Are You Game?

The video game industry generates almost $200 billion in global revenues annually. That is equivalent to the size of the entire global industrial automation market. Multi-billion-dollar franchises like Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty illustrate how much people invest in and enjoy gaming.

In a TED Talk (2010), game designer Jane McGonigal noted: ‘When we are in game worlds, […] many of us become the best version of ourselves, […] the most likely to stick with a problem as long as it takes, to get up after failure and try again.’

With video games capable of triggering players’ near-total commitment and immersion for hours, the idea of gamification, i.e., ‘using game elements in [serious] non-game contexts’ to boost creativity and productivity is seductive.

Gamification is about motivation, leaning on points, badges, leaderboards, and other forms of rewarding feedback. The psychology behind it appears to be multi-faceted. In ‘Revealing the theoretical basis of gamification’ (2021), the authors identify 100 theories invoked to explain the effects of gamification.

One framework, however, stands out: the ‘self-determination’ theory. It relies on three intrinsic motivational factors: autonomy (freedom of action), competence (the feeling of success thanks to constant feedback), and relatedness (the sense of belonging).

When thoughtfully designed to pull these three levers, gamification can be effective. It has gone mainstream in health, education, and consumer behavior applications. Many firms have incorporated it into their workplace, achieving positive results in terms of engagement and training.

More controversially, Ukraine’s military recently introduced the ‘Army of Drones’ initiative, which is based on a video game-style system: drone operators earn points for verified combat success. Units can redeem these points in an online armory for drones and gear. Gamification has yet to find its limits.

Even in civilian settings, ethical risks abound. Gamification can create obsessive engagement, which may be perceived as exploiting compulsion and causing harm to users. In addition, gamified systems typically rely on constant data tracking, raising concerns about privacy and surveillance.

Human motivation is complex and notoriously difficult to sustain. Gamification risks backfiring and undermining deeper motivation if it is not carefully conceived, as highlighted in a MIT Technology Review article. Ultimately, if players feel like they are being played, the whole concept of gamification breaks down.

Given these considerations, it seems to me that the greatest opportunity lies elsewhere – in a personal form of play. Psychologists refer to ‘autotelic personality’ when describing individuals who find meaning in an activity itself: where others see chores, they see quests. They create their own feedback loops, challenges, and reward systems. Their life becomes a personal game with its own rules and purpose.

The most sustainable form of gamification may not be engineered from the outside but authored from within. Otherwise, much like Michael Douglas’s character in ‘The Game’ (1997), one risks becoming a disoriented, even manipulated player in someone else’s script.