According to the US Census Bureau, there are more than 320 million US residents. Of these, approximately 183 million are active gamers (source: Gartner), which represents almost sixty percent of the population. In addition, Nielsen Digital Consumer Report reports that Americans own an average of four digital devices and that the typical American consumer spends sixty hours a week consuming content across devices (TVs, computers, phones, tablets, etc.). It goes without saying that we are connected in a big way. Not surprisingly, there is a growing problem getting involved with each other.
There are mixed emotions about gaming, and when it comes to children, experts advise approaching it with caution. On the one hand, as an art form and communication tool, it is an amazing moving image display that tells a captivating story and enthralls the user in a seductive realm, turning reality into an imperceptible annoyance at best. It engages, “teaches” (truth or fiction), entertains and transforms users. It’s a formidable medium, one that has permeated our culture and will only captivate more as it moves into uncharted territory.
On the other hand, some groups argue that excessive gambling has adverse effects. Recently, a 19-year-old Taiwanese teenager died in an Internet cafe after playing Devil 3 without stopping for 40 hours, without eating anything and consuming only water. There are reports of neglect, absenteeism, violence, and even suicide among players or among family members who were under the players’ care. In all cases, excessive, perhaps compulsive, gambling is alleged to have led to unbelievable losses. It seems to me that it is the addiction and not the activity itself that is to blame.
According to Jane McGonigal, author, Reality is broken: why games make us better and how they can change the world, By age 21, the average person has spent around 10,000 hours gaming. McGonigal adds that this is “24 hours less than the class hours spent attending both middle and high school” if you have perfect attendance. Whether we like it or not, these young people are entering the workforce. Their expectations are unlike any generation that has come before them in terms of the use of technology in the workplace. Companies are looking for ways to engage Millennials, but they need to step up their game because the window of opportunity is shrinking in the face of the imminent exodus of Baby Boomers.
One of our largest clients, with hundreds of thousands of employees worldwide, has expressed concern about filling various management positions over the next decade as more Boomers will leave their jobs than the availability of younger generations entering the workforce. labor force. In addition, he is concerned about how to engage his employees, as the demographics will be more diversified than ever. Engagement will be a key factor in creating an environment where conscious awareness can flourish and peak performance can endure.
Gamification offers great possibilities for these business challenges: engagement, improved behavior, enhanced collaboration, accelerated learning, engagement, and loyalty. Its adoption is becoming more common and is included in annual company budgets in areas such as marketing/sales, training and communications. According to M2 Research, the overall market for gamification tools, services, and applications is projected to reach $5.5 billion by 2018. Gamification programs will change the way we do business. Gamified activities will become the norm in the business world as we move from customer-centric loyalty programs to internal, interpersonal, and team-based motivational tools designed to engage all employees to achieve desired performance goals. . And it will be fun because it will have to be.
But building this industry will be a challenge. Early gamification programs will fail until the recipe is correct. According to the Gartner Group, “80 percent of today’s gamified business applications will fail, largely due to poor design.” It’s new territory, but like any startup, as failures occur, manifestations occur, and technology and applications evolve, so does their effectiveness.
So what is the ideal recipe for gamification success? First, you need a compelling story because without it no one will care what you’re trying to do, period. Tony Ventrice, an award-winning game designer, recently said in a fast company article, “Gamification is fundamentally about telling a story. If the material is compelling, you can create a good story; if the material is boring, you can’t.” Second, be clear about the business goals for both the company and the user. Equal weight should be given to individual and company goals. Third, clearly identify the value to the user. The user needs to connect with the gamified activity, so the benefits are paramount. Lastly, consider the long-term commitment aspect of gamified activity. If it doesn’t have a long shelf life, it’s probably not worth the investment.
Gamification is not an add-on, but rather a change in mindset that must be incorporated into the company culture for it to be successful.