Good insights and analysis from Tim Chang.
Gamification is definitely at the top of the Peak of Inflated Expectations now. The sad thing is that several manifestation of “gamification” by web services/apps see them incorporating badges/points into their products without much thought of how they can enhance the experience of their users when using their products. Many of such companies also just slap a “game” tag to their products without thinking of “where and what is the game”?
The design has to be ground up. Deep understanding of the user and their behavioral patterns is crucial. So are clear usage goals and business objectives.
