2011 09-15 magic potion of gamification

The Magic PotionThe Magic Potion of GamificationMichael Wu, PhDPrincipal Scientist of Analytics

September 16th, 2011Gamification Summit NYC

what’s the magic behind gamification?C dRCommunal

CollaborationCollection DiscoveryCountdown

Cross SituationalLeader-boards

Fixed Ratio Free Lunch

Fun Once,Fun Always Lottery

P i tReputation

DelayedMechanics

Response

Status Serendipity

Variable RatioReward Schedule

AppointmentAvoidance

CommunalDiscovery

Leader-boards

Fixed RatioReward Schedule

Free Lunch

IntervalReinforcement

LoyaltyModifiersMoral Hazardof Game Play

Points

RankReinforcer

R d S h d l

Shell GameStatus Serendipity

Urgent Virtual Items

SocialCohesion

AppointmentDynamic

CascadingChain SchedulesSet Completion

CompanionGaming

EnvyEpic Meaning

Schedules

Loss AversionMicro Leader-boards

PrivacyReward Schedules

Rolling Social Fabric of Games

UrgentOptimism

Viral Game Mechanics

Virtual Items

ContingencyAchievement Behavioral Contrast

InformationTheory

CombosDisincentives

EndlessGames

Free Lunch Level UpLoss Aversion

Ownership

Pride

Progression Dynamic

PhysicalGoods

Variable Interval

Viral Game MechanicsVirality

Contingency

Infinite Gameplay

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Behavioral Momentum BlissfulProductivity

Disincentives

ExtinctionFixed Interval

Reward Schedules

Ownership Progression Dynamic

QuestRatio Reward

SchedulesReward Schedules

Real-timeMechanics

▪ F B h i M d l (FBM)

behavior model▪ Fogg Behavior Model (FBM):

• 3 Factors underlying human behavior.• Temporal convergence of 3 factors.

Motivation Ability TriggerAction

wants can told to


▪ F B h i M d l (FBM)

behavior model▪ Fogg Behavior Model (FBM):

• 3 Factors underlying human behavior.• Temporal convergence of 3 factors.

Trigger

vatio

n

activation

Action Mot

iv threshold

Ability

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Ability

4

▪ Ab h M l ’ hi h f d (1943)

what motivates people▪ Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (1943)

Game mechanics/dynamicsbeing-needs(meta-needs) status, achievements,

ranks reputation etcdeficiencyneeds

ranks, reputation, etc.social cohesion, virality & most communal/community dynamics

security, money (gambling)

y

food, water, etc


, ,

▪ Ab h M l ’ hi h f d (1943)

what motivates people▪ Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (1943)

Game mechanics/dynamicsDan Pink’s intrinsicmotivators (2009)being-needs

(meta-needs)M l ’ t ti t

motivators (2009)

E autonomy ownership, blissful productivity, serendipity etcMaslow’s meta-motivators:

iV

mastery

serendipity, etc.

points, progression, level up, set l ti t

D R

purpose

completion, etc.

epic meaning, quest, discovery,


D justice, save the world, etc.

▪ H b h i l d th h diti i

Watson & Skinner: Learning & Conditioning▪ Human behaviors are learned through conditioning

• Radical: disregard innate needs, only use external conditions & reinforcement• The conditioned reinforcers (which are

usually some kind of points) are learned and they become the motivator

• However, points themselves are not inherently rewardinginherently rewarding

▪ Proper use of points depends onthe reward schedulethe reward schedule• When, how many, and at what rate the

points are given (or taken away)• P i d l l d i


• Progression and level up dynamics

7

▪ Fl ti l t t f i t i i

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Flow▪ Flow: an optimal state of intrinsic

motivation• Forget about physical feelings (e.g. hunger,

sleep), passage of time, and their ego

▪ Skill ~ Challenge Flow

▪ Certainty vs. Uncertainty• People love the control state

/ f & f• b/c it gives them a sense of security & safety• People hate the boredom state• People like arousal


• People dislike worry

8

▪ P l i kill ti i t th

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Flow▪ People acquire skills over time move into the

relaxation/boredom state• We are motivated by challenges,

t h dshallow

steep learning curveto get back to flow

surprises, and varieties, to avoid boredom

• IRL, matching challenge to l ’ kill tl i h d

a bit too hard

way too hard learningcurve

people’s skills exactly is hard• They are either too easy (boring)

or too hard (frustrating)too easy

▪ Gamification must adapt & evolve with the player

too easy


▪ U ti bilit ( lit )

ability: 2 perspectives▪ User perspective: ability (reality)

▪ Task perspective: simplicity (perceptual)activation

2 ways to push a user beyond histi ti th h ld at

ion

activationthreshold

activation threshold• Hard way: Increase his real ability

by motivating him to train & practice Mot

iva

• Easier way: Increase the task’sperceived simplicity (or user’s perceived ability)

Ability


▪ T k th t t l i l t t i

what is simplicity▪ Tasks that are truly simple must not require any resources

you don’t have

▪ Simplicity is a measure of your access to the following 3 categories of resources at the time when you need to g yperform the task• Effort resources: physical effort + mental effort. • Scarce resources: time money authority/permission attention etcScarce resources: time, money, authority/permission, attention etc.• Adaptability resources: capacity to break norms, which may be personal

(routines), social, behavioral, cultural, etc.


▪ Si li it d d i

what is simplicity▪ Simplicity dependencies

• Individual: different people have access to different resources• Time & context: resource can be lost and become in accessible or gain

▪ Resource trade off• Time + money• Simplicity is a function of your scarcest resource at the time when you need to

perform the task

▪Motivation + Ability can also trade off▪Motivation + Ability can also trade off• Usually happens at extreme the ends


▪ A t k i i d i l if l t it ith f

perceived simplicity▪ A task is perceived simple if you can complete it with fewer

resources than you expect• You expect the task to be harder

▪ S h i /d i d i d t i lif▪ Some game mechanics/dynamics designed to simplify• Divide and conquer• Cascading information theory• Chaining reward schedules• Behavioral momentum (people’s tendency to follow personal norms, routines)


▪ S thi th t t t ll th t t th

what is a trigger and why is it needed▪ Something that prompts or tells the users to carry out the

target behavior now.• User must aware of the trigger.• Must understand what the trigger means.

▪Why a trigger is necessary• Unaware of his ability (e.g. unaware of options or simplicity of task)• Hesitant (e.g. question his motivation)• Distracted (e.g. engaged in another routine activity)


▪ H bilit b t t ti t d S k

trigger depends on behavioral trajectory▪ Has ability but not motivated: Spark

• built-in as part of the motivation mechanism

▪Motivated but lack ability (or perceived▪Motivated, but lack ability (or perceived ability): Facilitator• highlights the task’s simplicity at

ion activation

threshold• often used with the progress bar dynamics to

create anticipation as user improve towards his goal M

otiv

a threshold

▪ Has ability and motivated: Signal• should only serve as a reminder Ability


trigger depends on gaming personalityBartle type Characteristics Effective triggerKiller (<1%) highly competitive challenge themSocializer hate confrontation, followers, value show that their friends are ~80%

, ,relationship doing it

Achiever ~10% driven by status (i.e. special access, etc.) spark trigger associated

with an status increaseExplorer ~10%

driven by discovery & uniqueness of their contributions, hate spatial & temporal limits

call upon their unique skill, no time pressure

▪ Trigger is all about timing!• Poorly timed trigger: spam mails + pop ups ads


y gg p p p p

16

▪ If k h ifi ti k th

an evaluative framework+ a design paradigm▪ If we know why gamification works, then…

• We can evaluate the effectiveness of any gamification strategies


▪M ti ti

speed camera lottery▪Motivation:

win $ lottery

▪ Abilit▪ Ability: the player is driving, and has the ability to yslow down the car

▪ Trigger: gglottery sign on camera fixture

thi i k t i


• this is a spark trigger

18

▪ If k h ifi ti k th

an evaluative framework + a design paradigm▪ If we know why gamification works, then…

• We can evaluate the effectiveness of any gamification strategies• We can design and create new gamification that drives a specific action

• It’s all about driving players above the activation threshold by temporal alignment of1. Motivating them by positive feedback2. Increasing their ability (or perceived ability) by simplifying the behavior3 A d th l i th t i t th i ht ti3. And then applying the proper trigger at the right time

▪ The magic formula of gamification• Place the proper triggers in the behavioral trajectory of motivated players at• Place the proper triggers in the behavioral trajectory of motivated players, at

the moment when they feel the greatest excess in their ability


Thank youThank you

Q&A + Discussion


reference▪ M bl ti l ifi ti▪ My blog articles on gamification (hyperlinked: clickable in pdf)

• Gamification from a Company of Pro Gamers• The Magic Potion of Game Dynamics

G ifi ti 101 Th P h l f M ti ti• Gamification 101: The Psychology of Motivation• Simplicity Counts - Even in Gamification• The Final Touch: Trigger and Gamify• No Game No Gain: Realizing the ROI of Your Facebook Fans• No Game, No Gain: Realizing the ROI of Your Facebook Fans• The Future of Enterprise Software will be Fun and Productive• Real Life Gamification: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly• What is Gamification, Really?What is Gamification, Really?• The Gaming Industry, Gamification, and Work• Gamification beyond Business and Future Challenges

• Few more to come before I close this chapter, so follow me on twitter or g+


p g

http://lithosphere.lithium.com/t5/Building-Community-the-Platform/Gamification-from-a-Company-of-Pro-Gamers/ba-p/19258

http://lithosphere.lithium.com/t5/Building-Community-the-Platform/The-Magic-Potion-of-Game-Dynamics/ba-p/19260

http://lithosphere.lithium.com/t5/Building-Community-the-Platform/Gamification-101-The-Psychology-of-Motivation/ba-p/21864

http://lithosphere.lithium.com/t5/Building-Community-the-Platform/Simplicity-Counts-Even-in-Gamification/ba-p/22482

http://lithosphere.lithium.com/t5/Building-Community-the-Platform/The-Final-Touch-Trigger-and-Gamify/ba-p/23262

http://lithosphere.lithium.com/t5/Building-Community-the-Platform/No-Game-No-Gain-Realizing-the-ROI-of-Your-Facebook-Fans/ba-p/24310

http://lithosphere.lithium.com/t5/Building-Community-the-Platform/The-Future-of-Enterprise-Software-will-be-Fun-and-Productive/ba-p/25486

http://lithosphere.lithium.com/t5/Building-Community-the-Platform/Real-Life-Gamification-The-Good-the-Bad-and-the-Ugly/ba-p/29464

http://lithosphere.lithium.com/t5/Building-Community-the-Platform/What-is-Gamification-Really/ba-p/30447

http://lithosphere.lithium.com/t5/Building-Community-the-Platform/The-Gaming-Industry-Gamification-and-Work/ba-p/30451

http://lithosphere.lithium.com/t5/Building-Community-the-Platform/Gamification-beyond-Business-and-Future-Challenges/ba-p/30453

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