Getting a handle on gamification.
Gamification makes use of people’s inherent propensities for achievement, competition, cooperation, and charity. In the real world, game design tools like “leveling up,” rewarding users for achievements, and earning badges are used to help people achieve their goals or perform better.
Gamification can take many forms, the most well-known of which are airline frequent flyer rewards programs. The level of engagement, influence, brand loyalty, time spent participating in an activity, and the game’s capacity to spread virally are significant measurable indicators of gamification’s success.
The term “gamification” refers to the practice of incorporating rewards similar to those found in video games into activities that do not involve games. Gamification occurs whenever game-like features or game design elements are applied to non-game contexts.
To put it another way, games are made of real-world activities to encourage people to achieve their objectives. Gamification is frequently used in a variety of contexts, including frequent shopper points, loyalty rewards points, and frequent flyer programs. By rewarding continued consumption, customers are encouraged to keep “playing” and earning points in each of these instances.
Gamification does not always encourage spending. Nike+ is an app that turns personal fitness into a game to get people to exercise. In order to increase charitable contributions, a number of non-profits sponsor friendly, competitive events known as “-a-thons.” By encouraging gamers to fold proteins, biological science has progressed.
The workplace is one significant application of gamification. Employers can help workers track their own performance, set goals, and engage in friendly competition by incorporating game elements into a job. This can improve the working environment and business performance. Employees may be rewarded in a way that is directly proportional to their level of effort, which can motivate them to give their best effort.
The dangers of gamification
Gamification works well and works well because it uses the same human psychology that makes people like to win games and hate or even fear losing them. Consequently, it may also have some drawbacks.
It can be difficult to select the appropriate metrics and mechanisms. It is essential that the game elements actually encourage the desired behavior because participants will focus on these.
Gamification that isn’t done well can be a distraction from other things that need to be done, encourage people to literally cheat the system, or lead to zero-sum or even negative-sum competition between players. Time and money could be lost as a result of any of these outcomes.
Immersive video gaming and compulsive gambling are two examples of games that can occasionally become notoriously addictive.
When gamification is used for business purposes, this raises potential risks. This is a positive aspect from the perspective of a business that benefits from employees or customers developing an addictive compulsion to work or consume (and pay for) a product. However, it can easily be perceived as manipulative or exploitative by consumers and workers, raising potential ethical concerns.
