October 14, 2026
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March 15, 2013

GSummit 2012 Behind the Scenes: James Gardner on Innovation Games

Taavi Lindmaa11 mins

(9/26 Gamification Expert Interviews Unlocked)

Every week until GSummit SF 2013, we’ll be unlocking some special content from last year to give you a preview on what to expect this April 16 – 18.

James Gardner talks about what users value in gamification systems and how to appropriately present gamification as an engagement tactic rather than “playing games”:

To see more expert gamification videos, visit our Video page or Subscribe to our YouTube channel!

Learn the latest in gamification by going to GSummit SF 2013. Register now!

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Foursquare’s Removal of Gamification: Not a Mistake but a Mature Design Decision

Ivan Kuo95 mins

Earlier this week, Twitter was run amuck by Foursquare Co-Founder and CEO, Dennis Crowley, and his statements about Foursquare’s overemphasis on gamification elements.

Crowley was discussing the future direction of Foursquare in an on-stage interview with Anil Dash (Co-Founder of Activate) at SXSW and stated that he was phasing out gamification from Foursquare in an effort to move away from the perception that Foursquare is only about points and badges.

Numerous people on Twitter were quick to take these statements as evidence that gamification itself was a mistake, when in fact Crowley explicitly mentioned that it was the overemphasis on points and badges that has led to Foursquare’s perception problem.

In fact, I would say that Crowley’s decision to ultimately phase out Foursquare’s gamification mechanics is one of the most mature decisions a gamification designer can make.

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GCo’s Picks: How Microsoft’s Ross Smith Redefines Productivity with Games

Sudarshan Gopaladesikan05 mins

GamificationCo has asked some its editors for their top sessions picks for GSummit SF 2013. Here is Sudarshan Gopaladesikan’s most anticipated session for GSummit:

I love risk-taking. As a junior in college, I have the notion that the workforce won’t allow me to take any risks because safe, but sure investments/ideas are less unpredictable to a company’s profits. Looking through the sessions at GSummit (all of them are great!), Ross Smith–Director of Test at Microsoft–will be speaking on how trust among colleagues can foster individual innovation, productivity, and risk-taking.

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