In only a short time, SCVNGR’s Level Up has already started giving Groupon a run for its money. As opposed to the discounting giant, where customers will often be convinced to patronize a business once (and often only once), Level Up functions on the concept that 3 uses or visits is all it takes to…
Gamification platform Badgeville today announced a second round of funding for $12 million. Founded in September of last year, Badgeville has accelerated quickly by bringing in 75 clients from a range of industries. Deloitte, NBC Universal, and Discovery have already produced some great case studies in gamification. The Series B includes investments from Norwest Ventures…
There is a long and painful relationship between gamification and blog comments. Ever since my Google Tech Talk, I’ve been using blog commenters as an example of Killer behavior in social app settings. Check out the video below to see what I’m talking about – skip ahead to 23:16 if it doesn’t do it for…
If you’re visiting Six Flags parks across the U.S. this summer, download the Ask.com mobile Q&A app and you could save yourself some time waiting to go on rides, courtesy of a special in-app game. The mobile trivia game, called Skip the Line, was launched to offer users real-time, location-based perks. Users can download the…
This week, Bing Gordon, former EA executive and part of the KPCB sFund team, gave a practical breakdown of gamification and how it can apply to businesses of every type. While presenting at sFund’s Gamification Event, Gordon gave details on how gamification can help “acquire, engage, and retain” users. More than just a tool to increase…
Primarily aimed at an international audience, hotel chain Marriott has just released a Facebook game designed to introduce prospective employees to the hospitality industry. MyMarriottHotel allows players to take on the role of a hospitality manager. Currently, the only “mini-game” takes place in the kitchen, where players must cook, buy supplies, and get dishes to the counter,…
This week, Facebook announced that after a nine month pilot program, they will be using Rypple for internal review and communication. Facebook is already seen as one of the more satisfying place to work in the tech industry, and Rypple promises that their new service, Loops, will improve upon Facebook’s proven culture. We previously covered some of…
On Wednesday, global advertising network, Saatchi and Saatchi and Ipsos, a private research think tank, released a report that found most americans want gamification at work. This may come as a surprise to businesses that block social networking sites and restrict using the Internet for idle pastimes, but those familiar with gamification already understand that social…
Beintoo is a gamification startup out of Milan that focuses on uniting users across the app ecosystem with a series of socially oriented game mechanics. So far, gamification platforms have been gunning for big targets, with the majority working on projects around larger brands and campaigns. Beintoo is the next step in the trend towards using…
Loyalty campaigns have traditionally been the domain of big business (frequent flier plans, credit card points, etc). Except for the dominant model of buy-ten-get-one-free, campaigns are typically expensive and complex with entire agencies and businesses devoted to their design and operation. In today’s article from Econsultancy, our own Gabe Zichermann looks into “Gamification and small…
Billboards are boring, and if they are eye-catching, they quickly become an eye-sore. A new idea for an interactive billboard has hit the street in Sweden, and it makes something that most people try to ignore into a fun and engaging experience. A McDonalds campaign gives pedestrians the chance to play what, right now, is…
You may not remember Plixi, the former media hosting/sharing site for Twitter, Facebook and other social networks, but you might recognize it under it’s new identity: Lockerz. In fact, you may already be a member. This high school themed social networking and e-commerce community has been having a huge swarm of participation recently – possibly…
Mashable has featured a case study of SCVNGR’s campaign with Buffalo Wild Wings, which goes into some detail on how gamification can benefit restaurant locations. Buffalo Wild Wings is a national chain with over 700 locations around the country, and in January they partnered with SCVNGR to apply the game layer in order make every…
Rypple is a software company with products aimed at making a better workplace. By using elements of gamification and positive motivation they have created innovative products that borrow elements of feedback from the game world. In the forums and chat windows of Massively Multiplayer Online games, players have occasionally compared their game experiences to the…
For centuries we’ve been exploring the thin line between fun and work. Many concepts have come and gone that played to this idea – from purely hedonistic options (dropping out) to pseudo-psychology (the secret), and everything in between. However, the two most compelling (and successful) models thus far for making work fun have been rather…
