4. Results that make a difference...
Gamification boosting activitiy with game mechanics
Conservative gamification transforming activity to a game
5. How do you transform it to a game?
• Question: what is a game?
• Challange: games have become „corrupted”
Roger Caillois: „Man, Play and Games”, 1961
6. Johan Huizinga: Homo Ludens (1938)
• Huizinga puts games in the
context of history and culture.
• His definition is often
considered over rigid.
7. Huizinga’s definition of play
1. Play is a free activity
2. It stands quite consciously outside “ordinary” life as being “not serious,”
3. But at the same time it absorbs the player intensely and utterly.
4. It is an activity connected with no material interest.
5. It proceeds within its own proper boundaries of time and space.
6. It is played according to fixed rules in an orderly manner.
8. The conservative approach...
Huiziga’s definition cannot be applied to
many current games.
If so, game experience is corrupted.
The driver of the conservative approach is
Huizinga’s definition applied as a guideline
towards pure game experience.
9. Basics of conservative game design
1. Never force the player to play.
2. Never mix reality with games.
3. Eliminate negative stress and push player to flow.
4. Never involve external interests.
5. Define the boundaries of time and space.
6. Create fixed and clear rules.
10. Never force the player to play
Some typical questions from HR:
“Why not make the content obligatory if we
have paid so much for it?”
Once it is obligatory it will not work.
A game is never obligatory, if so, it’s called work
or learning. But with proper communication,
the target group’s interest can be attracted,
they can be involved in a game.
11. Never mix reality with games
“Why not put some real tasks in the game?”
Careful! Games are safe, reality is not!
Games can be corrupted by real anxiety,
frustration (e.g. scoring a goal to the boss) and
financial differences.
The rules should not interfere with our lives.
Family, health and finances should not be
directly gamified – though related information
could be.
12. Eliminate negative stress and push to flow
“Why not penalize him if he makes mistakes?”
No one likes to play with Damocles’ sword
hanging above his head. Chance and
motivation should be granted if player fails.
He must be ensured that goal can be
achieved.
13. Never involve external interests
“We use gamification instead of e-learning…”
Games do not substitute work and learning.
With games we have fun and let steam off.
Games can be designed to efficiently produce
useful knowledge, work and money, but these
should never be the immediate goals of the
player.
14. Define boundaries of time and space
“We need an open-ended gamification system.”
Open-ended gamification is an urban legend.
Even the largest MMO’s have a number of
campaigns, scenarios or mini-games and they
are presented as campaigns.
Clear goals, structure and boundaries are
essential.
15. Create fixed and clear rules
“We’ll figure it out as we go along…”
No way, rules are created beforehand and apply to
everybody. Any personal disadvantage stemming
from altered game-rules is unacceptable.
Modifications should be kept to a minimum,
communicated openly, and if needed, players should
be compensated based on principles of fair play.
16. Frequently asked questions
“Isn’t this method too rigid?”
“Sure it is, but it is also effective.”
“Are the other gamification approaches less efficient?”
“We can’t tell. They probably are.”
“Can you guarantee that conservative gamification works?”
“There are no guarantees, but we have various successful,
measureable projects behind.”
17. How to set up a conservative gamification project?
In 3+1 steps, based on Huizinga’s principles
• Explain why to play – internal marketing
• Design easy to digest process – ergonomic optimization
• Eliminate frustration, create challenge – flow support
• Transfer usable knowledge to reality – conversion
18. Internal marketing
Why is it important?
• Even the best videogames need it.
• Many great games are not played at all.
• Gamification is voluntary, so users must be
convinced that they are going to experience
something worthwhile.
How to do it?
• Take two kids arguing what to play with.
• Give them reasons to convince the other.
19. Ergonomic optimization
Features of pure game Mistakes at work
Sexy Must
Voluntary rules Obligatory rules
Adaptive progress Difficult or unchallenging
Boundaries of time and
space
Badly structured, endless
Regular feedback No positive feedback
Free from everyday stress Mistakes effect real life
Why is it important?
• Work is rarely ergonomic and it decreases
motivation.
• Ergonomics can be easily adapted from
videogames.
How to do it?
• Find out how our work would work if it
wasn’t work…
• ... and put it into practice!
20. Why is it important?
• Game design can contribute to players
reaching the state of flow.
How to do it?
• Challenge must be clear and achievable.
• Stress must be eliminated: to err is human,
retry is good.
• Player’s inner motivation should be built on
(competitiveness, curiosity, collecting, power).
Flow support
21. Conversion
Why is it important?
• „One thing we can learn from Tetris is to play Tetris
well.” – László Mérő
• We all learn something from every game, but it is
important what we make use of.
How to do it?
• Enhance best practices and schemes.
• Reframe acquired knowledge as a part of reality.
22. How to measure gamification?
Process Message KPI
Internal marketing Put it on colorful plate! Number of players
Ergonomic optimization Slice it up! Ratio of players finishing
Flow support Reassure after every bite! Ratio of hardcore gamers
Conversion Make him love it! KPI of defined goals
23. Case study
Target: training of sales staff
Message: DISC based sales techniques
Date: 2014
Audience: Hungarian, Czech and Slovak
subsidiaries of GrandVision optical retail chain
24. Software used
GéMeS - gamification framework
AdvEngine – HTML5 based
adventure game engine
25. Workflow of implementation
Running multiple interviews about the
aims and motivation of the company.
Acquiring all the knowledge that the
employees are supposed to learn
during the traditional training.
Drafting the concept and the script of
the game.
Producing graphic design and media
content. The game’s beta version is
made.
Testing by the company, list of
required corrections and
modifications is put together.
Corrections and modifications are
made.
Designing the launch of the game.
Plan on channels and resources of
internal marketing. Game is launched
at a store managers’ meeting.
Monitoring the number of players and
various achievements with GéMeS
Light software.
26. Bottom line
of all employees End of
week 1
End of
month 1
number of players
(internal marketing index)
90,1 % 100 %
ratio of players finishing
(game ergonomic index)
54 % 95 %
ratio of hardcore gamers
(flow support index)
18 % 65 %
YTD results (conversion index*):
Orders have grown by 34 %
Sales have increased by 20 %
* Sales increase can be attributed to various factors. The game and the training is only one of those.
„I would have never imagined that I could talk my colleagues into going through an elearning
module more than once – many of them have done so, over a hundred times.”
Katalin Hámori– sales director at Ofotért
27. BUZÁS ANDREA - BUZAS@ABAGIL.HU
ZSOMBOR FEKETE - FEKETE@ABAGIL.HU
Abagil Kft. 2015
Editor's Notes
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