What is Gamification?
Gamification is creating stronger engagement between your users and your product by applying game techniques.
When we gamify a product, we call our product a game, and our users - players.
Traditional examples of Gamification
- Buy 9 coffees, get 1 free
- Earn points on purchases you make with your credit card and convert them to prizes
- Travel X thousands of miles with an airline and get extra services and advantages
Modern examples of Gamification
- Foursquare and stackoverflow give you badges and points for achievements
- Farmville gives you the reward of seeing your crops grow
Types of players
Most players play to socialize.
Flow is being "in the zone". Being completely focues and immersed in a task. It's the space between being challenged by the task and being adequately skilled to solve it.
Flow
Flow is being "in the zone". Being completely focues and immersed in a task. It's the space between being challenged by the task and being adequately skilled to solve it.
We want our players to get into the flow in our game.
We create an achievable challenge and reward the player for achieving it. The challenge gets more difficult as the player advances.
Welcome your players with a very achievable challenge. We don't want them to leave so soon..
The best reward is status. Surprisingly, stuff as rewards are least effective for motivation.
How to create a game loop
We create an achievable challenge and reward the player for achieving it. The challenge gets more difficult as the player advances.
What should be the first challenge I let my player achieve?
Welcome your players with a very achievable challenge. We don't want them to leave so soon..
What should I reward my player for achievements?
The best reward is status. Surprisingly, stuff as rewards are least effective for motivation.
I hope to implement these ideas in my apps and my word as I learn more about Gamification.