A genre of games is a set of games that deal with a common set of problems and attempt to deliver a similar experience while varying a range of common conventions.
Let's go ahead and lump points, badges, and leaderboards together into the "Foursquare genre" of gamification. What might other genres of gamification in software products look like?
We need more genres because most of the gamification we have is Lazy gamificationLazy gamification
Lazy gamification is what happens when you slap a relatively homogenous configuration of points, badges, and leaderboards onto a heterogenous set of problems. This is done without thinking about where, why, and how those interventions work to influence user behavior given the parameters of the who the users are and important contextual factors.
It's a common trap to think about game mechanics as motivators. I prefer to instead think about them as Think about mechanics as facilitators.
Gamif.... A relatively homogenous configuration of points, badges, and leaderboards have been slapped onto a heterogenous set of problems, so who can be surprised when the solution doesn't fit the problem. We need more varied tools!
Over the course of my career, I hope to nurture the emergence of multiple genres as I Make an impact through portfolio effectsMake an impact through portfolio effects
I don't just want to work on one idea at a time, because then I'm learning slowly and what I learn may be confined to that specific context. If I am able to implement many ideas at once and draw connections across them, then I'll build better mental models of how the world works.
Likewise, not every idea is a winner. That being said, if I shoot enough shots, I'll find the winners and learn how to more reliably produce them. In general, this is how I approach creativity as well. I generate mo.... Eventually, the genres and their boundary conditions will be well enough understood that we can cross genre lines.
At this point, I'm figuring out the genres. It's still not entirely clear which configurations of ideas can be generalized. I'll share them as I crystallize and test them across situations. This is why I'm Hyper learningHyper learning
This likely won't be going to be the final version of this post.
Hyper learning is a coinage for learning through portfolio effects and feedback loops. It's about interdisciplinary thinking, varied collaboration, and collaboration according to comparative advantage.
Hyper learning is basically the thesis of my career path.
The term is inspired by what Writing in hypertext has done for my thinking, allowing me to connect, separate, and compress ideas, as well as the intensity that comes fro....
I’m still working on this one, leave a comment or send me a note on Twitter @RobertHaisfield if you want to see more on this page!