Blog #13: Gamification

Authors: Anvith Potluri, Kevin Li, Kevin Nguyen, & Varad Thorat

Gamification Is utilizing the exciting elements from games for real-world applications. (Chou) It can make the real-world application more interactive and enjoyable. However, there are positive and negative consequences as a result of this.

This can be positive for participants as it can make participants more excited about a task as it can be made more engaging. It can also help people set goals, and it can give them a sense of accomplishment. (Brown) However, it can be bad for people as it can detract attention from important work. One gamification technique that is used is getting rewards after certain tasks are completed. (Brown) In a company, employees may be so focused on the rewards of a certain task that they do not focus completely on the task, resulting in sloppy work. Another one is exclusivity which gives status to people who accomplish something. This could cause a rift in a group if some people have that exclusivity and others do not.

The line between “play incentives” and addiction is when people are so focused on the game that it interferes with their daily lives. If they spend more time thinking about the game instead of other important matters, then it is an addiction. It is good for people to go back to games to have fun with the “play incentives”. However, if the games are a constant distraction, then it has become an addiction.

Companies should be notified of the severe consequences of overusing gamification techniques. If they have better knowledge of the impacts of gamification, then they can make better decisions in terms of how much gamification should be used. Ultimately, they want to maximize productivity. So, they will try to avoid addictive mechanics since they do not want productivity to go down because of this addiction.

Sources:

Brown, Ben. The Psychology of Gamification: Why It Works (& How To Do It!). 11 Feb. 2020, www.bitcatcha.com/blog/gamify-website-increase-engagement/.

Chou, Yu-kai. “Octalysis: Complete Gamification Framework – Yu-Kai Chou.” Yu, 9 Oct. 2019, yukaichou.com/gamification-examples/octalysis-complete-gamification-framework/.