Gamification

Abstract

Gamification broadly refers to technological, economic, cultural, and societal developments in which reality is becoming more gameful, and thus to a greater extent can afford the accruing of skills, motivational benefits, creativity, playfulness, engagement, and overall positive growth and happiness. These aspects are all commonly perceived as positive benefits of play and playing games. Gamification can be seen to progress through two primary developments: (1)Intentional gamification: where gamification is defined as an intentional process of transforming practically any activity, system, service, product, or organizational structure into one which affords similar positive experiences, skills, and practices as found in games. This is commonly but optionally done with an intention to facilitate changes in behaviors or cognitive processes. As the main inspirations of gamification are games and play, gamification is commonly pursued by employing game design. (2)Emergent gamification: where gamification can be defined as a gradual and emergent, albeit unintentional, cultural and societal transformation stemming from the increased pervasive engagement with games and gameful interactions. The assumption is that, through the increasingly pervasive role of games in human lives, our cultural and societal practices are gradually transforming into ones which are increasingly reminiscent of games, game communities, and player practices.