The qualitative study explores the attitudes of 1,021 experts and Internet users who took the Future of the Internet report conducted by the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project and Elon University's Imagining the Internet Center. The survey, which gauges attitudes towards the Internet and gathers opinions on the future state of the Internet in 2020, revealed a virtual dead heat in the race to gamify all aspects of American life, including serious issues like K-12 education. 42% of respondents say gamification is a passing fad that will remain relevant only in niche populations; 53% expect the opposite, namely a proliferation of games for work, learning, health, and other everyday activities.

I wonder if an entirely game-ified life would be too much.

Too many incentives, too much stimulation, not enough downtime.

I like video games, much less gamification.

I wonder what from video games makes sense to have part of other things in our lives.

Or should they always be separate?

I think understanding and incorporating game-design principles and concepts can benefit most things.

Now truly making things into a game, that has more limited application.

There is a time and place for everything.

From the original link:

Tech stakeholders and analysts generally believe the use of game mechanics, feedback loops, and rewards will become more embedded in daily life by 2020, but they are split about how widely the trend will extend. Some say the move to implement more game elements in networked communications will be mostly positive, aiding education, health, business, and training. Some warn it can take the form of invisible, insidious behavioral manipulation.

If invisible, insidious behavioral manipulation was so easy, marketing would be a simple, paint-by-numbers activity and not the unpredictable, epic struggle of life and death that it is for many companies.

Agreed. True influence is more subtle, and much harder to implement.

Gamification should be FUN or you're doing it wrong. :)

Subtle (and not-so) subtle behavior manipulation has worked, or am wrong that we live in a consumer society in which even a president tells us to shop. Ignoring doesn't make it go away. I'm glad we have the Serious Game movement rising http://youtu.be/y9Z-3mz3j6U for a great example. I assume everyone now has seen Jesse's Schell's Game-pocalyse by now?

Games have many things to teach us, though. My recent conversations with nongame startups has shown me that ideas like Mastery, progression, in-play learning and more http://www.eleganthack.com/?p=3233 is very very useful in designing for the web and apps. Gamification should be more than just the Caldini-esque behavior manipulation.

"Gamification should be more than just the Caldini-esque behavior manipulation."

Amen!

Interesting that I just listened to a podcast recently regarding this subject in context to learning. I highly recommend it.

http://business901.com/blog1/learning-with-gamification/

Key Takeaway's in regards to learning

Gamification is more than just rewards, level ups and points:

- Purpose

- Maestry

- Meaning

- Story

- Challenge

It can lead to promoting learning as well as problem solving.

Games don't have to be "fun" to be effective. A little frustration is ok.

Gamification = engagement

Create a story and deliver context and feedback into the game. Aesthetics matter.