Gamification by design : implementing game mechanics in web and mobile apps

cover image

Where to find it

Information & Library Science Library

Call Number
QA76.76.C672 Z53 2011
Status
Available

Summary

What do Foursquare, Zynga, Nike+, and Groupon have in common? These and many other brands use gamification to deliver a sticky, viral, and engaging experience to their customers. This book provides the design strategy and tactics you need to integrate game mechanics into any kind of consumer-facing website or mobile app. Learn how to use core game concepts, design patterns, and meaningful code samples to a create fun and captivating social environment.

Whether you're an executive, developer, producer, or product specialist, Gamification by Design will show you how game mechanics can help you build customer loyalty.

Discover the motivational framework game designers use to segment and engage consumers Understand core game mechanics such as points, badges, levels, challenges, and leaderboards Engage your consumers with reward structures, positive reinforcement, and feedback loops Combine game mechanics with social interaction for activities such as collecting, gifting, heroism, and status Dive into case studies on Nike and Yahoo!, and analyze interactions at Google, Facebook, and Zynga Get the architecture and code to gamify a basic consumer site, and learn how to use mainstream gamification APIs from Badgeville

"Turning applications into games is a huge trend. This book does a great job of identifying the core lasting principals you need to inspire your users to visit again and again."--Adam LovingFreelance Social Game Developer and founder of Twibes Twitter Groups

Contents

  • Preface p. ix
  • Introduction p. xiii
  • 1 Foundations p. 1
  • The Fun Quotient p. 2
  • The Evolution of Loyalty p. 5
  • Status at the Wheel p. 9
  • The House Always Wins p. 13
  • 2 Player Motivation p. 15
  • Powerful Human Motivators p. 15
  • Why People Play p. 20
  • PlayerTypes p. 21
  • Social Games p. 24
  • Intrinsic versus Extrinsic Motivation p. 26
  • Progression to Mastery p. 29
  • Motivational Moment: Be the Sherpa p. 33
  • 3 Game Mechanics: Designing for Engagement (Part I) p. 35
  • MDA Framework p. 35
  • Game Mechanics p. 36
  • Points p. 36
  • Levels p. 45
  • Leaderboards p. 50
  • 4 Game Mechanics: Designing for Engagement (Part II) p. 55
  • Badges p. 55
  • Onboarding p. 59
  • Challenges and Quests p. 64
  • Social Engagement Loops p. 67
  • Customization p. 70
  • Gaming the System p. 72
  • Agile and Gamification Design p. 73
  • Empty Bar Problem: Foursquare p. 74
  • Dashboards p. 75
  • 5 Game Mechanics and Dynamics in Greater Depth p. 77
  • Feedback and Reinforcement p. 77
  • Game Mechanics in Depth p. 81
  • Putting It Together p. 94
  • 6 Gamification Case Studies p. 95
  • Nike Plus: Making Fitness Fun p. 96
  • Gamify Questionsùor Answers p. 98
  • Health Month p. 105
  • Conclusion p. 109
  • 7 Tutorial: Coding Basic Game Mechanics p. 111
  • Planning a Gamification Makeover p. 112
  • A System for Tracking Scores and Levels p. 116
  • Badges p. 125
  • Displaying Player Scores and Levels on the Site p. 128
  • The Trophy Case p. 135
  • Summary p. 139
  • 8 Tutorial: Using an Instant Gamification Platform p. 141
  • Game On p. 141
  • Critical Elements of an Online Rewards Experience p. 142
  • Planning a Rewards Project p. 142
  • Developing a Rewards Program p. 156
  • Analytics p. 165
  • The Game's Just Beginning p. 168
  • Index p. 169

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