Gamification may not be a term you hear in everyday conversations, but it is something we encounter in various ways in our daily lives—from our smartwatches keeping tabs on our activity levels to the reward points we earn when we shop at our favorite stores.
Gamification isn’t a new concept, but in the last century, it has evolved in a manner that has made it widely appealing and applicable to a wide range of industries. From answering the question “What is gamification?” to tracing its history, this article will provide a closer look at this useful, game-changing concept.
What Is Gamification?
Gamification refers to the addition of game elements in non-game contexts. It comes in many forms and has found its way into almost every industry you can think of. The most popular applications you’ll see it used for include education, marketing, and fitness. These typically provide some type of reward or tracking for achievements, keeping people motivated and working towards their goals or engaging with a brand.
Gamification includes elements that track activities, progress, or achievements, usually as points, rewards, achievement badges, leaderboards, or progress bars. Depending on the needs and purpose of the gamification, elements can be mixed and matched.
Points are earned through activities like making a purchase or completing a lesson in a course.
Rewards and badges recognize achievements and give people something to work towards, like a step count or store discount. Leaderboards, usually optional for users, allow people to see how their efforts compare to others, creating motivation through competition. Progress bars provide a visual way for people to see how far they’ve come and how close they are to achieving a goal.
The Origins of Gamification
Adding games or fun to help people learn is not a new or modern idea. In the Middle Ages, songs and rhyming poems were used to teach people about morals, history, and religion. The concept of gamification became more pronounced from an unexpected source in the early 1900s, with the Boy Scouts.
The Boy Scouts earned badges for learning new skills, going on trips, and performing other tasks related to their values and missions. These badges displayed what each scout accomplished and helped motivate them to continue learning new things and progressing through the program. The use of these badges began in 1911, and while some badges have since been discontinued and new ones introduced, the reward system continues to be used.
The Evolution of Gamification
Between the early 1900s and the mid-1900s, few modifications to the concept of gamification took place, but this began changing in the 1970s and has rapidly evolved since then.
The 1970s and 1980s
In the mid-to-late 1900s, gamification entered the workplace and education system. It first arrived in the workplace in 1973 with the release of The Game of Work, a book that suggested that the low productivity and engagement levels of the time could be remedied with fun and games in the workplace.
In 1981, American Airlines released the first customer rewards program with the launch of AAdvantage, which rewarded frequent flyers. Through the program, American Airlines customers could earn points for every flight ticket they purchased, and in turn, these reward points could be applied to future purchases for a discount. This motivated customers to stay loyal to American Airlines, rewarding both the airline and its customers. For the airline, it earned customer loyalty; for the customers, it meant savings.
AAdvantage is still in use today and allows members to redeem points for more than just flights but also for other travel-related expenses like booking hotels or renting a car. It also offers more ways to earn points besides purchasing flights, making it even more appealing to customers.
In 1982, the addition of games to motivate students and help them understand new topics began to be discussed, paving the way for gamification in education.
The 1990s and 2000s
In 1996, four types of gamers were identified and categorized based on their gaming approach, helping guide gamification processes to appeal to these varying sensibilities. Around this time, the idea that user experience, particularly of software, should be fun became commonplace, but it was in the early 2000s that gamification really started to gain traction. The early 2000s saw the creation of the word gamification and the widespread adoption of gamification features online to increase user engagement.
The Current State of Gamification
Gamification continues to increase engagement and success in many industries. The financial industry uses it to help people learn about managing finances and reach their saving goals. The education industry uses it to foster student participation and build a deeper understanding of subjects. In the food and retail industries, it helps reward customer spending to build customer loyalty.
It may sound redundant, but gamification also has a place in the gaming industry. In this case, gamification isn’t about the games themselves but rather how a player engages with the gaming brand or platform. It’s about implementing ways to keep players loyal and returning time and time again.
Take, for instance, the iGaming industry, where people play digital versions of classic gambling games through online platforms. These platforms hold the appeal of thrilling games and potential wins, but they also include gamification features, such as incentives for returning players, high payouts, or other rewards, that keep players returning to a specific platform or game. If that sounds appealing to you, you can learn more about the best offers available to players on Bonus.ca.
Wrap-Up
From the songs and rhymes of the Middle Ages to the badges we’ve earned on our fitness apps, gamification has helped people reach their personal goals, enhanced learning experiences, and helped businesses across industries engage with their customers. It’s a simple concept that has had an incredible impact.
