Gabe Zichermann

Zichermann has held a series of positions in the technology sector. He formerly served as vice president of strategy and communications at Trymedia, and was their first US hire. As a marketing director of CMP Media, he managed Gamasutra and Game Developer magazine.{{cite news|last=Slagle |first=Matt |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/2004-11-05-game-piracy_x.htm |title=Trio of hot new games victimized by piracy |publisher=USA Today |date=2004-11-05 |access-date=2013-09-28}}
{{cite news|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2005/03/28/story8.html |title=Anti-piracy firm nets booty, sails on - San Francisco Business Times |publisher=Bizjournals.com |date=2005-03-27 |access-date=2013-09-28}}
{{cite news|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2004/06/07/daily34.html?jst=b_ln_hl |title=Game distributor moves S.F. HQ and opens London office - San Francisco Business Times |publisher=Bizjournals.com |date=2004-06-09 |access-date=2013-09-28}}
{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2008-01-28/rules-of-the-gamebusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice |title=Rules of the Game |publisher=Bloomberg Businessweek |date=2008-01-28 |access-date=2013-09-28}} In 2008 he created now-defunct start-up RMBR to introduce game mechanics into photo sharing.{{cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2008/05/09/funwares-threat-to-the-traditional-video-game-industry/ |title=Funware's threat to the traditional video game industry | GamesBeat |publisher=Venturebeat.com |date=2008-05-09 |access-date=2013-09-28}}
{{cite news|url=http://opinion.latimes.com/bitplayer/2007/10/you-must-rmbr-t.html |title=You must rmbr this | Bit Player | Los Angeles Times |work=Los Angeles Times |date=2007-10-02 |access-date=2013-09-28}} He was the Chief Marketing/Strategy Officer at Boonty Inc., an online company that sells downloadable games.{{cite web|url=http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/10453/E3Expo-Unveils-Agenda-for-2006-Conference-Program/ |title=E3Expo Unveils Agenda for 2006 Conference Program - Xbox|publisher=News.teamxbox.com |date=2006-03-14 |access-date=2013-09-28}}
{{cite web|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=5403091 |title=Boonty, Inc.: Private Company Information - Businessweek |publisher=Bloomberg Businessweek |date=2009-01-12 |access-date=2013-09-28}} He has served as co-director of the New York chapter of the Founder Institute{{cite web|url=http://www.inc.com/howard-greenstein/incubator-focuses-on-founders-first-then-companies.html |title=This Incubator Focuses on Founders First, Then Companies |publisher=Inc.com |date=2012-06-27 |access-date=2013-09-28}} as well as a board member of StartOut.org{{cite web |url=http://startout.org/about-us/board-of-governors |title=StartOut – Building and Supporting Gay and Lesbian Entrepreneurship » Board of Governors |publisher=Startout.org |access-date=2013-09-28 |archive-date=2013-03-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130324023514/http://startout.org/about-us/board-of-governors |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=http://cmd.rutgers.edu/instructor/gabe-zichermann |title=Gabe Zichermann |publisher=Rutgers Center for Management Development |access-date=2013-09-24}} He is the co-founder and CEO of Dopamine, Inc., a firm that specializes in helping businesses utilize gamification.{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/gamification-techniques-increase-your-employees-ability-to-learn-by-40-2013-9 |title='Gamification' Techniques Increase Your Employees' Ability To Learn By 40% | Business Insider Australia |publisher=Businessinsider.com.au |date=2013-09-19 |access-date=2013-09-28}}{{cite web|author=Nadia Cameron (CMO) 10 September 2013 16:50 2 |url=http://www.cmo.com.au/article/526024/why_gamification_big_data_go_hand-in-hand/ |title=Why gamification and big data go hand-in-hand - data-driven marketing, customer insights, gamification, big data, real-time marketing, customer loyalty programs |publisher=CMO |date=2013-09-10 |access-date=2013-09-28}}

In his role as CEO of Gamification.co, Zichermann chairs the organization's annual Gamification Summit, delivering the keynote address each year.{{cite web |url=http://gsummit.com/ |title=Gsummit |publisher=Gsummit.com |access-date=2013-09-24 |archive-date=2018-03-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180325064251/http://gsummit.com/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=http://technical.ly/philly/2012/04/17/grassroots-game-conference-gamification-conference-in-conjunction-with-philly-tech-week/ |title=Grassroots Game Conference: gamification conference in conjunction with Philly Tech Week » Technical.ly Philly |publisher=Technical.ly |date=2012-04-17 |access-date=2013-09-28}} {{Failed verification|date=November 2017}}

{{main|Gamification}}

Although the term 'gamification' was coined by the founder of Bunchball, Rajat Paharia, Gabe Zichermann is known as one of the concept's most vocal advocates.{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-price/the-man-who-coined-gamifi_b_3773928.html |title=The Man Who Coined "Gamification" Takes Loyalty to a New Level |first=Kevin |last=Price |work=The Huffington Post |date=2013-08-20 |access-date=2013-10-02}}{{cite web|url=http://www.channel4.com/programmes/home-of-the-future/videos/all/godfather-of-gamification |title=Home of the Future - Videos - Godfather of Gamification |publisher=Channel 4 |access-date=2013-10-02}}

Zichermann reports that he gravitated towards using game mechanics professionally with games like Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? and Civilization. In his speeches at TEDx he argues that not only can gamification be exploited by business but it also can be utilized in education as a serious game to teach students that are not otherwise engaged with traditional classrooms.{{cite web|author=TED Brussels |url=http://www.ted.com/talks/gabe_zichermann_how_games_make_kids_smarter.html |title=Gabe Zichermann: How games make kids smarter |publisher=TED |access-date=2013-09-24}} He points to educationalist Anant Pai's work with an elementary school in White Bear Lake, Minnesota as well as University of Washington's Foldit program.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axk5-i8oTIU |title=TEDxBerlin - Gabe Zichermann - "Changing the Game in Education" |publisher=YouTube |date=2012-09-21 |access-date=2013-09-24}} He counters the argument that the immersive environment of video games don't teach the right kind of attention by pointing to the concept of fluid intelligence. Zichermann believes the intense mental engagement of video games is tied to the dopamine released in game participants as the players receive rewards in game. Zichermann also refutes the idea that gamification is necessarily pernicious or simply a fad by pointing to the positive results of gamification applied outside of the entertainment industry, although he has acknowledged that a dark side does exist to this technology.{{cite web|author=Gabe Zichermann |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/08/gamification-is-here-to-stay/244232/ |title=Gamification Is Here to Stay |publisher=The Atlantic |date=2011-08-29 |access-date=2013-09-24}}{{cite web|author=David F. Carr|url=http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/social_networking_private_platforms/gamification-75-psychology-25-technology/231900162 |title=Gamification: 75% Psychology, 25% Technology|publisher=Informationweek.com |date=2011-10-06 |access-date=2013-09-24}} He also posits that gamification could be taken to online banking, charitable organizations, or any other industry.{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/2008/05/23/funware-video-games-tech-personal-cx_mji_0527funware.html |title=Gaming The System |work=Forbes |access-date=2013-09-28}} A system of rewards could encourage members of a gym to attend regularly.{{cite news|author=Ivor Tossell |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/how-long-till-life-is-one-big-video-game/article566773/ |title=How long till life is one big video game? |publisher=The Globe and Mail |date= 2012-08-23|access-date=2013-09-28 |location=Toronto}}

Zichermann describes business software utilizing gamification as funware, remarking that even websites like Facebook and LinkedIn use some element of online reward to prompt user interaction.{{cite web |url=http://inventorspot.com/articles/funware_new_game_theory_marketers_28628 |title=Funware, A New Game Theory For Marketers |publisher=Inventorspot.com |date=2009-06-22 |access-date=2013-09-28 |archive-date=2013-09-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130924083252/http://inventorspot.com/articles/funware_new_game_theory_marketers_28628 |url-status=dead }} He has explained the "reason why Facebook is a really compelling MMO is because it's fun and you get something out of it."{{cite news|last=Slagle |first=Matt |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2007-11-22-socialgames_N.htm |title=Online games meet social networking tools|publisher=USA Today |date=2007-11-27 |access-date=2013-09-28}} He opines that increasing the degree of game mechanics through funware in work production will become even more effective on the millennial generation raised with video games and seek to stay in a game environment at the workplace.{{cite news|last=Graham |first=Fiona |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17160118 |title=BBC News - What if you got paid to play games at work? |publisher=BBC Online |date=2012-02-28 |access-date=2013-09-28}}{{cite web|author=Von Christian Neeb |url=http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/games/digitaltrend-gamification-das-ganze-leben-wird-zum-spiel-a-735202-2.html |title=Digitaltrend Gamification: Der neue große Hunger nach der verspielten Realität |publisher=Spiegel Online |date=2010-12-18 |access-date=2013-09-28 |language=de}} He has criticized current location-based applications like Foursquare as lacking enough social element as well as being too complicated for users to remain engaged.{{cite web|last=More |first=Adam |url=http://conversations.nokia.com/2011/09/20/social-media-week-location-and-social-space/ |title=Social Media Week – Location and Social Space – Nokia Conversations : the official Nokia blog |publisher=Conversations.nokia.com |date=2011-09-20 |access-date=2013-09-28}}

Zichermann has been criticized by the academic and video game designer Ian Bogost, who draws on Harry Frankfurt's famous philosophical treatise "On Bullshit" to argue that "gamification" (as Zichermann uses the term) "is not germane to enterprise of describing reality" and suggests the term "exploitationware" would be a more accurate alternative.{{Cite book |last1=Walz |first1=Steffen P. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KDxTBgAAQBAJ&dq=the+gameful+world&pg=PR5 |title=The Gameful World: Approaches, Issues, Applications |last2=Deterding |first2=Sebastian |date=2015-01-16 |publisher=MIT Press |isbn=978-0-262-02800-4 |language=en}}

In 2010, Zichermann co-wrote Game-Based Marketing: Inspire Customer Loyalty Through Rewards, Challenges, and Contests with NPR contributor Joselin Linder, describing the game mechanics that helped make FarmVille and Foursquare so successful.{{cite web|url=http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/bmag/sbsm1008/feature-games.html |title=Game Changers Capitalize On Constantly Evolving Industry |author=Robert D. Hof |publisher=Stanford Graduate School of Business |access-date=2013-09-24}}

In 2011, Zichermann co-wrote Gamification by Design: Implementing Game Mechanics in Web and Mobile Apps with Christopher Cunningham. The book has been described as a quick read, introducing the concept of gamification and discussing how businesses could implement gamification to keep their customers engaged.{{cite web|title=Book Review Gamification by Design by Gabe Zichermann and Christopher Cunningham|publisher=Blogcritics.com|url=http://blogcritics.org/book-review-gamification-by-design-implementing/|date=2011-09-16}} Zichermann agrees that the book's concept of engagement may be 75% customer psychology. The book also includes a Ruby on Rails coding tutorial to implement gamification in online forum design.{{cite web|author=David F. Carr|url=http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/social_networking_private_platforms/gamification-75-psychology-25-technology/231900162 |title=Gamification: 75% Psychology, 25% Technology - Social Business |publisher=Informationweek.com |date=2011-10-06 |access-date=2013-09-24}}

In 2013, Zichermann partnered with Joselin Linder again to co-author The Gamification Revolution: How Leaders Leverage Game Mechanics to Crush the Competition.{{cite web|url=http://www.tufts.edu/alumni/magazine/summer2013/features/gaming.html |title=Tufts Magazine / summer 2013 |publisher=Tufts University |access-date=2013-09-24}} The book discusses gamification as a loyalty program not unlike S&H Green Stamps or McDonald's Monopoly.{{cite news|author=pfaulhaber, BlogCritics.org|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Book-Review-The-Gamification-Revolution-by-Gabe-4425134.php |title=Book Review: The Gamification Revolution by Gabe Zichermann and Joselin Linder |publisher=seattlepi.com |date=2013-04-10 |access-date=2013-09-24}}

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Category:Living people

Category:1974 births

Category:21st-century American businesspeople

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