Gamification: Finally In Demo Mode?

There certainly has been no shortage of attention being given to the topic of gamification in MR lately, but I think we’re about to move from just talking about it to actually doing something to make it a reality.

Our content partners at ResearchAccess are doing a series of posts on the topic and I think they are leading up to something very interesting. Frequent contributor  Romi Mahajan kicked things off with a post on why he thinks Gameization is Game-Changing:

What is a game? In her riveting book “Reality is Broken,” Jane McGonigal outlines 4 defining characteristics of games in general; a game has:

1. A goal
2. Rules
3. A Feedback System
4. Voluntary Participation

It’s the combination of these factors that motivates, enthralls, and makes meaning for billions of people. Surely, therefore, there must be some important lessons for the business of technology as well.

Businesses worldwide are looking to engage current and future customers in ways they never have before. The rise of what I call “marketing-by-Facebook” is proof of this trend. Internally, companies are looking for ways to tap into the creative energies of employees and partners. Governments increasingly want to involve their citizenry in (some) decisions. Even educational institutions are morphing curricula based on the notion of engagement.

In short, all manner of institutions understand that at the core of “getting to great” is engagement and meaningful “conversation” with their various interlocutors.

So how best to engage? Gameize EVERYTHING.

Channeling McGonigal, we find that people of all sorts engage and find meaning in games. They revel in pursuing a goal, in getting feedback along the way, in finding ways to solve problems in a manner that is interesting and stimulating.

I’d be a fool to give away too much here but what I’m willing to say is this: I’m betting the ranch on Gameization.

Let’s Play!

I’ll be watching this series with interest; between this and our own series on mobile I think the next few weeks will be filled with some really interesting thought leadership on hot new research models!