A message sent by Sebastian Deterding to the Gamification Research Network:
The Gamification Lab and the Hybrid Publishing Lab of Leuphana University just released a nice Creative Commons-licensed edited collection of contributions that are “Rethinking Gamification“. The PDF is freely available online, the print version will follow soon.
About
Gamification marks a major change to everyday life. It describes the permeation of economic, political, and social contexts by game-elements such as awards, rule structures, and interfaces that are inspired by video games. Sometimes the term is reduced to the implementation of points, badges, and leaderboards as incentives and motivations to be productive. Sometimes it is envisioned as a universal remedy to deeply transform society toward more humane and playful ends. Despite its use by corporations to manage brand communities and personnel, however, gamification is more than just a marketing buzzword. States are beginning to use it as a new tool for governing populations more effectively. It promises to fix what is wrong with reality by making every single one of us fitter, happier, and healthier. Indeed, it seems like all of society is up for being transformed into one massive game.The contributions in this book offer a candid assessment of the gamification hype. They trace back the historical roots of the phenomenon and explore novel design practices and methods. They critically discuss its social implications and even present artistic tactics for resistance. It is time to rethink gamification!
Gamification marks a major change to everyday life. It describes the permeation of economic, political, and social contexts by game-elements such as awards, rule structures, and interfaces that are inspired by video games. Sometimes the term is reduced to the implementation of points, badges, and leaderboards as incentives and motivations to be productive. Sometimes it is envisioned as a universal remedy to deeply transform society toward more humane and playful ends. Despite its use by corporations to manage brand communities and personnel, however, gamification is more than just a marketing buzzword. States are beginning to use it as a new tool for governing populations more effectively. It promises to fix what is wrong with reality by making every single one of us fitter, happier, and healthier. Indeed, it seems like all of society is up for being transformed into one massive game.The contributions in this book offer a candid assessment of the gamification hype. They trace back the historical roots of the phenomenon and explore novel design practices and methods. They critically discuss its social implications and even present artistic tactics for resistance. It is time to rethink gamification!
Contents
Introduction
Resetting Behaviour
Resetting Behaviour
- Niklas Schrape: Gamification and Governmentality
- Paolo Ruffino: From Engagement to Life, or: How to Do Things with Gamification?
- Maxwell Foxman: How to Win Foursquare: Body and Space in a Gamified World
- Joost Raessens: The Ludification of Culture
Replaying History
- Mathias Fuchs: Predigital Precursors of Gamification
- Felix Raczkowski: Making Points the Point: Towards a History of Ideas of Gamification
Reframing Context
- Fabrizio Poltronieri: Communicology, Apparatus, and Post-History: Vilém Flusser’s Concepts Applied to Videogames and Gamification
- Thibault Philippette: Gamification: Rethinking ‘Playing the Game’ with Jacques Henriot
- Gabriele Ferri: To Play Against: Describing Competition in Gamification
Reclaiming Opposition
- Daphne Dragona: Counter-Gamification: Emerging Tactics and Practices Against the Rule of Numbers
- Matthew Tiessen: Gamed Agencies: Affectively Modulating our Screen and App-Driven Digital Futures
Remodelling Design
- Sonia Fizek: Why Fun Matters: In Search of Emergent Playful Experiences
- Scott Nicholson: Exploring the Endgame of GamificationSebastian Deterding: Eudaimonic Design, or: Six Invitations to Rethink Gamification
