The Gamification Revolution summary

What’s your favorite game? Is it a board game or a computer game? Have you ever stopped to think about how many games there are, and how often we play them?

You’re probably familiar with games like chess or Angry Birds, but what about gamification games?

Gamification means using games to get people together or solve problems. It’s widespread, and it can be very useful.

The annual McDonald's Monopoly game is an example of gamification. Customers are rewarded with Monopoly pieces every time they buy food or drinks. To get more obscure pieces and complete a set, they have to order bigger meals or visit more branches.

Gamification works by leveraging behavioral economics and design. Just think about all the situations where we collect points, where badges represent achievements, levels give us a rank, and leaderboards and scoreboards show how we compare with others.

Then there are grand challenges, which aim to solve specific problems. They’re usually highly publicized and offer prizes to the winners. Sometimes they can lead to great discoveries or inventions. In fact, a grand challenge led to the establishment of our system of longitude in 1714.

Gamification provides great opportunities for businesses and other organizations. It can even be critical for them.

Games can help you invigorate your brand, engage with customers and raise profits – just like the McDonald’s Monopoly. They can also inspire innovation and creativity within your company.

The main thing that makes games essential, however, is their ubiquity. A study by TNS Global found that over 60 percent of people in the Western world regularly play computer or video games. This is even more true for young people: about 70 percent of toddlers and young kids play them!

So if you want to connect with people in our modern world, you’ve got to do it through means that you know will hook them in: games.