Gamification

gamification \ gay-muh-fuh-KAY-shun \ noun

: the process of adding games or gamelike elements to something (as a task) so as to encourage participation

EXAMPLES

"Establishing user identity opens the door for brands to create incentives for customers to keep coming back through interactive reward systems and loyalty programs like gamification. The ability to earn e...xclusive rewards for taking desired actions makes customers feel recognized and valued…."
— Kevin White, Business2Community.com, May 23, 2014

"Users can pop open a dating app on a lunch break or at happy hour and scan for suitable matches in their free time…. There's also a gamification aspect: the delight of swiping through and discovering a match is something Tinder has accurately captured, and it makes it all feel like a game."

— Lauren Hockenson, Gigaom, May 23, 2014

DID YOU KNOW?

The basic concept of gamification isn't new, but the word itself is a 21st-century addition to the English lexicon. The word refers to the incorporation of game elements, like point and reward systems, to tasks as incentives for people to participate. In other words, "gamification" is about making something potentially tedious into a game. Gamification is effective because it taps into people's natural desires for competition and achievement. Teachers, managers, and others use gamification to increase participation and improve productivity. Gamification is also often an essential feature in apps and websites designed to motivate people to meet personal challenges, like weight-loss goals and learning foreign languages; tracking your progress is more fun if it feels like a game.