by Evan on March 25, 2012
One of the major areas in which gamification practice could expand is into the analogue world. Currently the most popular and well-cited examples of monetized gamification business models are almost completely digital. The business model for gamification usually revolves around developing either a platform for clients that will be customized according to their needs, or creating a customized platform for each client.
But there is reason to believe that gamification can be applied in more traditional “brick and mortar” settings. For example, a restaurant is a place that thrives from loyal and engaged customers; it would be worth trying to set up a gamified restaurant model to see if it increased patronage.
The playing field.
Some ideas for this could include using something similar to a bar tab system to track purchases for individual card holders. Patrons could open an “account” instead of a tab and the bar owners could have a leaderboard hanging in a conspicuously visible location in the restaurant. Points could be assigned for things such as frequency of visits, variety of purchases, most new patrons brought, or more. People in the top 10 patrons club could enjoy special VIP Booth access, a dedicated waitstaff, discounts, or even dishes named in their honor, to name a few ideas.
Goose Island MBA
Goose Island Brewery in Chicago is a good example of a bar that is already using game mechanics to drive business.They have a program in which patrons are given an MBA Passport that they use to track the various kinds of seasonal beers they have purchased at the brewery. Players earn their MBA (Masters of Beer Appreciation) by having bartenders sign for 45 different kinds of beers. There are prizes along the way, including a 64 oz growler.
The New York Times recently wrote an article about Bounties in the NFL. In short, the NFL launched an investigation into the Saints’ defense and found that players had a running bounty for injuring players. Teammates paid $1,500 for a knockout and $1,000 for a “carry-off.”
I have to to finish writing my Best Practices for Gamification that I’m creating for the Center for Digital Ethics and Policy, but you can bet that practices like this will be covered in it.
This is a very simple Gamification system: it encourages players to engage in immoral behavior by offering rewards and status for completing egregious acts.
I am personally offended by this policy for professional and personal reasons. Of course I believe that Gamification should only be used ethically. But specifically, I am a Vikings fan! I remember watching the Vikings-Saints NFC Championship game.
Favre being fouled once again
I remember feeling robbed as I watch Saints players repeatedly foul our quarterback. They even picked him up and slammed him on the ground. Now, don’t get me wrong, I still believe that Favre is Iron Man. But nobody could stand up to the kind of punishment that the Saints were dishing out that game.
Bad gamification can ruin more than a game. It ruined a team’s chance at the Superbowl, and it ruined the hopes and dreams of Vikings fans that still can’t think of the 1998 Vikings without cringing.