Psychologists have spent years trying to understand just what it is that makes video games not only appealing, but entirely engrossing for hours at a time. If you really think about it, does it make any sense to you? Players spend hours and hours accruing virtual points while working towards some sort of goal that isn't actually tangible in real life. What makes one game more addictive than another?
Whatever it is, big businesses are starting to realize they want in. It turns out that 'gamification' -- using the same mechanics that hook gamers -- can help generate business. In 2008, Nike made use of gamification with a product called Nike +: Place the pedometer in a pair of (Nike) sneaks and it monitors distance, pace and calories burned, transmitting that data to the user's iPod. The Nike software loaded on the iPod will then "reward" users if they reach a milestone. If a runner beats his 5-mile distance record, an audio clip from Tour de France cycling champ Lance Armstrong congratulates him. In addition, users can upload their information, discuss achievements online with other users, and challenge them to distance or speed competitions. The result: to date, Nike has moved well over 1.3 million Nike + units.
Not only can an understanding of video game psychology help in the business world, researcher Jane McGonical believes that with just the right approach, we as humans could use video games to help solve real world problems:
"Reality is broken", says Jane McGonigal, "and we need to make it work more like a game." Her work shows us how.
Games like World of Warcraft give players the means to save worlds, and incentive to learn the habits of heroes. What if we could harness this gamer power to solve real-world problems?
By: Bambi Blue
Bambi Blue is a freelance writer, editor, and codemonkey living in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She moonlights as a jazz musician, a social butterfly, and most apparently a weisenheimer. Loves to cook, hates to clean, and can easily be found on Twitter.
Whatever it is, big businesses are starting to realize they want in. It turns out that 'gamification' -- using the same mechanics that hook gamers -- can help generate business. In 2008, Nike made use of gamification with a product called Nike +: Place the pedometer in a pair of (Nike) sneaks and it monitors distance, pace and calories burned, transmitting that data to the user's iPod. The Nike software loaded on the iPod will then "reward" users if they reach a milestone. If a runner beats his 5-mile distance record, an audio clip from Tour de France cycling champ Lance Armstrong congratulates him. In addition, users can upload their information, discuss achievements online with other users, and challenge them to distance or speed competitions. The result: to date, Nike has moved well over 1.3 million Nike + units.
Not only can an understanding of video game psychology help in the business world, researcher Jane McGonical believes that with just the right approach, we as humans could use video games to help solve real world problems:
"Reality is broken", says Jane McGonigal, "and we need to make it work more like a game." Her work shows us how.
Games like World of Warcraft give players the means to save worlds, and incentive to learn the habits of heroes. What if we could harness this gamer power to solve real-world problems?
By: Bambi Blue
Bambi Blue is a freelance writer, editor, and codemonkey living in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She moonlights as a jazz musician, a social butterfly, and most apparently a weisenheimer. Loves to cook, hates to clean, and can easily be found on Twitter.
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