Gamification: Video Gamifying the World

DS Games - E3 2011 - Wii Fit Plus

One of the interesting trends or buzzwords circulating the internet recently is the term 'Gamification'. Wikipedia describes it broadly, as using game play mechanics in non-game applications. It's the future according to all those new edge marketing people. We're seeing this phenomenon in things like World of Chorecraft or the numerous social networking sites that have game play mechanics. Facebook has collection mechanics of friends, Foursquare has badges, and Gowalla has stamps.

As an avid gamer, I have mixed feelings on the subject. There is a definite sense of co-option of the fun and 'innocence' of games by companies out to manipulate and capitalize on their target demographics. It may be an elitist point of view in that I want the purity of my game play mechanics to be in a game and nothing else, but I feel like it will dilute the experience of enjoying a video game. It may be why I don't play Farmville or Mafia Wars on Facebook. It may explain why I don't have 1,000 friends on there. I try to delineate and compartmentalize my enjoyment of video games to the realm of video games.

But at the same time, I realize that the practice of Gamification isn't new. In fact, I'm sure the whole cashback points system thing from credit card companies, as well as those Marlboro points thing from Phillip Morris, were utilizing the same game play mechanics of games such as Pong. The only thing really newfangled about Gamification is the term. Margaret Robinson comes to the same conclusion in her article on Kotaku. It's interesting to see her stance, in that she's against the whole thing.

Is Gamification itself really that bad though? Can it be used for good? Jane McGonigal seems to think so in her Ted Talks discussion on the gamification of world-saving endeavors. She argues that games primary function in society is a method for people to escape from unpleasant things they experience in the world and that energy can be transformed into applications that try to save the real world. It's an interesting concept.

But I'm not sure I'm buying it. With the gamification of the world's problems like the environment and global warming, it tends to monetise or label our world's problems on the same level of a video game. And as much as I love video games, I still think of them as applications for escapism and enjoyment. They're just video games. Which leads to the conclusion that a lot of critics of gamification logically come to, and that is gamification cheapens the experience of whatever it is targeting. It relies on a mechanics methodology that is predominantly rule based and that has basic game play rulesets and ignores the real world which is much more dynamic and complex. Gamification, according to those critics, would disillusion those interactions with people. The facebook collection mentality of friends is an example that they cite.

But maybe we're taking the wrong approach to gamification. Perhaps the gamification of world saving applications is a way to legitimize video games to policymakers and activists. If it truly has the market penetration power of mainstream video games (ie Call of Duty: Black Ops had the biggest entertainment launch ever), what do we have to lose?

I guess it boils down to the intent and implementation. If gamification is used to save the world, I'm all for it. If it's meant to sell me Nike shoes, I think I'll pass.