All The Web’s A Game

Game mechanics and cognitive psychology

Yes, the whole web is a game

Even if not explicitly a game,it’s a meta game

What is a game?A system in which players engage in an

artificial conflict defined by rules that results in a quantifiable outcome

Doesn’t work here

Practically speaking...

A structured experience with rules, goals and fun.

Games tap into our most primal

instinctsYou can see the same response patterns in

chickens, mice, monkeys and people

Push lever, get pellet

Most people are familiar with operant conditioning and consistent reinforcement

schedules

Variable, intermittent

reinforcement

The most powerful way to manipulate behavior.Set small or large outcomes without being able to

predict what action will cause that outcome.

So many possible outcomes

You’re not even sure how you win, just that you have a great chance of winning something.

Old-style slot machine

Updating your status without being able to predict what action will cause that outcome.

Games engage us in flow

• Just the right level of challenge

• Not too much to discourage you

• Or too little challenge to create apathy

Good games unfold

challenges over time

in conjunction with your evolving mastery

What are game mechanics?

The systems and features that make games fun, compelling, addictive

5 game mechanics for social media

• Collecting

• Points

• Feedback

• Exchanges

• Customization

Collecting

• Show me your stuff!

• What matters to you

• Display of your time and effort

• Comparable with others

• Bragging rights, social hierarchy

Ebay

Baseball Cards Coupons

Completion Sets

emotionally-driven completion sets rock

System Points

Social Points

Redeemable points

I’m not wasting my time, I’m earning points

Redeemable pointsI’m not spending too much, I’m earning points

Leaderboards, levels

• Leaderboards

• Usually not a great idea

• Levels

• Shorthand for how many points you have

FeedbackFrequent feedback accelerates mastery

Feedback adds fun

Cooking Mama was only available for the Nintendo DS and sold 1.6 million units the first

nine months in the US.

Feedback creates flow

Social Feedback Drives Engagement

Exchanges

• Structured social interaction

• Very primal form of interaction in every game with >2 players

• Call and response, taking turns

Explicit Exchange

• Facebook friends

• Gifting

Words don’t always work as expression

Implicit Exchange

• You don’t “have to” do it

• The sociality of the public determines if you really have to.

Character Customization

Character Customization

Interface Customization

Progressive comparison game

Set up on TV signals variable rewardA game you know you’ll win

Where have I seen this?

Progressive comparison game

Reinforced in hero section of the site

Progressive splash page

scrolling, variablereinforcement

Wait a sec...

This information is completely unreliableDoes it matter?

Progressive splash

What happens next?

Beware!You must make sure that the game increases mastery of the user, and moves them through

the system

How to make it practical

• Find the completion sets and collections the audience already makes

• Where can we turn ambiguous value exchange into the possibility of winning?

• Look for the games that already exist.

• How can we increase systematic feedback?

Have a lucky day!

Michael Leisx6487

@mleisblog.michaelleis.com