constant, clear feedback ...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bodgerbrooks/1315419080

41. equals experiences of achievement.

42. Feedback without achievement

43. The Maelstorm of Misplaced Challenge
Getting in the way of efficiency
3

45. Ticket
To receive ticket, steer
point through maze

46. Ticket
Level 2
To receive ticket, steer
point through maze

47. The core challenge of e-mail?
• Maximum output?
• Error-free, polite, actionable?
• Prioritization?
• Quick answers?
• Checking less often?
• Inbox Zero?

48. Prioritization

49. Procrastination

50. The Trapped Sea of Staleness
No fresh content and challenge
4

51. 2010: 85
Max. level
2008: 80
2007: 70
2004: 60
Year
World of Warcraft Expansions

52. FrontierVille Seasonal Content
… vs. Quality and Variety

53. The Urobus of Unintended Consequence
Neglecting side effects
5

54. Tumblarity
… vs. Quality and Variety

56. Mayor Maker

57. The Social Signal Sea Serpent
Ignoring Context Meanings
6

60. Autonomy Leech and Value Vampire
The hidden costs of extrinsic rewards
7

61. … vs. Quality andthrough control
Curbing autonomy Variety

63. Devaluing the activity
http://www.flickr.com/photos/courosa/4955407599/sizes/l/in/photostream/

64. http://www.flickr.com/photos/courosa/4955407599/sizes/l/in/photostream/

65. The Ice Shelves of Ignorance
Not knowing your users
8

66. FarmVille

67. Fallout 3

68. Fanlib.com, a cautionary tale

69. 9
The Feature Shallows
Neglecting design process

72. Prototype & playtestVariety “why”
… vs. Quality and for “how”,

78. Analytics for “where”, “how much”

79. The Panacea Python
Looking for a quick-fix, one-size-fits-all
wonder potion
10

81. »At SCVNGR we like to joke
that with any seven game
dynamics you can get anyone
to do anything.«
Seth Priebatsch
welcome to the decade of games (2010)

82. When do people do stuff?*
ability
(Skills, habits) Usability
motivation behaviour
(intrinsic, extrinsic)
Game design
(and other things)
opportunity Prompts,
(Situation, environment)
context
* A comprehensive, well-researched, widely adopted etc. pp. model (namely the Motivation, Opportunity, Ability Model)

83. Four questions to leave with
• Is motivation the issue?
• Is there a core value that game
elements can amplify?
• Can this be gamed (does it involve a
learnable challenge and autonomy)?
• Is gaming the most cost-benefit efficient
way of improving motivation here?

84. Thank You.
@dingstweets
sebastian@codingconduct.cc
codingconduct.cc