#gamification (7 links)
If it all gets a bit much, Visual Studio 2010 does include a pleasing beginners' mode where, instead of typing spells, they can be drawn using a convenient drag-and-drop interface. This GUI gameplay eschews much of the complexity of the full game—the compiler gatekeeper is almost always happy, and few bugs will lurk in the resulting dungeons—but works well as a way of learning how to craft spells.
There is nothing wrong with a design methodology that seeks to engage users of a product. There’s nothing wrong with a design methodology that aims to make products more fun to use. But I am worried by a design movement that assumes that users are easily distracted, and I am worried about design methods that seek to mimic game (and particularly videogame) design hooks to retain users and their attention. I am worried about the assumption that attention is a problem. It seems to assume and accept that continuous partial attention is for everybody.
- Can’t play, won’t play | Hide&Seek - Inventing new kinds of play hideandseek.net
Gamification is the wrong word for the right idea. The word for what’s happening at the moment is pointsification. There are things that should be pointsified. There are things that should be gamified. There are things that should be both. There are many, many things that should be neither.
"Let's Gamify The World!"<br /> <br /> No, let's not.
- Pawned. Gamification and Its Discontents slideshare.net
Excellent presentation from Playful 2010.
Via tomtaylor.