Hate The Player, Not The Game

Perhaps time for a rambly, ranty, vent to counteract my dissertation work (which is coming along poetically by the way), let us begin.


Why I Hate Gamification:

Gamification is the use of game-like techniques used to incentivise activities in everyday life. For example- nectar points, or any other card/point system like this (air miles etc). My problem with this is the same problem I have with it in game design. The points provided as an incentive are often false incentives. In a game where the player is required to perform a task, that task should be engaging and interesting enough to warrant the investment of your time without needing to pat the player on the back with an explosion of points, xp, or whatever currency the game deals in. If there is a point system in place even when the tasks are compelling then this just works to undermine the focus of the gameplay by moving the focal point to the acquisition of points.

So there you are, in the shopping centre, one product offering more points than another, its not necessarily a better product, it might even be inferior, but the customer buys it because the points lure them to that option with the promise of (quite meagre) rewards later.

Here is an incredible talk about the ramifications of gamification, its really worth watching even if you don't give a hoot about videogames, because its relevant to our consumerism and lifestyles too. Though I'm guessing if you bothered reading this far you give at least a small hoot:

hoot

Wii Games - E3 2012 - Guitar Hero 5

I believe Ian Bogost has also written extensively on gamification.
He says it is 'bullshit'. He titled it 'exploitationware'.

It is PURE EVIL.

All this comes as a response to a question from Loz who is now writing uber interesting type things on his fancy new blog over at Gamasutra, that's like professional, and stuff. We've also been collaborating on a podcast with Alan, Hugh, Dan, and Nigel. Its all at a very formative stage at this point but hopefully when we've got something stable up and running people can download it from iTunes etc the page on The Pixel Crush titled podcasts has some broken links due to renaming of the podcast and other changes.

I just wrote a ton on Splinter Cell: Conviction but then realised all my screenshots aren't on my laptop so I'll pretty that up and post it when I get back to Nelson in Falmouth.

Back to the dissertation now, oh and that Brain post is coming, soon...