638 Gamification

I’ve talked in the past how we could better “gamify” the process of exercising. I hesitate to use the word “gamify” though, in general, and I put it in quotes because I think it has taken on a meaning that isn’t directly in line with I think it’s actually about. Actually, let’s come back to talking about exercising in a different post, and just talk about gamification.

I’ve talked about this in the past, maybe a bit naively.

People tend to associate the word “gamify” with the process of strapping a system of “fun” onto another system that isn’t innately very fun. And that’s ok in some cases, I think. But it demeans the gaming aspect, by using it as a means to an end for the non-gaming aspect. As if the only reason the “gamification” is there is to mitigate or neutralize the other aspect. In reality, the two should be developed together, with a clear focus on why “gamification” is being used, and what direct results it has on the system and people using it.

So if you want to “gamify” something, look a little closer at it and why you think it needs that. There are more complex processes you can put into place inside of system than just giving somebody a digital pat-on-the-back when they do something correctly. I’ll talk more in another post about what those things could be.

[ Today I Was Playing: Sword Coast Legends ]

#game-opinion, #gamification