gsummit sf 2014 - deconstructing the four basic models of gamification by tony ventrice

Badgeville Confidential Information

Deconstructing the Four Basic Models of Gamification

Tony VentriceSr. Game Systems Designer

COPYRIGHT BADGEVILLE 2014, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


What is Gamification?What is a ‘car’?

• Points• Badges• Leaderboards

Which one is ‘best’?

• Wheels• Seats• Motor

From a structural perspective


Rule #1Design from the beginning

1. Company goals

2. User goals (employee or customer)

3. Methods (mechanics)

4. Balance


1. Company GoalsDifferent problems, different solutions.

What is your company trying to do?• Engage customers for longer• Convert to paid customers• Get employees to follow process• Train more effectively

How are you going to measure success?


2. User GoalsWhat does your customer / employee desire?

• Validation• Feeling structured / free from doubt• Feeling smart / knowledgeable• Feeling successful / accomplished• Feeling valued / socially relevant

• Reward


Rule #2Validation is always more effective (but less often used)

• Validation• Long term effect• Requires intimate understanding of user priorities

• Reward• Short term effect• Requires no understanding


Define the situationIn terms of Company Goals and User Goals

• Three examples


Example ScenarioCommunity Knowledge Share

Company wants• Improved productivity through:

• Increased communication• Faster resolutions• Document creation

User wants • Recognition for knowledge / talent


Example ScenarioEmployee Expense Management

Company wants• Fewer invalid expenses• Combined reports• Overall savings in process

overhead and expenses paid

Employee wants• Clear ‘rules’• Feeling of accomplishment


Example ScenarioFitness / Medical Adherence

Company wants• Sustained usage

User wants • Improved health• Clear and simple instructions


3. MethodsChoosing the tools to address the goals

Set of all possible Company Goals

Set of all possible User Goals

+ = 4 Basic Models• Community• Performance Management• Competition• Redemption


The Four Basic Models

Community (Specialization, cooperation, talent recognition)• Precedent: military badges

Performance Management (Scheduled performance)• Precedent: quotas

Competition (Competitive timed challenges)• Precedent: sales drive (top seller wins prize)

Redemption (Real world prizes)• Precedent: sandwich card

All have real-world precedents


Community

Possible scenarios• Q&A • Knowledge share• Workplace content creation • Affinity / Fan• UGC marketplace

Specialization, Cooperation, Talent recognition


Community

Attributes• Reward users with social recognition for intelligence and skill. • Typically involves a context of content creation (documents,

Q&A, articles, videos, etc). • Typically requires quality validation (otherwise it just measures

affinity).• Public visualization of earned status. • Consistent effort-to-status balancing across specializations.


Performance Management

Possible scenarios• Sales or Services performance• Customer Tiered Loyalty• Fitness Training• Medical Adherence

Scheduled performance tracking



Attributes• Repeating, scheduled tasks• Fair, obtainable goals and metrics• Reward users with recognition for success and performance• Possibly extrinsic rewards, for exceeding expectations• Persistent record of significant performances. • Able to compare self with peers and past self performance.


Competition

Possible scenarios• Unscheduled employee

performance• Promotion• Event / Tradeshow

Competitive, timed, challenges


Competition

Attributes• End points or rolling status• Unlimited participation opportunity (never ‘enough’)• Visualization of competition standings• Recognition of winners (celebration equal to effort)• Possible extrinsic rewards for winners• Able to be instantiated/ programmed• Teams, to involve everyone


Redemption

Possible scenarios• Earned-entry Raffles (uncertain payout)• Earned coupons (certain payout)• Earned currency + store (choice payout)

Quid pro quo


Redemption

Attributes• Prize budget• Limited alternatives (there’s no going back)• Economic contract – effort for payout. • Economy balanced in your favor (no costly cheating

opportunities or loopholes)• Clear, consistent payout goals


Rule #3The four basic models can be combined

The models are systems. • A complex game can have many systems. Just like you can

have more than one car in your garage.• From the user’s perspective, they are one program but from

the perspective of a systems designer, they are separate—each can stand on its own.

Outside observer: Fire departmentFire chief: Tanker truck, Light response, Fire engine


Deconstruction

An easy way to focus:• Ask what the end user is getting

out of the experience

Community


Competition

Redemption

Gamification

Identify and isolate the 4 basic models in all of your motivational initiatives

(social status)

(scheduled structure)

(victory)

(earned prizes)


Example ScenarioCommunity Knowledge Share

User wants • Recognition for knowledge / talent

Community Perf. Mgt. Competition Redemption

YesNoNoNo


Example ScenarioEmployee Expense Management

Employee wants• Clear ‘rules’• Feeling of accomplishment


NoNoYesYes


Example ScenarioFitness / Medical Adherence

User wants • Improved health• Clear and simple instructions


YesYesNoNo


ReviewRule #1: Start from the beginning (what does the end user want?)

Rule #2: Validation is always more effective than extrinsic incentives

Rule #3: The four basic models can be combined (but be able to identify where one ends and another begins)

Use Cases? Questions?Community, Performance management, Competition, Redemption


Thank You

gsummit sf 2014 - deconstructing the four basic models of gamification by tony ventrice

Presentations & Public Speaking