Gamification - what is all that for?

Although many people already know what gamification is, defining it is still quite tricky for the average user of new technologies.

Video games as inspiration

If we deconstruct the random computer game, it will turn out that the success includes many elements. Some will focus on beautiful design, some on a inspiring soundtrack, and some on a breathtaking storyline. But... are these three elements "automagically" ensure that the game will be a dope time waster?

What makes that one game became a big hit and other just sunk below the surface and collect dust? The answer is simple and tricky at the same time: it's gameplay. This secret term is defined by the so-called elements of the game mechanic. Using gameplay in places other than computer games is the core of gamification.

Basics in psychology

In the second half of the 20th century, the Hungarian psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi has defined the 'flow state'. At that time he didn't assume that it will explain a lot about gamers and about us. Yes, we all are gamers!

The flow state is a state of optimal experience characterized as fully focused and engaged in an activity. There are many examples of triggers: for some it's dancing, painting or music, fo some it's a roller coaster, complex mathematical calculations or programming, and for some it's a team play, work-outs or their work duties. But it's always about emotions, which show us that what we do is just exciting! It's not a surprise that the flow state has become the inspiration and that it's the Holy Grail of game development.

Game mechanics

With this train of thought comes one more question - what is game mechanics? It's a heart of gamification. It's also a set of 'tools' which allow us breathe life into a project and make gamers love it. The list of elements of game mechanics is extremely long, but I'll describe the basics:

1. Gratification - it's a variety of feedback to users that carry a "well done!" message. It might be badges, points, coins, magic artifacts, compliments or certificates. What is the most important is the simple fact that they carry out some reward. According to the theory of behavioral psychology, the reward is an essential element of learning desirable behavior. The gratification can be virtual or real, eg. stickers, printed diplomas and cash or in-kind prizes. How powerful the injection of corpo-endorphins can be in a "boss' handshake" instead of in a "handshake on behalf of a boss" and less prestigious in a "boss' handshake on the next best occasion".
2. Levels - people like levels because they are intuitive and with us during our whole life. In school, we graduate (or not!), go to new school (which can be a real analogy to a different world), and we get to the "work level" (where there are levels too). Each of us wants to climb up and explore new worlds, just like the main character of a fairy tale "Jack and the Beanstalk" . This desire is heavily rooted in our psyche. The existence of levels pushes us into action. This is why some of the HR departments create a path of development! The higher, the better.
3. Leaderboards - they fulfill a very important role. Thanks to them we can quickly say who is the best and who needs to try a little bit harder. Rankings go forward with the gameplay because we just want to compete. If there are no competitor, we beat our own records. The podium is a special rank, which is also a place of glitz and glory.
4. Collecting - the collecting mechanism is closely linked with gratification. However, it's main goal is to bind the player to specific set that is worth to collect. Nobody likes the feeling of lack and void. The slogan of the Pokemon series says "catch them all!" and each Apple's fanboy says: iPhone makes sense when you also have iMac, iPad and iPod. Yes, indeed, it makes sense because we all are collectors. Some people are collecting stamps, stickers with football players, Legos and some are collecting followers and jewelry. There are people that collect everything but they usually suffer from compulsive hoarding and need professional help.
5. Superpowers and special abilities – the SuperMario will be much less appealing if not for the world of gutters, enemies looking like swan and turtle mixed together, projectile flowers, and magical mushrooms that make Mario grow. What would Popeye have been without the spinach? And the Witcher with just one sword? The possibility of gaining special abilities by collecting magical artifacts and extra weapons is just a great fun. Moreover, if it happens in a random way (like boxes that are dropped between turns in Worms), we'll get a lethal mixture. This is how software developers try to sell their updates - new update means new superpower.
6. Unexpectedness - everybody likes to be surprised. It's impossible to be surprised and bored at the same time. That's why we love movies with engrossing and non-linear plot or haunted houses in funfairs. The surprise provides us with a powerful dose of excitement. Of course, it can be positive (eg. completely accidental discovery of a secret chamber while playing a game) and negative emotions (eg. a bloodthirsty zombie on your head just before the end of your mission). The predictability leads to a routine. And routine means boredom.
7. Time - ticking clock causes mobilization. It's know both by students studying day before an exam and project managers whose job is to deliver solutions and meet deadlines. Below you will find reasons behind using time in games:

• making game harder (the best example is a claw machine!),
• limiting some abilities (eg. terminative oxygen while diving in the TombRider),
• encouraging to taking action (eg. limited match time),
• naming a winner (eg. any racing video games such as Need For Speed).

It's worth to remember that using the time to mobilize relates directly to the quality.

It's difficult to describe every element of game mechanics that have been used. But it's important to have the right perspective, which allows viewing them as separated from the game context. You can do this by exposing yourself to gamification.

What is gamification?

It's a buch of techniques that introduce entertainment to unexciting projects (which still should meet the definition of the flow state). Some simple examples:

• stickers for children for brushing their teeth,
• an employee of the month ranking (winner receives bonuses),
• rewards for safe driving and obeying the law instead of giving traffic tickets,
• colorful cards with superheroes hidden in cereal boxes (definitely connected with the slogan "catch/collect them all"),
• a recommendation discount,
• loyalty programs and contests with real prizes,
• e-learning systems rewarding good grades with variety of gratifications,
• mobile apps based on badges and ranks that encourage healthy eating,
• many other!

Conclusion

Is it worth to focus on gamification? Of course it is! It's the philosophy of the creation, which leavens routine. The creativity is the only limit.

Originally published at www.merixstudio.com