What does Gamification mean?

Matt Batey, PhD Candidate at De Montfort University

Belgium Expert IEA Task 24

Why? Research Perspective:

Why? Research Perspective:

• User engagement on energy efficiency

Why? Research Perspective:

• User engagement on energy efficiency

• How to maintain user interest?

Why? Research Perspective:

1. Incorporating user preferences into development process

2. User-involvement in innovation creates sense of ownership, hence personal interest in its success

3. Energy-efficiency achieved within project as a stated aim

Why? Research Perspective:

1. Incorporating user preferences into development process

2. User-involvement in innovation creates sense of ownership, hence personal interest in its success

3. Energy-efficiency achieved within project as a stated aim

• How to maintain user interest?

Why? Practice Perspective:• Energy management in the context of a future

workplace

• Flexible, shared office

• Users responsible for energy efficiency

• Is gamification a route to optimising performance?

Why not try a game approach?

• "Games can change the world"

• Help us develop solutions to complex problems without pressure

• Create clear paths of action towards achieving a goal

Gamification is good

Gamification is good

Gamification is good

Gamification is good

Gamification is good• Points - people like

to be rewarded

• Badges - people like recognition

• Leaderboards - people like to compete

Gamification is bad

Gamification is bad• "most deployments of gamification represent “exploitationware,” in that they extract

real value from users and employees in return for mere virtual tokens" Ian Bogost;

Gamification is bad• "most deployments of gamification represent “exploitationware,” in that they extract

real value from users and employees in return for mere virtual tokens" Ian Bogost;

• “taking the thing that is least essential to games and representing it as the core of the experience,” "Gamificationʼ... can go take a long walk off a short pier." Margaret Robertson, Hide and Seek

Gamification is bad• "most deployments of gamification represent “exploitationware,” in that they extract

real value from users and employees in return for mere virtual tokens" Ian Bogost;

• “taking the thing that is least essential to games and representing it as the core of the experience,” "Gamificationʼ... can go take a long walk off a short pier." Margaret Robertson, Hide and Seek

• "don't just fail to engage players; they can actually damage existing interest or engagement" Elizabeth Lawley, Rochester

Gamification is bad• "most deployments of gamification represent “exploitationware,” in that they extract

real value from users and employees in return for mere virtual tokens" Ian Bogost;

• “taking the thing that is least essential to games and representing it as the core of the experience,” "Gamificationʼ... can go take a long walk off a short pier." Margaret Robertson, Hide and Seek

• "don't just fail to engage players; they can actually damage existing interest or engagement" Elizabeth Lawley, Rochester

• "[do not] adequately account for the ways in which individuals and contexts differ." Judd Antin, Yahoo! Research

Gamification is bad• "most deployments of gamification represent “exploitationware,” in that they extract

real value from users and employees in return for mere virtual tokens" Ian Bogost;

• “taking the thing that is least essential to games and representing it as the core of the experience,” "Gamificationʼ... can go take a long walk off a short pier." Margaret Robertson, Hide and Seek

• "don't just fail to engage players; they can actually damage existing interest or engagement" Elizabeth Lawley, Rochester

• "[do not] adequately account for the ways in which individuals and contexts differ." Judd Antin, Yahoo! Research

• Even Jane MacGonagle: "I don't do 'gamification,' and I'm not prepared to stand up and say I think it works. If the game is not about a goal you're intrinsically motivated by, it won't work."

What's in a game

• Motivations

• Extrinsic motivators (money, rewards) work for mechanical tasks

• For anything cognitive, intrinsic motivations are required:

What's in a game

• Motivations

• Extrinsic motivators (money, rewards) work for mechanical tasks

• For anything cognitive, intrinsic motivations are required:

AUTONOMY

What's in a game

• Motivations

• Extrinsic motivators (money, rewards) work for mechanical tasks

• For anything cognitive, intrinsic motivations are required:

AUTONOMY

COMPETENCE

What's in a game

• Motivations

• Extrinsic motivators (money, rewards) work for mechanical tasks

• For anything cognitive, intrinsic motivations are required:

AUTONOMY

COMPETENCE

RELATEDNESS

What's in a game• essentially free

• separate

• uncertain

• unproductive

• governed

• make-believe

(Huizinga, 1938. Caillios, 1957)

• Game scenarios work best on those without a strong opinion on the subject

(Haring, 2013)

What's in a game

• Reward = Incentive ?

• Difference between motivating a first-time behaviour & repeat behaviour

• Altruism vs. Self-interest

The Third Way?• Can Points, badges and leader boards be effective

behavioural drivers if given real meaning or currency for users:

• reputation, recognition, personal satisfaction

• tradable assets (trading becomes an additional game layer)

• Especially in a workplace context based on extrinsic rewards (pay, promotions, titles, etc.)

• Rajat Paharia, CEO of Bunchball, advocates gamification tools such as: "goal setting, real-time feedback, transparency, mastery, competition, teams..."

Conclusions

• Turning real world problems into a game likely to produce unpredictable results

• Engagement & behaviours temporary

• Can help remove barriers to entry to new behaviours

• ...

Break-out Session• Scenario one:

Consider your office.

Imagine there will be a financial incentive for building users to adopt their energy saving behavior. Each team will have financial fund for training and for social events such as trips away and team dinners.

Break-out Session• Scenario two:

One day every 3 months, you get together with your team for a game. You can choose where you spend the day, within a reasonable budget, so long as its a place otherwise open to the public (e.g. bar, restaurant).

The players will communicate with the building energy and maintenance manager, suggest