Abstract

Gamification is the use of gaming methods and ways of thinking in non-game economic and social contexts in order to solve some kind of problems. Possible applications of gamification are currently the subject of broad-based discussion in marketing and management in particular. Expectations are very high, primarily in those areas in which motivation processes have a large part to play. In order to fully exploit the potential of gamification, a profound understanding of modes of operation in gamified systems is needed. This then enables a productive transfer of game elements to non-game contexts, taking into account user typologies and including the requirements of very different application scenarios. This article takes up the findings of different theoretical and empirical studies on gamification from various perspectives. It combines the findings into an integral perspective and provides a catalogue of core elements of gamified systems. Approaches to reward mechanisms in gamified systems are worked out on the basis of fundamental motivation theories. It is argued that a simple adoption of award systems cannot be productive; the different kinds of needs of users with regard to social interaction, attractive challenges and individual development opportunities must, rather, be incorporated into the design of gamified systems. The article offers practitioners and researchers new impetuses for further engagement with gamified systems.

Highlights

  • Gamification is the use of gaming methods and ways of thinking in non-game economic and social contexts in order to solve some kind of problems

  • In order to fully exploit the potential of gamification, a profound understanding of modes of operation in gamified systems is needed

  • It is argued that a simple adoption of award systems cannot be productive; the different kinds of needs of users with regard to social interaction, attractive challenges and individual development opportunities must, rather, be incorporated into the design of gamified systems

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Summary

Introduction

Playing and playful behaviour have a particular significance for the human indi-. Children “play” automatically, e.g. when they transform a walk into a hopping game, trying not to step on the gaps in the paving stones. Children and adults construe their very own, individual motivation and reward systems in a playful way. The principle of introducing gaming elements in other contexts is not new; it has been used for decades or even centuries. It is used by the armed forces and boy scouts, and martial arts students, too, are familiar with the elements of gamification: badges signal a certain status within a particular community. A higher status can be achieved through performance, through particular behaviour, or by completing tasks

Gamification and Gamified Systems
Motivational Concepts of Gamification
Literature
Key Elements of Gamified Systems
Reward Systems
Model of Gamification User Types
Discussion
Implications
Future Directions and Limitations

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