Adding the Fun

IBM implements “gamification” to improve workers health

Jesper Bylund — Mon, 14 May 2012 07:57:54 +0000

IBM is implementing monetary rewards for workers choosing healthier foods. While on the surface this sounds like an excellent idea, taking into account that money and extrinsic rewards usually detract from the intended goal this might not be the best idea.

The problem here is the usual fundamental misunderstanding of what makes games fun: we all believe that we know how they work because we play them and see that people are hunting for points and rewards. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. Just like a villain is not the reason a great detective movie works, rewards are not the reason why games are fun but just a way to deliver part of the experience.

Update: Apparently the link didn’t work, so here is the original story IBM implements “Gamification”

Presentation: From Game Design Elements to Gamefulness

Jesper Bylund — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 05:38:30 +0000

From Game Design Elements to Gamefulness: Defining “Gamification”

View more presentations from Sebastian Deterding

Sebastian Deterding is at it again.

Mathematicians “prove” that games are hard

Jesper Bylund — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 20:27:24 +0000

The reason for this is that game mechanics are analogue, meaning gradual, making them very hard to master or pre calculate. The point for this is to make mastery hard to achieve and using levels make it interesting enough to entice out minds.

On the Verge: Mathematicians prove that games are hard

How rules define our lives: and how to game them

Jesper Bylund — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 11:40:05 +0000

Game mechanics are just rules. Set up in ways to become really interesting. But a lot of things are just rules, government, exercise, jobs and school; just rules.

Sebastian Deterding has made a great presentation on rules and how they effect the things the rules are made to control. Spoiler: they never do what they’re designed to do.

Ruling the World: When Life Gets Gamed

View more presentations from Sebastian Deterding

Really interesting both from a gamification perspective but also just for anyone in an organisation or trying to build anything that relies on rules.

What we can learn about gamification from Khan Academy

Jesper Bylund — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 08:57:57 +0000

Khan Academy is an online learning tool. Or possibly web2.0 school. It’s a lot of fun and provides good incentives to learn.

In the article Motivating Students and the Gamification of Learning the founder of Khan Academy talks about how incentives work. What does and doesn’t work from gamification and why the school system is broken in the first place.

I have one correction before you read it though:

“one of the first things we did was bring in the concept of badges and other game mechanics”

Badges are not a game mechanic. They’re just a way to give feedback on game mechanics.

The Gamification of Education (infographic)

Jesper Bylund — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:24:01 +0000

Really interesting Infographic detailing a MIT study on how games can help learning in US schools. By knewton.

Created by Knewton and Column Five Media

IKEA, and the logic of video game design by Kotaku

Jesper Bylund — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:19:16 +0000

IKEA, and the logic of video game design by Kotaku

Great article on how to apply the incremental learning process of games in stores. Not sure IKEA thought it through this way but still an excellent example of applied gamification.

The Psychologist’s View of UX Design

Jesper Bylund — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:52:19 +0000

The Psychologist’s View of UX Design

Notably similar to how I was trained to think as a game designer. I’ve always found it frustrating that more designers don’t think in these terms.

Presenting the MAO model; Research for Behavior Change

Jesper Bylund — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:59:48 +0000

The MAO Model: Research for Behavior Change.

View more presentations from Sebastian Deterding

Long time readers of Adding the Fun will remember my outmost respect for the famous ludologist Sebastian Deterding. In the slew of really bad information about Gamification and motivational science Deterding cuts through the crap and delivers.

He has just shared his the slides from his most recent talk where he details the MAO model. A model for implementing motivational science in products and services. Not exactly Gamification but very, very, close.

In defense of Videogames, Lifehacker shows studies that games improve cognition

Jesper Bylund — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:35:09 +0000

In the article In Defense of Video Games: More Than Just an Entertaining Time Sink Lifehacker shows some examples of studies that have researched how games affect our brains. In short, games are training you to recognize patterns. Exactly like Soduko, and much like basic math.

Best take-away:

Point: Video games are fun, but they’re not very productive or useful.
Counterpoint: One of the biggest benefits of video games and other interactive training techniques is that they offer a type of engaging and interesting activity that can help build and practice new skills.

Just remember that your mind perceives games as a system of rules. All the “action” and “story” is just there to make the rules easier to understand. Games to not train people to shoot guns, they train people in finding patterns and solutions.