We were having a discussion internally at MeYou Health about a new product we are working on. In the conversation, Bill Sabram, our lead game designer, said this:
"Games are particularly good at asking us to put seemingly irrelevant limitations on our performance (Draw only one card, Roll only two dice to move, Wait for your turn before going again, etc.) and yet they are so fun that we gladly give up control to live within the 'rules' of this new group experience."
I think that is a great statement about one of the main powers of gamification. It isn't just about adding points, levels, or badges to your product. Gamification provides an operating context that makes your participants open to experiencing a product in a very different manner than they otherwise might. It makes them open to direction, to ritual, to limitations. And not only are they open to it, they generally accept it at face value, and rarely even question it.
"Why should I do this? Because the game says so. That is how you play. That is the rule."
Very powerful stuff.
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