From Game Design Elements to Gamefulness: Defining "Gamification"

From Game Design Elements to Gamefulness���Defining “Gamification”���

S. Deterding, D. Dixon, R. Khaled, L. E. Nacke ���Mindtrek 2011, Tampere, September 28, 2011���

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Overview

•  Introduction

• Precursors and parallels

• Defining “gamification”

• Situating “gamification”

• Open questions

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You are here

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“Gamification”?

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“Gamification”?

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The industry blueprint

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Points Tracking, Feedback

Badges Goal-setting

Leaderboards Competition

Incentives Rewards

(And behavioral analytics in the backend)

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Overview

•  Introduction

• Precursors and parallels

• Defining “gamification”

• Situating “gamification”

• Open questions

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You are here

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Precursors in HCI

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Precursors (1980+)

Man as computer Cognitive sciences

Man as machine Ergonomics

Man as meaning-maker Human sciences

Repurposings (2001+)

UX (2002+)

Hedonic attributes Game UX

Ludic design (2002+)

Playfulness (2005+)

CSCW (2005+)

Persuasive Tech (2006+)

Harrison, S., Tatar, D., and Sengers, P. The Three Paradigms of HCI. Proc. AltCHI 2007, ACM Press (2007).

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Precursors in Game Studies

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Precursors (1980+)

Repurposings (2001+)

UX (2002+)

Hedonic attributes Game UX

Ludic design (2002+)

Playfulness (2005+)

CSCW (2005+)

Persuasive Tech (2006+)

Serious Games (1960+)

Digital Serious Games

(2001+)

Alternate Reality/ Pervasive Games

(2001+) Serious Gaming

(2006+)

Ludification of culture

(2006+)

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Overview

•  Introduction

• Precursors and parallels

• Defining “gamification”

• Situating “gamification”

• Open questions

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You are here

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Gamification: A definition

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“The use of game design elements in non-game contexts”

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Gamification: A definition

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“The use of game design elements in non-game contexts”

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Ludus

Paidia

game skill effort ordered rule-bound

play improvisation tumultuous immoderate

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Gaming, not playing

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Gaming

Playing

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Elements, not whole systems

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Whole Elements

Dunechaser libertyandvigilance

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What is a “game element”?

• Most game definitions have multiple necessary conditions, e.g. Juul 2005:

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What is a “game element”?

• Elements characteristic for games

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specific to games (empty/too constrained)

characteristic for games (with fuzzy boundaries)

present in games (boundless/too broad)

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Game design elements

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Game-based technology Controllers, AI, 3D engines, ...

Game-based practices Serious Gaming

Game-based design Gamification

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Levels of game design elements

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Game design methods Playcentric design, value conscious game design…

Game models MDA, Game design atoms, CEGE, ...

Game design principles and heuristics Enduring play, clear goals, variety of play styles, ...

Game design patterns and mechanics Levels, time constraint, limited resources,…

Game interface patterns Badge, leaderboard, timer, ...

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Non-game contexts

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Non-game contexts

• Big issues with “serious game” being initially reduced to learning as one goal/context, thus

• No specific goals (learning, motivation, …)

• No specific contexts (g4change, g4health, …)

• Not limited to digital/online

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Can you “gamify” a game?

• Only if definition is tied to a set of specific elements (e.g. achievements)

• Metagames seen as games, not game elements in literature

• Designer view: Hard to distinguish ‘core’ game design from ‘outer’ gamification

• User view: Open empirical question whether game/gamified part are perceived as separate

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Overview

•  Introduction

• Precursors and parallels

• Defining “gamification”

• Situating “gamification”

• Open questions

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You are here

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Gamification: the definition again

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“The use of game design elements in non-game contexts”

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Bringing it together

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Whole Elements

Gaming

Playing

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Situating the definition

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Overview

•  Introduction

• Precursors and parallels

• Defining “gamification”

• Situating “gamification”

• Open questions

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You are here

Social and subjective nature of play

• Playing/gaming as a subjective, shared mode of behavior and mindset

• User view: When do they “use”, when “play” an app? (Framing, user-added rules & goals, …)

• Designer: When intended as product, gameful product, or full game?

• Flickering, switching, conflicting modes of engagement within and between users as rich new data source

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Gamefulness

Elements or qualities?

• Playfulness as a specific quality/mode of user behavior and experience, as well as design goal

• Gamefulness as logic complement

• Gameful design: less contentious baggage, less definitional complications, hence preferable for academic discourse

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Playfulness and Gamefulness

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Quality of experience and behavior

Playfulness Gamefulness

Artifact affording that quality

Playful interactions Gameful interactions

Designing for that quality Playful design Gameful design

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Bringing it together... again

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System Quality

Gaming

Playing

Thank you Sebastian Deterding  s.deterding@hans-bredow-institut.de

Rilla Khaled  rikh@itu.dk

Dan Dixon  dan@digitaldust.org

Lennart E. Nacke  lennart.nacke@acm.org