Why Work…?
When You Can Play!
Yaniv Corem
IBM Research – Haifa
yanivco@il.ibm.com
Why is he getting paid to play!?
“We're an analytics
company masquerading as
a games company”
Ken Rudin
VP of Analytics and Platform Technologies
Zynga (today at Facebook)
“We're a game company
masquerading as an IT
company”
Dr. X
VP of Mystery
IBM (today lost…)
* Games Vs. Gamification
* The Importance of Play
* Games@Work
Games Vs. Gamification
Games
Gamification
• Goal
• Rules
• Feedback System
• Voluntary
Gamification is the use of
game design techniques,
game thinking and game
mechanics to enhance nongame contexts
Games Vs. Gamification
Games
Narrative Leader
boards
Points
Timeline
Deeper
Engagement
Levels
Gamification
Leader
boards
Non-game
Content
Levels
Points
Games Vs. Gamification
Games
Gamification
The Importance of Play
72% of American households play computer or
video games
42% of all game players are women
In fact, women over the age of 18 represent a significantly greater
portion of the game-playing population (37%) than boys age 17 or
younger (13%)
The average game player is ___ years old
...and has been playing games for ___ years
Web users trading Virtual Goods grew from 13% to
21% in 2011
Coveted Virtual Goods include: homes, weapons, space stations and
horse manure
The Importance of Play
72% of American households play computer or
video games
42% of all game players are women
In fact, women over the age of 18 represent a significantly greater
portion of the game-playing population (37%) than boys age 17 or
younger (13%)
The average game player is 37 years old
...and has been playing games for 12 years
Web users trading Virtual Goods grew from 13% to
21% in 2011
Coveted Virtual Goods include: homes, weapons, space stations and
horse manure
The Importance of Play
Research
Generation Y
Research
Self-determination theory (SDT) is a macro theory of
human motivation and personality, concerning
people's inherent growth tendencies and their
innate psychological needs.
It is concerned with the motivation behind the
choices that people make without any external
influence and interference.
SDT focuses on the degree to which an individual’s
behavior is self-motivated and self-determined.
Autonomy | Competence | Relatedness
Research
Positive psychology seeks to find and nurture genius
and talent, and to make normal life more fulfilling.
Researchers in the field analyze things like states of
pleasure or flow, values, strengths, virtues, talents,
as well as the ways that they can be promoted by
social systems and institutions.
Positive psychologists are concerned with:
• positive experiences
• enduring psychological traits
• positive relationships
• positive institutions
Research
Demographic Shift / Gen Y
* Born mid 90’s (+/- 10 years)
* Make up 25% of the workforce today (…and growing)
* Digital natives, live & breathe online (play, school, work)
* Accustomed to cutting edge technology & innovation
* Have been playing video games since childhood
XBOX to Cubicle!?
XBOX to Cubicle!?
A State of Disengagement
Only a 1/3 of the workforce is engaged
The lost productivity of actively disengaged
employees costs the US economy $370 BILLION
annually. (Gallup)
Gamification Drives Engagement
Performance
Achievement
Social
Interaction
The Future of Gamification
Foldit
Foldit Gamers Solve AIDS Puzzle That Baffled Scientists for a Decade
Digitalkoot
MS Ribbon Hero 2
McDonald’s Pick-n-Play
Yaniv Corem
IBM Research – Haifa
yanivco@il.ibm.com