Gamification#Education and training

Gamification techniques are intended to leverage people's evolved desires for socializing, learning, mastery, competition, achievement, status, self-expression, altruism, or closure, or simply their response to the framing of a situation as game or play.{{cite journal | last1 = Lieberoth | first1 = A | year = 2015 | title = Shallow Gamification, Testing Psychological Effects of Framing an Activity as a Game | journal = Games and Culture | volume = 10 | issue = 3| pages = 229–248 | doi = 10.1177/1555412014559978 | s2cid = 147266246 }} Early gamification strategies use rewards for players who accomplish desired tasks or competition to engage players. Types of rewards include points,{{cite news|publisher=CNN|title=Browse the Web, earn points and prizes|last=Sutter|first=John D.|date=September 30, 2010|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/09/30/web.checkin.onetruefan/?hpt=Sbin|access-date=October 7, 2010|archive-date=October 9, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141009151929/https://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/09/30/web.checkin.onetruefan/?hpt=Sbin|url-status=live}} achievement badges or levels,{{cite journal|last=Hamari|first=Juho|author2=Eranti, Veikko|title=Framework for Designing and Evaluating Game Achievements|journal=Proceedings of Digra 2011 Conference: Think Design Play, Hilversum, Netherlands, September|year=2011|pages=14–17|url=https://www.digra.org/dl/db/11307.59151.pdf|access-date=2012-10-06|archive-date=2022-02-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220226154831/https://www.digra.org/wp-content/uploads/digital-library/11307.59151.pdf|url-status=live}} the filling of a progress bar, or providing the user with virtual currency. Making the rewards for accomplishing tasks visible to other players or providing leader boards are ways of encouraging players to compete.{{cite book|author1=Byron Reeves|author2=J. Leighton Read|publisher=Harvard Business Press|title=Total Engagement: Using Games and Virtual Worlds to Change the Way People Work and Businesses Compete|year=2009|isbn=978-1-4221-4657-6|page=[https://archive.org/details/totalengagementu0000reev/page/177 177]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/totalengagementu0000reev/page/177}}

Another approach to gamification is to make existing tasks feel more like games.{{cite web

| last = Deterding

| first = Sebastian

| title = Just Add Points? What UX Can (and Cannot) Learn From Games

| publisher = UX Camp Europe

| date = 28 September 2010

| url = https://www.slideshare.net/dings/just-add-points-what-ux-can-and-cannot-learn-from-games

| access-date = 12 February 2013

| archive-date = 28 May 2016

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160528214808/https://www.slideshare.net/dings/just-add-points-what-ux-can-and-cannot-learn-from-games

| url-status = live

}}{{cite web|url=https://thenextweb.com/dd/2011/05/12/userinfuser-open-source-gamification-platform/|title=UserInfuser: open source gamification platform|author=Joel Falconer|publisher=The Next Web|date=2011-05-12|access-date=2018-06-18|archive-date=2017-12-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201182110/https://thenextweb.com/dd/2011/05/12/userinfuser-open-source-gamification-platform/|url-status=live}} Some techniques used in this approach include adding meaningful choice, onboarding with a tutorial, increasing challenge,{{ cite book|author=Jane McGonigal Read|publisher=Penguin Press|title=Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change The World|year=2011|isbn=978-1-59420-285-8|page=122 }} and adding narrative.

Game elements are the basic building blocks of gamification applications.{{cite journal | last=Costa | first=Carlos J. | title=Gamification | journal=OAE – Organizational Architect and Engineer Journal | date=2019-12-24 | doi=10.21428/b3658bca.8ffccebf | page=| doi-access=free }}{{cite conference | last1=Deterding | first1=Sebastian | last2=Dixon | first2=Dan | last3=Khaled | first3=Rilla | last4=Nacke | first4=Lennart | title=From game design elements to gamefulness: defining "gamification" | publisher=ACM | date=2011-09-28 | isbn=978-1-4503-0816-8 | doi=10.1145/2181037.2181040 | page=9–15}} Among these typical game design elements, are points, badges, leader-boards, performance graphs, meaningful stories, avatars, and teammates.{{Cite journal|last1=Sailer|first1=Michael|last2=Hense|first2=Jan Ulrich|last3=Mayr|first3=Sarah Katharina|last4=Mandl|first4=Heinz|date=2017-04-01|title=How gamification motivates: An experimental study of the effects of specific game design elements on psychological need satisfaction|journal=Computers in Human Behavior|volume=69|pages=371–380|doi=10.1016/j.chb.2016.12.033|issn=0747-5632|doi-access=free}} 50px Material was copied from this source, which is available under a [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016050101/https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |date=2017-10-16 }}. According to Chou, the efficacy of the Octalysis Framework in gamification, shows that experience points (XP), badges, and progress indicators can significantly enhance user engagement and productivity in business learning programs.{{Cite journal|title=A bibliometric analysis of the use of the Gamification Octalysis Framework in training: evidence from Web of Science|first1=Sattwik|last1=Mohanty|first2=Prabu|last2=Christopher B|date=November 17, 2023|journal=Humanities and Social Sciences Communications|volume=10|issue=1|pages=1–14|doi=10.1057/s41599-023-02243-3|doi-access=free}}

Points are basic elements of a multitude of games and gamified applications.Zichermann, G., & Cunningham, C. (2011). Gamification by Design: Implementing game mechanics in web and mobile apps. Sebastopol: O'Reilly Media. They are typically rewarded for the successful accomplishment of specified activities within the gamified environmentWerbach, K., & Hunter, D. (2015). The gamification toolkit - dynamics, mechanics, and components for the win. Philadelphia: Wharton Digital Press. and they serve to numerically represent a player's progress.Werbach, K., & Hunter, D. (2012). For the Win: How game thinking can revolutionize your business. Philadelphia: Wharton Digital Press. Various kinds of points can be differentiated between, e.g. experience points, redeemable points, or reputation points, as can the different purposes that points serve. One of the most important purposes of points is to provide feedback. Points allow the players' in-game behavior to be measured, and they serve as continuous and immediate feedback and as a reward.Sailer, M., Hense, J., Mandl, H., & Klevers, M. (2013). Psychological perspectives on motivation through gamification. Interaction Design and Architecture(s) Journal, 19, 28e37.

Badges are defined as visual representations of achievements and can be earned and collected within the gamification environment. They confirm the players' achievements, symbolize their merits,{{Cite book|last1=Anderson|first1=Ashton|last2=Huttenlocher|first2=Daniel|last3=Kleinberg|first3=Jon|last4=Leskovec|first4=Jure|title=Proceedings of the 22nd international conference on World Wide Web |chapter=Steering user behavior with badges |date=2013|chapter-url=https://www.cs.cornell.edu/home/kleinber/www13-badges.pdf|language=en|location=Rio de Janeiro, Brazil|publisher=ACM Press|pages=95–106|doi=10.1145/2488388.2488398|citeseerx=10.1.1.402.2444|isbn=978-1-4503-2035-1|s2cid=1211869|access-date=2019-08-11|archive-date=2019-07-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716054742/https://www.cs.cornell.edu/home/kleinber/www13-badges.pdf|url-status=live}} and visibly show their accomplishment of levels or goals.Antin, J., & Churchill, E. F. (2011). Badges in social media: A social psychological perspective. Paper presented at the CHI 2011, Vancouver. Earning a badge can be dependent on a specific number of points or on particular activities within the game. Badges have many functions, serving as goals, if the prerequisites for winning them are known to the player, or as virtual status symbols. In the same way as points, badges also provide feedback, in that they indicate how the players have performed.Rigby, C. S., & Ryan, R. M. (2011). Glued to games: How video games draw us in and hold us spellbound. Santa barbara: Praeger. Badges can influence players' behavior, leading them to select certain routes and challenges in order to earn badges that are associated with them.Wang, H., & Sun, C.-T. (2011). Game reward systems: gaming experiences and social meanings. Paper presented at the DiGRA 2011 conference: Think Design Play, Hilversum. Additionally, as badges symbolize one's membership in a group of those who own this particular badge, they also can exert social influences on players and co-players, particularly if they are rare or hard to earn.

Leaderboards rank players according to their relative success, measuring them against a certain success criterion.{{cite conference | last1=Costa | first1=João P. | last2=Wehbe | first2=Rina R. | last3=Robb | first3=James | last4=Nacke | first4=Lennart E. | title=Time's up: studying leaderboards for engaging punctual behaviour | publisher=ACM | date=2013-10-02 | page= | isbn=978-1-4503-2815-9 | doi=10.1145/2583008.2583012 | pages=26–33}} As such, leaderboards can help determine who performs best in a certain activityCrumlish, C., & Malone, E. (2009). Designing social interfaces: Principles, patterns, and practices for improving the user experience. Sebastopol: O'Reilly Media, Inc. and are thus competitive indicators of progress that relate the player's own performance to the performance of others. However, the motivational potential of leaderboards is mixed. Werbach and Hunter regard them as effective motivators if there are only a few points left to the next level or position, but as demotivators, if players find themselves at the bottom end of the leaderboard. Competition caused by leaderboards can create social pressure to increase the player's level of engagement and can consequently have a constructive effect on participation and learning.{{cite journal | last1 = Burguillo | first1 = J. C. | year = 2010 | title = Using game theory and Competition-based Learning to stimulate student motivation and performance | journal = Computers & Education | volume = 55 | issue = 2| pages = 566–575 | doi = 10.1016/j.compedu.2010.02.018 }} However, these positive effects of competition are more likely if the respective competitors are approximately at the same performance level.{{cite journal | last1=Landers | first1=Richard N. | last2=Landers | first2=Amy K. | title=An Empirical Test of the Theory of Gamified Learning: The Effect of Leaderboards on Time-on-Task and Academic Performance | journal=Simulation & Gaming | volume=45 | issue=6 | date=2014 | issn=1046-8781 | doi=10.1177/1046878114563662 | pages=769–785| s2cid=146250977 }}{{cite journal | last1 = Slavin | first1 = R. E. | year = 1980 | title = Cooperative learning | journal = Review of Educational Research | volume = 50 | issue = 2| pages = 315–342 | doi = 10.3102/00346543050002315 | s2cid = 220499018 }}

Performance graphs, which are often used in simulation or strategy games, provide information about the players' performance compared to their preceding performance during a game. Thus, in contrast to leaderboards, performance graphs do not compare the player's performance to other players, but instead, evaluate the player's own performance over time. Unlike the social reference standard of leaderboards, performance graphs are based on an individual reference standard. By graphically displaying the player's performance over a fixed period, they focus on improvements. Motivation theory postulates that this fosters mastery orientation, which is particularly beneficial to learning.

Meaningful stories are game design elements that don't relate to the player's performance. The narrative context in which a gamified application can be embedded contextualizes activities and characters in the game and gives them meaning beyond the mere quest for points and achievements.Kapp, K. M. (2012). The gamification of learning and instruction: Game-based methods and strategies for training and education. San Francisco: Pfeiffer. A story can be communicated by a game's title (e.g., Space Invaders) or by complex storylines typical of contemporary role-playing video games (e.g., The Elder Scrolls Series). Narrative contexts can be oriented towards real, non-game contexts or act as analogies of real-world settings. The latter can enrich boring, barely stimulating contexts, and, consequently, inspire and motivate players particularly if the story is in line with their personal interests.{{cite book | last=Nicholson | first=Scott | title=Gamification in Education and Business | chapter=A RECIPE for Meaningful Gamification | publisher=Springer International Publishing | publication-place=Cham | date=2015 | isbn=978-3-319-10207-8 | doi=10.1007/978-3-319-10208-5_1 | page=1–20| s2cid=12657531 }} As such, stories are also an important part in gamification applications, as they can alter the meaning of real-world activities by adding a narrative 'overlay', e.g. being hunted by zombies while going for a run.

Avatars are visual representations of players within the game or gamification environment. Usually, they are chosen or even created by the player. Avatars can be designed quite simply as a mere pictogram, or they can be complexly animated, three- dimensional representations. Their main formal requirement is that they unmistakably identify the players and set them apart from other human or computer-controlled avatars. Avatars allow the players to adopt or create another identity and, in cooperative games, to become part of a community.{{cite journal | last1 = Annetta | first1 = L. A. | year = 2010 | title = The "I's" have it: A framework for serious educational game design | journal = Review of General Psychology | volume = 14 | issue = 2| pages = 105–112 | doi = 10.1037/a0018985 | s2cid = 35381273 }}

Teammates, whether they are other real players or virtual non-player characters, can induce conflict, competition or cooperation. The latter can be fostered particularly by introducing teams, i.e. by creating defined groups of players that work together towards a shared objective. Meta-analytic evidence supports that the combination of competition and collaboration in games is likely to be effective for learning.{{Cite journal|last1=Sailer|first1=Michael|last2=Homner|first2=Lisa|date=2020-03-01|title=The Gamification of Learning: a Meta-analysis|journal=Educational Psychology Review|language=en|volume=32|issue=1|pages=77–112|doi=10.1007/s10648-019-09498-w|issn=1573-336X|doi-access=free}}

The described game elements fit within a broader framework, which involves three types of elements: dynamics, mechanics, and components. These elements constitute the hierarchy of game elements.Werbach, K. & Hunter, D. (2015). The Gamification Toolkit: Dynamics, Mechanics, and Components for the Win. Wharton Digital Press.

Dynamics are the highest in the hierarchy. They are the big picture aspects of the gamified system that should be considered and managed; however, they never directly enter into the game. Dynamics elements provide motivation through features such as narrative or social interaction.

Mechanics are the basic processes that drive the action forward and generate player engagement and involvement. Examples are chance, turns, and rewards.

Components are the specific instantiations of mechanics and dynamics; elements like points, quests, and virtual goods.

Gamification has been applied to almost every aspect of life. Examples of gamification in business context include the U.S. Army, which uses military simulator America's Army as a recruitment tool, and M&M's "Eye Spy" pretzel game, launched in 2013 to amplify the company's pretzel marketing campaign by creating a fun way to "boost user engagement." Another example can be seen in the American education system. Students are ranked in their class based on their earned grade-point average (GPA), which is comparable to earning a high score in video games.{{Cite book|title=Gamification in education and business |isbn=978-3-319-10208-5|location=Cham, Switzerland |publisher=Springer |oclc=899000643 |editor-last1 = Reiners |editor-first1 = Torsten |editor-last2 = Wood |editor-first2 = Lincoln C. |date = 2014-11-22}} Students may also receive incentives, such as an honorable mention on the dean's list, the honor roll, and scholarships, which are equivalent to leveling-up a video game character or earning virtual currency or tools that augment game success.

Job application processes sometimes use gamification as a way to hire employees by assessing their suitability through questionnaires and mini games that simulate the actual work environment of that company.

Gamification has been widely applied in marketing. Over 70% of Forbes Global 2000 companies surveyed in 2013 said they planned to use gamification for the purposes of marketing and customer retention.{{cite web|last = Van Grove|first = Jennifer|title = Gamification: How Competition Is Reinventing Business, Marketing & Everyday Life|publisher = Mashable|date = 28 July 2011|url = https://mashable.com/2011/07/28/gamification/|access-date = 12 February 2013|archive-date = 3 August 2017|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170803191623/https://mashable.com/2011/07/28/gamification/|url-status = live}} For example, in November, 2011, Australian broadcast and online media partnership Yahoo!7 launched its Fango mobile app/SAP, which TV viewers use to interact with shows via techniques like check-ins and badges. Gamification has also been used in customer loyalty programs. In 2010, Starbucks gave custom Foursquare badges to people who checked in at multiple locations, and offered discounts to people who checked in most frequently at an individual store.{{cite web|url=https://mashable.com/2011/07/18/gamification-marketing/|title=HOW TO: Gamify Your Marketing|last=Kleinberg|first=Adam|date=18 July 2011|publisher=Mashable|access-date=12 February 2013|archive-date=17 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130217054912/https://mashable.com/2011/07/18/gamification-marketing/|url-status=live}} As a general rule Gamification Marketing or Game Marketing usually falls under four primary categories;

1. Brandification (in-game advertising): Messages, images or videos promoting a Brand, Product or Service within a game's visuals components. According to NBCNews game creators Electronic Arts used "Madden 09" and "Burnout Paradise" to promote 'in-game' billboards encouraging players to vote.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna27184857|title=Ads for Obama campaign: 'It's in the game'|website=NBC News|date=2008-10-14|access-date=2018-09-19|archive-date=2018-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912014122/https://www.nbcnews.com/id/27184857/ns/technology_and_science-games/t/ads-obama-campaign-its-game|url-status=live}}

2. Transmedia: The result of taking a media property and extending it into a different medium for both promotional and monetisation purposes. Nintendo's "007: GoldenEye" is a classic example. A video game created to advertise the originally titled movie. In the end, the promotional game brought in more money than the originally titled film.

3. Through-the-line (TTL) & Below-the-line (BTL): Text above, side or below main game screen (also known as an iFrame) advertising images or text. Example of this would be "I love Bees".

4. Advergames: Usually games based on popular mobile game templates, such as 'Candy Crush' or 'Temple Run'. These games are then recreated via platforms like WIX with software from the likes of Gamify, in order to promote Brands, Products and Services. Usually to encourage engagement, loyalty and product education. These usually involve social leaderboards and rewards that are advertised via social media platforms like Facebook's Top 10 games.{{Cite web|url=https://mashable.com/2009/10/16/top-facebook-games/|title=Top 10 Games You Can Play on Facebook|website=Mashable|date=16 October 2009 |access-date=2018-09-19|archive-date=2018-09-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919094450/https://mashable.com/2009/10/16/top-facebook-games/|url-status=live}}

Gamification also has been used as a tool for customer engagement,{{cite news|url=https://www.marketingweek.co.uk/disciplines/market-research/opinion/businesses-need-to-get-in-the-game/3018554.article|publisher=Marketing Week|title=Businesses need to get in the game|first=Matt|last=Daniels|date=September 23, 2010|access-date=October 7, 2010|archive-date=December 13, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213024651/https://www.marketingweek.co.uk/disciplines/market-research/opinion/businesses-need-to-get-in-the-game/3018554.article|url-status=live}} and for encouraging desirable website usage behaviour.{{cite news|work=San Jose Mercury News|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/ci_16401223|title=Get ready for the decade of gamification|first=Chris|last=O'Brien|date=October 24, 2010|access-date=November 4, 2010|archive-date=April 23, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110423061741/https://www.mercurynews.com/ci_16401223|url-status=live}} Additionally, gamification is applicable to increasing engagement on sites built on social network services. For example, in August, 2010, the website builder DevHub announced an increase in the number of users who completed their online tasks from 10% to 80% after adding gamification elements.{{cite news|publisher=VentureBeat|title=Website builder DevHub gets users hooked by "gamifying" its service|date=August 25, 2010|first=Dean|last=Takahashi|url=https://venturebeat.com/2010/08/25/devhub-scores-engagement-increase-by-gamifying-its-web-site-creation-tools/|access-date=August 31, 2017|archive-date=June 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170602172936/https://venturebeat.com/2010/08/25/devhub-scores-engagement-increase-by-gamifying-its-web-site-creation-tools/|url-status=live}} On the programming question-and-answer site Stack Overflow users receive points and/or badges for performing a variety of actions, including spreading links to questions and answers via Facebook and Twitter. A large number of different badges are available, and when a user's reputation points exceed various thresholds, the user gains additional privileges, eventually including moderator privileges.

Gamification can be used for ideation (structured brainstorming to produce new ideas). A study at MIT Sloan found that ideation games helped participants generate more and better ideas, and compared it to gauging the influence of academic papers by the numbers of citations received in subsequent research.{{cite news|url=https://mitsloan.mit.edu/vc/Ideationpaper022805.pdf|publisher=Marketing Science|title=Idea Generation, Creativity, and Incentives|first=Olivier|last=Toubia|date=October 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130520204612/https://mitsloan.mit.edu/vc/Ideationpaper022805.pdf|archive-date=2013-05-20}} Incorporating game mechanics such as leaderboards and rewards in these platforms can further encourage participation and foster collaboration, ultimately enhancing the ideation process.

{{See also|Exergaming}}

Applications like Fitocracy and QUENTIQ (Dacadoo) use gamification to encourage their users to exercise more effectively and improve their overall health. Users are awarded varying numbers of points for activities they perform in their workouts, and gain levels based on points collected. Users can also complete quests (sets of related activities) and gain achievement badges for fitness milestones.{{cite news|last=Jeffries|first=Adrianne|title=The Fitocrats: How Two Nerds Turned an Addiction to Videogames Into an Addiction to Fitness|url=https://www.betabeat.com/2011/09/16/the-body-hackers-behind-the-scenes-at-fitocracy-the-addictive-fitness-game-that-will-make-you-want-to-work-out/|access-date=23 January 2012|newspaper=The New York Observer|date=16 September 2011|archive-date=4 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120104001957/https://www.betabeat.com/2011/09/16/the-body-hackers-behind-the-scenes-at-fitocracy-the-addictive-fitness-game-that-will-make-you-want-to-work-out/|url-status=live}} Health Month adds aspects of social gaming by allowing successful users to restore points to users who have failed to meet certain goals. Public health researchers have studied the use of gamification in self-management of chronic diseases and common mental disorders,{{Cite journal|last1=AlMarshedi|first1=Alaa|last2=Wills|first2=Gary|last3=Ranchhod|first3=Ashok|date=2016-09-09|title=Gamifying Self-Management of Chronic Illnesses: A Mixed-Methods Study|journal=JMIR Serious Games|volume=4|issue=2|pages=e14|doi=10.2196/games.5943|pmc=5035381|pmid=27612632 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite journal|last1=Brown|first1=Menna|last2=O'Neill|first2=Noelle|last3=van Woerden|first3=Hugo|last4=Eslambolchilar|first4=Parisa|last5=Jones|first5=Matt|last6=John|first6=Ann|date=2016-08-24|title=Gamification and Adherence to Web-Based Mental Health Interventions: A Systematic Review|journal=JMIR Mental Health|volume=3|issue=3|pages=e39|doi=10.2196/mental.5710|pmc=5014987|pmid=27558893 |doi-access=free }} STD prevention,{{Cite journal|last1=Lukhele|first1=Bhekumusa Wellington|last2=Musumari|first2=Patou|last3=El-Saaidi|first3=Christina|last4=Techasrivichien|first4=Teeranee|last5=Suguimoto|first5=S. Pilar|last6=Ono Kihara|first6=Masako|last7=Kihara|first7=Masahiro|date=2016-11-22|title=Efficacy of Mobile Serious Games in Increasing HIV Risk Perception in Swaziland: A Randomized Control Trial (SGprev Trial) Research Protocol|journal=JMIR Research Protocols|volume=5|issue=4|pages=e224|doi=10.2196/resprot.6543|pmid=27876685|pmc=5141336 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite journal|last1=Gabarron|first1=Elia|last2=Schopf|first2=Thomas|last3=Serrano|first3=J. Artur|last4=Fernandez-Luque|first4=Luis|last5=Dorronzoro|first5=Enrique|date=2013-01-01|title=Gamification strategy on prevention of STDs for youth|journal=Studies in Health Technology and Informatics|volume=192|page=1066|issn=0926-9630|pmid=23920840}} and infection prevention and control.{{Cite journal|last1=Castro-Sánchez|first1=Enrique|last2=Kyratsis|first2=Yiannis|last3=Iwami|first3=Michiyo|last4=Rawson|first4=Timothy M.|last5=Holmes|first5=Alison H.|date=2016-01-01|title=Serious electronic games as behavioural change interventions in healthcare-associated infections and infection prevention and control: a scoping review of the literature and future directions|journal=Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control|volume=5|page=34|doi=10.1186/s13756-016-0137-0|pmc=5062920|pmid=27777755 |doi-access=free }}

In a review of health apps in the 2014 Apple App Store, more than 100 apps showed a positive correlation between gamification elements used and high user ratings. MyFitnessPal was named as the app that used the most gamification elements.

Reviewers of the popular location-based game Pokémon Go praised the game for promoting physical exercise. Terri Schwartz (IGN) said it was "secretly the best exercise app out there," and that it changed her daily walking routine.{{cite web |author = Schwartz, Terri |url = https://au.ign.com/articles/2016/07/09/pokemon-go-is-secretly-the-best-exercise-app-out-there |title = Pokemon Go is Secretly the Best Exercise App out there |work = IGN |access-date = July 12, 2016 |date = July 8, 2016 |archive-date = February 26, 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220226154843/https://www.ign.com/articles/2016/07/09/pokemon-go-is-secretly-the-best-exercise-app-out-there |url-status = live }} Patrick Allen (Lifehacker) wrote an article with tips about how to work out using Pokémon Go.{{cite web |url = https://lifehacker.com/the-pokemon-go-interval-training-workout-1783487992 |title = The Pokémon Go Interval Training Workout |first = Patrick |last = Allen |website = Lifehacker |access-date = July 14, 2016 |date = July 12, 2016 |url-status = live |archive-date = July 14, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160714120300/https://lifehacker.com/the-pokemon-go-interval-training-workout-1783487992 |publisher = Gawker Media }} Julia Belluz (Vox) said it could be the "greatest unintentional health fad ever," writing that one of the results of the game that the developers may not have imagined was that "it seems to be getting people moving."{{cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/2016/7/12/12159198/pokemon-go-exercise-increase |title=Pokémon Go may be the greatest unintentional health fad ever |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20160714120634/https://www.vox.com/2016/7/12/12159198/pokemon-go-exercise-increase |archive-date=2016-07-14 |website=Vox |first=Julia |last=Belluz |date=12 July 2016 |author-link=Julia Belluz }} One study showed users took an extra 194 steps per day once they started using the app, approximately 26% more than usual.{{cite web | url=https://money.cnn.com/2016/10/11/technology/pokemon-go-exercise-health/index.html | title=Pokemon Go could add 2.83 million years to users' lives | publisher=CNN Money | date=October 12, 2016 | access-date=October 12, 2016 | author=McFarland, Matt | archive-date=October 12, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012075542/https://money.cnn.com/2016/10/11/technology/pokemon-go-exercise-health/index.html | url-status=live }} Ingress is a similar game that also requires a player to be physically active. Zombies, Run!, a game in which the player is trying to survive a zombie apocalypse through a series of missions, requires the player to (physically) run, collect items to help the town survive, and listen to various audio narrations to uncover mysteries. Mobile, context-sensitive serious games for sports and health have been called exergames.{{cite web|title=Urban Exergames: How Architects and Serious Gaming Researchers Collaborate on the Design of Digital Games that Make You Move|url=https://www3.architektur.tu-darmstadt.de/urbanhealthgames/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/knoell_urban_exergames.pdf|access-date=3 January 2017|archive-date=3 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103094703/https://www3.architektur.tu-darmstadt.de/urbanhealthgames/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/knoell_urban_exergames.pdf|url-status=live}}

Gamification has been used in an attempt to improve employee productivity in healthcare, financial services, transportation, government,{{cite news|publisher=Venture Beat|title=Should you run your business like a game?|date=October 5, 2010|first=Owen|last=Thomas|url=https://venturebeat.com/2010/10/05/gamification-business/|access-date=August 31, 2017|archive-date=October 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171022032743/https://venturebeat.com/2010/10/05/gamification-business/|url-status=live}}{{cite news |last=Huling |first=Ray |date=March 25, 2010 |title=Gamification: Turning Work Into Play |publisher=H Plus Magazine |url=https://www.hplusmagazine.com/articles/art-entertainment/gamification-turning-work-play |access-date=October 7, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101051248/https://www.hplusmagazine.com/articles/art-entertainment/gamification-turning-work-play |archive-date=January 1, 2011}} and others.{{cite news|publisher=Fortune|url=https://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/09/03/the-game-based-economy/|title=Play to win: The game-based economy|first=JP|last=Mangalindan|date=September 3, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112074424/https://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/09/03/the-game-based-economy/|archive-date=November 12, 2012}} In general, enterprise gamification refers to work situations where "game thinking and game-based tools are used in a strategic manner to integrate with existing business processes or information systems. And these techniques are used to help drive positive employee and organizational outcomes." Gamification can enhance employee engagement, motivation, and skill development by incorporating elements such as challenges, progress tracking, and rewards. However, gamification can also build resentment and drive unsafe personal behavior in the workplace, such as workers skipping bathroom breaks. {{cite news|publisher=Society for Human Resource Management|title=Be Careful: Gamification at Work Can Go Very Wrong |last=Lewis |first=Nicole|date=Feb 28, 2019 |url=https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/technology/careful-gamification-work-can-go-wrong}}

Crowdsourcing has been gamified in games like Foldit, a game designed by the University of Washington, in which players compete to manipulate proteins into more efficient structures. A 2010 paper in science journal Nature credited Foldit's 57,000 players with providing useful results that matched or outperformed algorithmically computed solutions.{{cite news |title=In a Video Game, Tackling the Complexities of Protein Folding |author=John Markoff |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/05/science/05protein.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=10 August 2010 |access-date=12 February 2013 |archive-date=23 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223102830/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/05/science/05protein.html |url-status=live }} The ESP Game is a game that is used to generate image metadata. Google Image Labeler is a version of the ESP Game that Google has licensed to generate its own image metadata.{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7395751.stm|title=Solving the web's image problem|publisher=bbc|access-date=2008-12-14|date=2008-05-14|first=Angela|last=Saini|archive-date=2009-01-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111161649/https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7395751.stm|url-status=live}} Research from the University of Bonn used gamification to increase wiki contributions by 62%.{{cite book|chapter-url=http://publica.fraunhofer.de/documents/N-180926.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129120002/https://www.ecscw.org/2011/04-%20Dencheva%20et%20Al%201-20.pdf|archive-date=2014-11-29|publisher=Springer|doi=10.1007/978-0-85729-913-0_1|chapter=Dynamic Self-moderation in a Corporate Wiki to Improve Participation and Contribution Quality|title=ECSCW 2011: Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work, 24-28 September 2011, Aarhus Denmark|page=1|year=2011|last1=Dencheva|first1=Silviya|last2=Prause|first2=Christian R.|last3=Prinz|first3=Wolfgang|s2cid=11559993|isbn=978-0-85729-912-3}}

In the context of online crowdsourcing, gamification is also employed to improve the psychological and behavioral consequences of the solvers.{{Cite journal |last1=Morschheuser |first1=Benedikt |last2=Hamari |first2=Juho |last3=Koivisto |first3=Jonna |last4=Maedche |first4=Alexander |date=October 2017 |title=Gamified crowdsourcing: Conceptualization, literature review, and future agenda |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1071581917300642 |journal=International Journal of Human-Computer Studies |language=en |volume=106 |pages=26–43 |doi=10.1016/j.ijhcs.2017.04.005}} According to numerous research, adding gamification components to a crowdsourcing platform can be considered as a design that shifts participants' focus from task completion to involvement motivated by intrinsic factors.{{Cite book |last1=Deterding |first1=Sebastian |last2=Dixon |first2=Dan |last3=Khaled |first3=Rilla |last4=Nacke |first4=Lennart |title=Proceedings of the 15th International Academic MindTrek Conference: Envisioning Future Media Environments |chapter=From game design elements to gamefulness |date=2011 |chapter-url=http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?doid=2181037.2181040 |language=en |location=Tampere, Finland |publisher=ACM Press |pages=9–15 |doi=10.1145/2181037.2181040 |isbn=978-1-4503-0816-8|s2cid=207193782 }}{{Cite journal |last1=Feng |first1=Yuanyue |last2=Jonathan Ye |first2=Hua |last3=Yu |first3=Ying |last4=Yang |first4=Congcong |last5=Cui |first5=Tingru |date=April 2018 |title=Gamification artifacts and crowdsourcing participation: Examining the mediating role of intrinsic motivations |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0747563217306982 |journal=Computers in Human Behavior |language=en |volume=81 |pages=124–136 |doi=10.1016/j.chb.2017.12.018|s2cid=27959578 |url-access=subscription }} Since the success of crowdsourcing competitions depends on a large number of participating solvers, the platforms for crowdsourcing provide motivating factors to increase participation by drawing on the concepts of the game.{{Cite journal |last1=Goh |first1=Dion Hoe-Lian |last2=Pe-Than |first2=Ei Pa Pa |last3=Lee |first3=Chei Sian |date=May 2017 |title=Perceptions of virtual reward systems in crowdsourcing games |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0747563217300067 |journal=Computers in Human Behavior |language=en |volume=70 |pages=365–374 |doi=10.1016/j.chb.2017.01.006|s2cid=12739669 |url-access=subscription }}

{{main|Gamification of learning}}

Gamification in the context of education and training is of particular interest because it offers a variety of benefits associated with learning outcomes and retention.{{cite web |title=The Gamification of Education |url=https://www.knewton.com/gamification-education/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150309222625/https://www.knewton.com/gamification-education/ |archive-date=2015-03-09 |access-date=2014-04-18 |publisher=Knewton}}{{cite conference |author1=Simone de Sousa Borges |author2=Vinicius H. S. Durelli |author3=Helena Macedo Reis |author4=Seiji Isotani |year=2014 |title="A systematic mapping on gamification applied to education" |url=https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/2554850.2554956 |conference=Proceedings of the 29th Annual ACM Symposium on Applied Computing (SAC '14) |pages=216–222 |doi=10.1145/2554850.2554956 |isbn=978-1-4503-2469-4|url-access=subscription }}{{cite conference |author1=Babajide Osatuyi |author2=Temidayo Osatuyi |author3=Ramiro de la Rosa |year=2018 |title=Systematic Review of Gamification Research in IS Education: A Multi-method Approach |volume=42 |doi=10.17705/1CAIS.04205 |journal=Communications of the Association for Information Systems}}{{cite conference |author1=Remko W. Helms |author2=Rick Barneveld |author3=Fabiano Dalpiaz |year=2015 |title=A Method for the Design of Gamified Trainings |conference=Proceedings of the Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS)}} Using video-game inspired elements like leaderboards and badges has been shown to be effective in engaging large groups and providing objectives for students to achieve outside of traditional norms like grades or verbal feedback. Online learning platforms such as Khan Academy and even physical schools like New York City Department of Education's Quest to Learn use gamification to motivate students to complete mission-based units and master concepts.{{cite news |author=Shantanu Sinha |date=February 14, 2012 |title=Motivating Students and the Gamification of Learning |publisher=Huffington Post |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/shantanu-sinha/motivating-students-and-t_b_1275441.html |url-status=live |access-date=August 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723144254/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/shantanu-sinha/motivating-students-and-t_b_1275441.html |archive-date=July 23, 2012}}{{cite news |author=Sara Corbett |date=15 September 2010 |title=Learning by Playing: Video Games in the Classroom |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/magazine/19video-t.html |url-status=live |access-date=12 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130307032827/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/magazine/19video-t.html |archive-date=7 March 2013}} There is also an increasing interest in the use of gamification in health sciences and education as an engaging information delivery tool and in order to add variety to revision.{{Cite journal |last1=Moro |first1=Christian |last2=Stromberga |first2=Zane |date=2020-07-05 |title=Enhancing variety through gamified, interactive learning experiences |journal=Medical Education |language=en |volume=54 |issue=12 |pages=1180–1181 |doi=10.1111/medu.14251 |issn=0308-0110 |pmid=32438478 |doi-access=free |s2cid=218832175}}{{Cite journal |last1=Moro |first1=Christian |last2=Phelps |first2=Charlotte |last3=Stromberga |first3=Zane |date=2020-08-14 |title=Utilizing serious games for physiology and anatomy learning and revision |journal=Advances in Physiology Education |volume=44 |issue=3 |pages=505–507 |doi=10.1152/advan.00074.2020 |issn=1043-4046 |pmid=32795126 |doi-access=free}}{{Cite book |last1=Souza |first1=Mauricio Ronny de Almeida |last2=Constantino |first2=Kattiana Fernandes |last3=Veado |first3=Lucas Furtini |last4=Figueiredo |first4=Eduardo Magno Lages |title=2017 IEEE 30th Conference on Software Engineering Education and Training (CSEE&T) |chapter=Gamification in Software Engineering Education: An Empirical Study |date=November 2017 |chapter-url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8166715 |url-status=live |location=Savannah, GA |publisher=IEEE |pages=276–284 |doi=10.1109/CSEET.2017.51 |isbn=978-1-5386-2536-1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201209051619/https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8166715/ |archive-date=2020-12-09 |access-date=2020-11-27 |s2cid=37873687}} A 2016 study found that gamification can help students learn more effectively, especially when they are motivated by curiosity or enjoyment of the learning itself. One study found that students who were more intrinsically motivated tended to benefit more from gamified learning, while those focused mainly on external rewards didn’t respond as strongly.{{Cite journal |last=Buckley |first=Patrick |last2=Doyle |first2=Elaine |date=2016-08-17 |title=Gamification and student motivation |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10494820.2014.964263 |journal=Interactive Learning Environments |language=en |volume=24 |issue=6 |pages=1162–1175 |doi=10.1080/10494820.2014.964263 |issn=1049-4820|url-access=subscription }}

With increased access to one-to-one student devices, and accelerated by pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic, many teachers from primary to post-secondary settings have introduced live, online quiz-show style games into their lessons.{{Cite journal |last1=Bratel |first1=Olena |last2=Kostiuk |first2=Maryna |last3=Bratel |first3=Sergiy |last4=Okhrimenko |first4=Ivan |date=2021-11-13 |title=Student-centered online assesment in foreign language classes |url=https://lingcure.org/index.php/journal/article/view/1668 |journal=Linguistics and Culture Review |volume=5 |issue=S3 |pages=926–941 |doi=10.21744/lingcure.v5nS3.1668 |doi-broken-date=1 November 2024 |s2cid=243804429 |issn=2690-103X|url-access=subscription }}

Gamification has also been used to promote learning outside of schools. In August 2009, Gbanga launched a game for the Zurich Zoo where participants learned about endangered species by collecting animals in mixed reality. Companies seeking to train their customers to use their product effectively can showcase features of their products with interactive games like Microsoft's Ribbon Hero 2.{{cite web |last=Fallows |first=James |date=28 April 2011 |title=The Return of Clippy |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/04/the-return-of-clippy/238032/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130321012007/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/04/the-return-of-clippy/238032/ |archive-date=21 March 2013 |access-date=12 February 2013 |publisher=The Atlantic}}{{cite web |date=20 June 2011 |title=Office Labs: Ribbon Hero 2 |url=https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/download/details.aspx?id=26531 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171030012210/https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/download/details.aspx?id=26531 |archive-date=30 October 2017 |access-date=12 February 2013 |publisher=Microsoft}}

A wide range of employers including the United States Armed Forces, Unilever, and SAP currently use gamified training modules to educate their employees and motivate them to apply what they learned in trainings to their job.{{cite web |last=Herger |first=Mario |date=Oct 28, 2011 |title=Enterprise Gamification — Sustainability examples |url=https://enterprise-gamification.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=9&Itemid=24&lang=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910085601/https://enterprise-gamification.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=9&Itemid=24&lang=en |archive-date=September 10, 2017 |access-date=May 16, 2015 |url-status=usurped |publisher=Enterprise-Gamification.com}}{{Cite news |title=The Gamification of Corporate Training |language=en |work=Korn Ferry |url=https://www.kornferry.com/institute/the-gamification-of-corporate-training |url-status=live |access-date=2017-08-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829205733/https://www.kornferry.com/institute/the-gamification-of-corporate-training |archive-date=2017-08-29}} According to a study conducted by Badgeville, 78% of workers are utilizing games-based motivation at work and nearly 91% say these systems improve their work experience by increasing engagement, awareness and productivity.{{cite press release |title=Gamification Improves Work Experience for 91% of Employees, Increases Productivity Across U.S. Companies |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gamification-improves-work-experience-for-91-of-employees-increases-productivity-across-us-companies-300124915.html |date=August 6, 2015 |publisher=PR Newswire |access-date=October 31, 2017 |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107003553/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gamification-improves-work-experience-for-91-of-employees-increases-productivity-across-us-companies-300124915.html |url-status=live}} In the form of occupational safety training, technology can provide realistic and effective simulations of real-life experiences, making safety training less passive and more engaging, more flexible in terms of time management and a cost-effective alternative to practice.{{Cite journal |last1=Vigoroso |first1=Lucia |last2=Caffaro |first2=Federica |last3=Micheletti Cremasco |first3=Margherita |last4=Cavallo |first4=Eugenio |date=2021-02-15 |title=Innovating Occupational Safety Training: A Scoping Review on Digital Games and Possible Applications in Agriculture |journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |language=en |volume=18 |issue=4 |page=1868 |doi=10.3390/ijerph18041868 |issn=1660-4601 |pmc=7918640 |pmid=33671867 |doi-access=free}}{{Cite journal |last1=Williams-Bell |first1=F. M. |last2=Kapralos |first2=B. |last3=Hogue |first3=A. |last4=Murphy |first4=B. M. |last5=Weckman |first5=E. J. |date=May 2015 |title=Using Serious Games and Virtual Simulation for Training in the Fire Service: A Review |url=https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10694-014-0398-1 |url-status=live |journal=Fire Technology |language=en |volume=51 |issue=3 |pages=553–584 |doi=10.1007/s10694-014-0398-1 |issn=0015-2684 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220226154843/https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10694-014-0398-1 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |access-date=2021-02-19 |s2cid=110369959|url-access=subscription }}{{Cite journal |last=Laukkanen |first=Tuula |date=January 1999 |title=Construction work and education: occupational health and safety reviewed |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/014461999371826 |url-status=live |journal=Construction Management and Economics |language=en |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=53–62 |doi=10.1080/014461999371826 |issn=0144-6193 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220226154843/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/014461999371826 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |access-date=2021-02-19|url-access=subscription }}{{Cite journal |last1=Gao |first1=Yifan |last2=Gonzalez |first2=Vicente A. |last3=Yiu |first3=Tak Wing |date=September 2019 |title=The effectiveness of traditional tools and computer-aided technologies for health and safety training in the construction sector: A systematic review |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0360131519301125 |url-status=live |journal=Computers & Education |language=en |volume=138 |pages=101–115 |arxiv=1808.02021 |doi=10.1016/j.compedu.2019.05.003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623135811/https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0360131519301125 |archive-date=2020-06-23 |access-date=2021-02-19 |s2cid=51935760}}{{Cite web |last=Feng |first=Zhenan |date=2022-06-04 |title=Gamification for Visualisation Applications in the Construction Industry |url=https://aec-business.com/gamification-for-visualisation-applications-in-the-construction-industry/ |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=AEC Business |language=en-US}} The combined use of virtual reality and gamification can provide a more effective solutions in term of knowledge acquisition and retention when they are compared with traditional training methods.{{Cite journal |last1=Buttussi |first1=Fabio |last2=Chittaro |first2=Luca |date=February 2018 |title=Effects of Different Types of Virtual Reality Display on Presence and Learning in a Safety Training Scenario |url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7817889 |journal=IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics |volume=24 |issue=2 |pages=1063–1076 |doi=10.1109/TVCG.2017.2653117 |pmid=28092563 |s2cid=25853162 |issn=1941-0506|url-access=subscription }}{{Cite journal |last1=Scorgie |first1=D. |last2=Feng |first2=Z. |last3=Paes |first3=D. |last4=Parisi |first4=F. |last5=Yiu |first5=T.W. |last6=Lovreglio |first6=R. |date=March 2024 |title=Virtual reality for safety training: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis |journal=Safety Science |volume=171 |pages=106372 |doi=10.1016/j.ssci.2023.106372 |issn=0925-7535|doi-access=free }}

Alix Levine, an American security consultant, reports that some techniques that a number of extremist websites such as Stormfront and various terrorism-related sites used to build loyalty and participation can be described as gamification. As an example, Levine mentioned reputation scores.{{cite news|publisher=Foreign Policy|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/04/13/the_world_of_holy_warcraft?page=0,1|title=The World of Holy Warcraft:How al Qaeda is using online game theory to recruit the masses.|author1=Jarret Brachman|author2=Alix Levine|date=April 13, 2010|access-date=March 7, 2017|archive-date=August 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140805125033/https://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/04/13/the_world_of_holy_warcraft?page=0,1|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/1749266/gamification-jihadist-websites-game-theory-islamist|title=Welcome To JihadVille|first=Neal|last=Ungerleider|date=April 22, 2011|publisher=Fast Company|access-date=May 8, 2011|archive-date=April 29, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429214304/https://www.fastcompany.com/1749266/gamification-jihadist-websites-game-theory-islamist|url-status=live}}

The Chinese government has announced that it will begin using gamification to rate its citizens in 2020, implementing a Social Credit System in which citizens will earn points representing trustworthiness. Details of this project are still vague, but it has been reported that citizens will receive points for good behavior, such as making payments on time and educational attainments.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-34592186|title=China 'social credit': Beijing sets up huge system|first=Celia|last=Hatton|date=26 October 2015|work=BBC News|access-date=21 June 2018|archive-date=9 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809031911/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-34592186|url-status=live}}

Bellingcat contributor Robert Evans has written about the "gamification of terror" in the wake of the El Paso shooting, in an analysis of the role 8Chan and similar boards played in inspiring the massacre, as well as other acts of terrorism and mass shootings.{{cite news |last1=Evans |first1=Robert |title=The El Paso Shooting and the Gamification of Terror |url=https://www.bellingcat.com/news/americas/2019/08/04/the-el-paso-shooting-and-the-gamification-of-terror/ |access-date=22 July 2022 |publisher=Bellingcat |date=4 August 2019}} According to Evans, "[w]hat we see here is evidence of the only real innovation 8chan has brought to global terrorism: the gamification of mass violence. We see this not just in the references to "high scores", but in the very way the Christchurch shooting was carried out. Brenton Tarrant livestreamed his massacre from a helmet cam in a way that made the shooting look almost exactly like a First Person Shooter video game. This was a conscious choice, as was his decision to pick a sound-track for the spree that would entertain and inspire his viewers."

Traditionally, researchers thought of motivations to use computer systems to be primarily driven by extrinsic purposes; however, many modern systems have their use driven primarily by intrinsic motivations.{{cite journal | last1 = Benjamin Lowry | first1 = Paul | last2 = Gaskin | first2 = James | last3 = Twyman | first3 = Nathan W. | last4 = Hammer | first4 = Bryan | last5 = Roberts | first5 = Tom L. | year = 2013 | title = Taking 'fun and games' seriously: Proposing the hedonic-motivation system adoption model (HMSAM) | ssrn = 2177442 | journal = Journal of the Association for Information Systems | volume = 14 | issue = 11| pages = 617–671 | doi = 10.17705/1jais.00347 | s2cid = 2810596 | url = https://aisel.aisnet.org/jais/vol14/iss11/2 | url-access = subscription }} Examples of such systems used primarily to fulfill users' intrinsic motivations, include online gaming, virtual worlds, online shopping, learning/education, online dating, digital music repositories, social networking, online pornography, and so on. Such systems are excellent candidates for further 'gamification' in their design. Moreover, even traditional management information systems (e.g., ERP, CRM) are being 'gamified' such that both extrinsic and intrinsic motivations must increasingly be considered.

As illustration, Microsoft has announced plans to use gamification techniques for its Windows Phone 7 operating system design.{{cite news|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/will-the-gamification-of-windows-phone-7-set-it-apart/?tag=content;search-results-rivers|publisher=ZDnet|title=Will the gamification of Windows Phone 7 set it apart?|first=Larry|last=Dignan|date=September 30, 2010|access-date=October 7, 2010|archive-date=October 11, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101011031241/https://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/will-the-gamification-of-windows-phone-7-set-it-apart/39857?tag=content;search-results-rivers|url-status=live}} While businesses face the challenges of creating motivating gameplay strategies, what makes for effective gamification{{cite conference |author1=Dennis L. Kappen |author2=Lennart E. Nacke | title = The Kaleidoscope of Effective Gamification: Deconstructing Gamification in Business Applications| conference = Proceedings of Gamification '13 | year = 2013 | pages = 119–122 | doi=10.1145/2583008.2583029 }} is a key question.

One important type of technological design in gamification is the player centered design. Based on the design methodology user-centered design, its main goal is to promote greater connectivity and positive behavior change between technological consumers. It has five steps that help computer users connect with other people online to help them accomplish goals and other tasks they need to complete. The 5 steps are: an individual or company has to know their player (their target audience), identify their mission (their goal), understand human motivation (the personality, desires, and triggers of the target audience), apply mechanics (points, badges, leaderboards, etc.), and to manage, monitor, and measure the way they are using their mechanics to ensure it is helping them achieve the desired outcome of their goal and that their goal is specific and realistic.{{Cite web|url=https://uxmag.com/articles/five-steps-to-enterprise-gamification|title=Five Steps to Enterprise Gamification {{!}} UX Magazine|website=uxmag.com|date=August 2013 |access-date=2016-11-29|archive-date=2016-11-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130041932/https://uxmag.com/articles/five-steps-to-enterprise-gamification|url-status=live}}

Gamification has also been applied to authentication. Games have been proposed as a way for users to learn new and more complicated passwords.{{cite book | chapter = Gamifying authentication | author = Christien Kroeze | title = 2012 Information Security for South Africa | pages = 1–8 | date = 16 August 2012 | publisher = IEEE Conference Proceedings| doi = 10.1109/ISSA.2012.6320439 | isbn = 978-1-4673-2159-4 | s2cid = 7689282 }} Gamification has also been proposed as a way to select and manage archives.{{cite book|last=Grace|first=Lindsay|title=2011 16th International Conference on Computer Games (CGAMES)|chapter=Gamifying Archives, A Study of Docugames as a Preservation Medium|pages=172–176|publisher=IEEE Press|doi=10.1109/CGAMES.2011.6000335|isbn=978-1-4577-1451-1|year=2011|s2cid=15269611}}

The merging of gambling and gamification referred to as "gamblification" has been used to some extent by online casinos.{{Cite web |last=Bechtold |first=Jody |date=2024 |title=Gamblification (Convergence with Gaming) |url=https://betterinstitute.com/jody-bechtold-2/}} Some brands use an incremental reward system to extend the typical player lifecycle and to encourage repeat visits and cash deposits at the casino in return for rewards such as free spins and cash match bonuses on subsequent deposits.{{Cite web |title=What are Gamification Casinos in 2022 |url=https://gamblescope.com/casino/casino-knowledge-base/gamification-casino/ |access-date=2022-10-06 |website=Gamblescope |language=en-GB}}

The term "gamification" first appeared online in the context of computer software in 2008.{{cite book |last=Walz |first=Steffen |date=2015 |title=The Gameful World: Approaches, Issues, Applications |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vDxTBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA31 |publisher=MIT Press |page=31 |isbn=978-0-262-32572-1 |access-date=2017-10-11 |archive-date=2021-08-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815112906/https://books.google.com/books?id=vDxTBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA31 |url-status=live }}{{efn|In 2011 British-born videogame developer Nick Pelling self-proclaimed{{cite web |url=https://nanodome.wordpress.com/2011/08/09/the-short-prehistory-of-gamification/ |title=The (short) prehistory of "gamification"... |author=Nick Pelling |date=2011-08-09 |publisher=Nick Pelling |access-date=2017-10-11 |archive-date=2017-10-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011233451/https://nanodome.wordpress.com/2011/08/09/the-short-prehistory-of-gamification/ |url-status=live }} to have coined the term in 2002 as part of his startup Conundra Ltd.{{cite web |url=https://www.nanodome.com/conundra.co.uk/ |title=Nick Pelling's copy of Conundra Ltd. home page circa 2003 |last=Pelling |first=Nick |date=2003 |website=nanodome.com |publisher=Nick Pelling |access-date=2017-10-11 |archive-date=2016-12-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221214700/https://www.nanodome.com/conundra.co.uk/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.duedil.com/company/gb/04728797/conundra-ltd/directors |title=Conundra Ltd. directors |author= |website=duedil.com |publisher=Duedil |access-date=2017-10-11 |archive-date=2017-10-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012044628/https://www.duedil.com/company/gb/04728797/conundra-ltd/directors |url-status=live }} for the field of consumer electronics, and many books and scholarly articles subsequently cite this as the likely genesis of the term.}} Gamification did not gain popularity until 2010.{{cite web |url=https://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=gamification |title=Gamification at Google Trends |publisher=Google Trends |access-date=2012-11-25 |archive-date=2014-01-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140119222930/https://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=gamification |url-status=live }}{{cite book |last1=Zichermann |first1=Gabe |author-link=Gabe Zichermann |last2=Cunningham |first2=Christopher |title=Gamification by Design: Implementing Game Mechanics in Web and Mobile Apps |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zZcpuMRpAB8C&q=gamification |access-date=2012-11-25 |edition=1st |date=August 2011 |publisher=O'Reilly Media |location=Sebastopol, California |isbn=978-1-4493-1539-9 |pages=ix, 208 |chapter=Preface |quote=Gamification may be a new term |archive-date=2021-08-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815035821/https://books.google.com/books?id=zZcpuMRpAB8C&q=gamification |url-status=live }} Even prior to the term coming into use, other fields borrowing elements from videogames was common; for example, some work in learning disabilities{{cite journal|last1=Adelman|last2=Lauber|last3=Nelson|last4=Smith |title=Toward a Procedure for Minimizing and Detecting False Positive Diagnoses of Learning Disability |date=April 1989 |journal=The Journal of Learning Disabilities |doi=10.1177/002221948902200407|pmid=2738459|volume=22|number=4|pages=234–244|s2cid=45379145}} and scientific visualization adapted elements from videogames.{{cite conference |url=https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=375213.375384 |title=The impact of computer games on scientific & information visualization (panel session): "if you can't beat them, join them" |author=Theresa-Marie Rhyne |date=October 2000 |conference=IEEE Visualization 2000 |conference-url=https://www.hpc.msstate.edu/conferences/vis2000/ |publisher=IEEE Computer Society |pages=519–521 |isbn=1-58113-309-X |access-date=2012-11-25 |author-link=Theresa-Marie Rhyne |archive-date=2018-11-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118183821/https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=375213.375384 |url-status=live }}

The term "gamification" first gained widespread usage in 2010, in a more specific sense referring to incorporation of social/reward aspects of games into software.{{cite news |url=https://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/09/03/the-game-based-economy/ |title=Play to win: The game-based economy |author=JP Mangalindan |date=2010-09-03 |publisher=Fortune |access-date=2012-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112074424/https://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/09/03/the-game-based-economy/ |archive-date=2012-11-12 }} The technique captured the attention of venture capitalists, one of whom said he considered gamification the most promising area in gaming.{{cite news|url=https://venturebeat.com/2010/04/12/healthcare-reform-social-games-gamification/|publisher=Venture Beat|title=The ultimate healthcare reform could be fun and games|date=April 12, 2010|first=Michael|last=Sinanian|access-date=August 31, 2017|archive-date=June 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170602155227/https://venturebeat.com/2010/04/12/healthcare-reform-social-games-gamification/|url-status=live}} Another observed that half of all companies seeking funding for consumer software applications mentioned game design in their presentations.

Several researchers consider gamification closely related to earlier work on adapting game-design elements and techniques to non-game contexts. Deterding et al. survey research in human–computer interaction that uses game-derived elements for motivation and interface design, and Nelson{{cite conference | author = Mark J. Nelson | title = Soviet and American precursors to the gamification of work | conference = Proceedings of the 16th International Academic MindTrek Conference | year = 2012 | pages = 23–26 | url = https://www.kmjn.org/papers/Nelson_soviet_american_gamification_2012.pdf | access-date = 2012-08-17 | archive-date = 2012-08-01 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120801010824/https://www.kmjn.org/papers/Nelson_soviet_american_gamification_2012.pdf | url-status = live }} argues for a connection to both the Soviet concept of socialist competition, and the American management trend of "fun at work". Fuchs{{cite book | author = Fuchs, Mathias | chapter = Ludic interfaces. Driver and product of gamification | title = GAME, vol. 1, 2012 – ALL OF US, PLAYERS | publisher = The Italian Journal of Game Studies, Ass.ne Culturale Ludica, Bologna, Via V.Veneto | year = 2012 | volume = 1 | issue = 1 | location = Bologna, Italy | chapter-url = https://www.gamejournal.it/ludic-interfaces-driver-and-product-of-gamification/ | issn = 2280-7705 | access-date = 2013-01-08 | archive-date = 2012-09-21 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120921030308/https://www.gamejournal.it/ludic-interfaces-driver-and-product-of-gamification/ | url-status = live }} points out that gamification might be driven by new forms of ludic interfaces. Gamification conferences have also retroactively incorporated simulation; e.g. Will Wright, designer of the 1989 video game SimCity, was the keynote speaker at the gamification conference Gsummit 2013.{{cite web |url=https://www.gsummit.com/sf13/why-attend/ |title=gsummit 2013 Why Atten |access-date=2012-11-25 |archive-date=2012-11-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104013343/https://www.gsummit.com/sf13/why-attend/ |url-status=live }}

In October 2007, Bunchball was the first company to provide game mechanics as a service, on Dunder Mifflin Infinity, the community site for the NBC TV show The Office.{{cite news | author=Taylor, Colleen | url=https://www.nytimes.com/external/gigaom/2011/05/02/02gigaom-for-startups-timing-is-everything-just-ask-bunchb-88664.html | title=For Startups, Timing Is Everything — Just Ask Bunchball | work=The New York Times | date=May 2, 2011 | access-date=February 24, 2017 | archive-date=February 26, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220226154932/https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/external/gigaom/2011/05/02/02gigaom-for-startups-timing-is-everything-just-ask-bunchb-88664.html | url-status=live }}{{cite news|publisher=Gamasutra|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/agdc-paharia-andrade-on-making-dunder-mifflin-infinity|title=AGDC: Paharia, Andrade On Making Dunder Mifflin Infinity|first=Simon|last=Carless|date=September 17, 2008|access-date=October 24, 2010|archive-date=November 11, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101111150258/https://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=20288|url-status=live}} Badgeville, which offered gamification services, launched in late 2010, and raised $15 million in venture-capital funding in its first year of operation.{{cite news|publisher=TechCrunch|url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/07/12/badgeville-raises-12-million-celebrates-with-an-infographic/|title=Badgeville Raises $12 Million, Celebrates With An Infographic|date=July 12, 2011|access-date=June 25, 2017|archive-date=July 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170704102905/https://techcrunch.com/2011/07/12/badgeville-raises-12-million-celebrates-with-an-infographic/|url-status=live}}

Gabe Zichermann coined "funware" as an alternative term for gamification.{{cite news |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=May 9, 2008 |title=Funware's threat to the traditional video game industry |publisher=venturebeat |url=https://venturebeat.com/2008/05/09/funwares-threat-to-the-traditional-video-game-industry/}}{{cite news |last=Callari |first=Ron |date=June 22, 2009 |title=Funware, A New Game Theory For Marketers |publisher=InventorSpot |url=http://inventorspot.com/articles/funware_new_game_theory_marketers_28628 |access-date=September 3, 2023 |archive-date=September 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130924083252/http://inventorspot.com/articles/funware_new_game_theory_marketers_28628 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=March 30, 2010 |title=Game-based marketing takes off from frequent flyer programs to social media |publisher=venturebeat |url=https://venturebeat.com/2010/03/30/game-based-marketing-takes-off-from-frequent-flyer-programs-to-social-media/}}

Gamification as an educational and behavior modification tool reached the public sector by 2012, when the United States Department of Energy co-funded multiple research trials,{{cite SSRN |last1=Rai |first1=Varun |last2=Beck |first2=Ariane |title=Serious Games in Breaking Informational Barriers in Solar Energy |date=June 20, 2016 |ssrn=2816852}} including consumer behavior studies,{{cite journal |last1=Rai |first1=Varun |last2=Beck |first2=Ariane |last3=Lakkaraju |first3=Kiran |title=Small Is Big: Interactive Trumps Passive Information in Breaking Information Barriers and Impacting Behavioral Antecedents |journal= PLOS ONE|date=18 January 2017 |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=e0169326 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0169326 |pmid=28099478 |pmc=5242502 |bibcode=2017PLoSO..1269326B |doi-access=free }} adapting the format of Programmed learning into mobile microlearning to experiment with the impacts of gamification in reducing energy use.{{cite journal |last1=Feeney |first1=Robert |title=Old Tricks Are the Best Tricks: Repurposing Programmed Instruction in the Mobile Digital Age |journal=Performance Improvement |date=April 2017 |volume=56 |issue=5 |pages=6–17 |doi=10.1002/pfi.21694 |s2cid=64490539 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317828803 |access-date=2021-01-05 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220226154903/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317828803_Old_Tricks_Are_the_Best_Tricks_Repurposing_Programmed_Instruction_in_the_Mobile_Digital_Age |url-status=live }}

Gamification 2013, an event exploring the future of gamification, was held at the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus in October 2013.{{cite web|title='UW Stratford campus to host international gamification conference', by Mike Betz|first=Mike|last=Beitz|date=July 12, 2013|publisher=thebeaconherald.com|url=https://www.stratfordbeaconherald.com/2013/07/12/uw-stratford-campus-to-host-international-gamification-conference|access-date=April 11, 2014|archive-date=April 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407081938/https://www.stratfordbeaconherald.com/2013/07/12/uw-stratford-campus-to-host-international-gamification-conference|url-status=live}}

Through gamification's growing adoption and its nature as a data aggregator, multiple legal restrictions may apply to gamification. Some refer to the use of virtual currencies and virtual assets, data privacy laws and data protection, or labor laws.{{cite web|title=Gamification and Law or How to stay out of Prison despite Gamification|first=Mario|last=Herger|date=Jan 4, 2012|publisher=Enterprise-Gamification.com|url=https://enterprise-gamification.com/index.php/en/blog/4-blog/65-gamification-and-law-or-how-to-stay-out-of-prison-despite-gamification|access-date=January 4, 2012|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425121358/https://enterprise-gamification.com/index.php/en/blog/4-blog/65-gamification-and-law-or-how-to-stay-out-of-prison-despite-gamification|archive-date=April 25, 2012}}

The use of virtual currencies, in contrast to traditional payment systems, is not regulated. The legal uncertainty surrounding the virtual currency schemes might constitute a challenge for public authorities, as these schemes can be used by criminals, fraudsters and money launderers to perform their illegal activities.{{cite web|title=Virtual Currency Schemes|date=Oct 2012|publisher=European Central Bank|url=https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/other/virtualcurrencyschemes201210en.pdf|access-date=2013-05-20|archive-date=2012-11-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106053452/https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/other/virtualcurrencyschemes201210en.pdf|url-status=live}}

A March 2022 consultation paper by the Board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) questions whether some gamification tactics should be banned.{{cite news |last1=Sarro |first1=Doug |title=Using gaming tactics in apps raises new legal issues |url=https://theconversation.com/using-gaming-tactics-in-apps-raises-new-legal-issues-181575 |access-date=22 July 2022 |work=The Conversation |date=1 May 2022 |language=en}}

University of Hamburg researcher Sebastian Deterding has characterized the initial popular strategies for gamification as not being fun and creating an artificial sense of achievement. He also says that gamification can encourage unintended behaviours.{{cite news|publisher=Fast Company|title=Reasons Why "Gamification" is Played Out|author=John Pavlus|date=November 4, 2010|url=https://www.fastcodesign.com/1662656/sixty-two-reasons-why-gamification-is-played-out|access-date=November 8, 2010|archive-date=December 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201131818/https://www.fastcodesign.com/1662656/sixty-two-reasons-why-gamification-is-played-out|url-status=live}}

Poorly designed gamification in the workplace has been compared to Taylorism, and is considered a form of micromanagement.{{Cite web|last=Gabrielle|first=Vincent|date=2018-11-01|title=The dark side of gamifying work|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90260703/the-dark-side-of-gamifying-work|access-date=2021-02-19|website=Fast Company|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-01-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117133626/https://www.fastcompany.com/90260703/the-dark-side-of-gamifying-work|url-status=live}}

In a review of 132 of the top health and fitness apps in the Apple app store, in 2014, using gamification as a method to modify behavior, the authors concluded that "Despite the inclusion of at least some components of gamification, the mean scores of integration of gamification components were still below 50 percent. This was also true for the inclusion of game elements and the use of health behavior theory constructs, thus showing a lack of following any clear industry standard of effective gaming, gamification, or behavioral theory in health and fitness apps."

Concern was also expressed in a 2016 study analyzing outcome data from 1,298 users who competed in gamified and incentivized exercise challenges while wearing wearable devices. In that study the authors conjectured that data may be highly skewed by cohorts of already healthy users, rather than the intended audiences of participants requiring behavioral intervention.{{cite journal | doi = 10.2196/games.5358 | pmid=26821955 | volume=4 | issue=1 | title=Behavioral Economics, Wearable Devices, and Cooperative Games: Results From a Population-Based Intervention to Increase Physical Activity | journal=JMIR Serious Games | pages=e1| year=2016 | last1=Van Mierlo | first1=Trevor | last2=Hyatt | first2=Douglas | last3=Ching | first3=Andrew T. | last4=Fournier | first4=Rachel | last5=Dembo | first5=Ron S. | pmc=4751337 | doi-access=free }}

Game designers like Jon Radoff and Margaret Robertson have also criticized gamification as excluding elements like storytelling and experiences and using simple reward systems in place of true game mechanics.{{cite news|publisher=Radoff.com|title=Gamification|author=Jon Radoff|date=February 16, 2011|url=https://radoff.com/blog/2011/02/16/gamification/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110219171239/https://radoff.com/blog/2011/02/16/gamification/|archive-date=February 19, 2011}}{{cite news|publisher=Hideandseek.net|title=Can't Play Won't Play|author=Margaret Robertson|url=https://www.hideandseek.net:80/cant-play-wont-play|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101009223951/https://www.hideandseek.net:80/cant-play-wont-play|archive-date=2010-10-09}}

Gamification practitioners{{cite web|url=https://gamification.co/2011/08/10/lies-damned-lies-and-academics/|title=Lies, Damned Lies and Academics|first=Gabe|last=Zichermann|work=Gamification Co |publisher=Gamification.co|date=2011-08-10|access-date=2014-07-28|archive-date=2014-07-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710011457/https://www.gamification.co/2011/08/10/lies-damned-lies-and-academics/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://enterprise-gamification.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18:gamification-is-bullshit-the-academic-tea-party-blog-of-gamification&catid=4:blog&Itemid=251&lang=en|title=Gamification is Bullshit? The academic tea-party-blog of gamification|first=Mario|last=Herger|date=12 March 2016|publisher=Enterprise-Gamification.com|access-date=28 July 2014|archive-date=10 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910091536/https://enterprise-gamification.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18:gamification-is-bullshit-the-academic-tea-party-blog-of-gamification&catid=4:blog&Itemid=251&lang=en|url-status=usurped}} have pointed out that while the initial popular designs were in fact mostly relying on simplistic reward approach, even those led to significant improvements in short-term engagement.{{cite web|url=https://www.enterprise-gamification.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Facts_%26_Figures|title=Gamification facts & Figures|first=Mario|last=Herger|date=31 March 2020|publisher=Enterprise-Gamification.com|access-date=28 July 2014|archive-date=9 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809033417/https://www.enterprise-gamification.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Facts_%26_Figures|url-status=usurped}} This was supported by the first comprehensive study in 2014, which concluded that an increase in gamification elements correlated with an increase in motivation score, but not with capacity or opportunity/trigger scores.{{Cite journal|title = Just a Fad? Gamification in Health and Fitness Apps|journal = JMIR Serious Games|date = 2014-08-04|pmc = 4307823|pmid = 25654660|volume = 2|issue = 2|pages = e9|doi = 10.2196/games.3413|language = en|first1 = Cameron|last1 = Lister|first2 = Joshua H|last2 = West|first3 = Ben|last3 = Cannon|first4 = Tyler|last4 = Sax|first5 = David|last5 = Brodegard | doi-access=free }}{{Cite journal|title = The behaviour change wheel: A new method for characterising and designing behaviour change interventions|journal = Implementation Science|date = 2011-04-23|pmc = 3096582|pmid = 21513547|volume = 6|issue = 1|page = 42|doi = 10.1186/1748-5908-6-42|language = En|first1 = Susan|last1 = Michie|first2 = Maartje M van|last2 = Stralen|first3 = Robert|last3 = West | doi-access=free }}

The same study called for standardization across the app industry on gamification principles to improve the effectiveness of health apps on the health outcomes of users.

MIT Professor Kevin Slavin has described business research into gamification as flawed and misleading for those unfamiliar with gaming.{{cite web|url=https://slavin.tumblr.com/post/6353625142/in-a-world-filled-with-sloppy-thinking-this|date=June 9, 2011|title=In a World Filled With Sloppy Thinking|first=Kevin|last=Slavin|access-date=August 11, 2011|archive-date=September 19, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110919074633/https://slavin.tumblr.com/post/6353625142/in-a-world-filled-with-sloppy-thinking-this|url-status=live}} Heather Chaplin, writing in Slate, describes gamification as "an allegedly populist idea that actually benefits corporate interests over those of ordinary people".{{cite journal|url=https://www.slate.com/articles/technology/gaming/2011/03/i_dont_want_to_be_a_superhero.single.html|date=March 29, 2011|title=I Don't Want To Be a Superhero|first=Heather|last=Chaplin|journal=Slate |access-date=May 16, 2015|archive-date=November 20, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120062540/https://www.slate.com/articles/technology/gaming/2011/03/i_dont_want_to_be_a_superhero.single.html|url-status=live}} Jane McGonigal has distanced her work from the label "gamification", listing rewards outside of gameplay as the central idea of gamification and distinguishing game applications where the gameplay itself is the reward under the term "gameful design".{{cite web|url=https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1014576/We-Don-t-Need-No|title=How To Reinvent Reality Without Gamification|first=Jane|last=McGonigal|publisher=GDC|access-date=2013-02-12|archive-date=2013-01-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124222230/https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1014576/We-Don-t-Need-No|url-status=live}}

"Gamification" as a term has also been criticized. Ian Bogost has referred to the term as a marketing fad and suggested "exploitation-ware" as a more suitable name for the games used in marketing.{{cite web|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/persuasive-games-exploitationware|title=Persuasive Games: Exploitationware|first=Ian|last=Bogost|date=3 May 2011 |publisher=Gamasutra|access-date=2013-02-12|archive-date=2013-01-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131034745/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/134735/persuasive_games_exploitationware.php?page=2|url-status=live}} Other opinions on the terminology criticism have made the case why the term gamification makes sense.{{cite web|url=https://enterprise-gamification.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=143:the-term-gamification-why-i-hate-it-and-why-i-love-it&catid=4:blog&Itemid=251&lang=en|title=About the Term Gamification: Why I Hate It AND Why I Love It|first=Mario|last=Herger|date=12 March 2016|publisher=Enterprise-Gamification.com|access-date=28 July 2014|archive-date=10 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910085742/https://enterprise-gamification.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=143:the-term-gamification-why-i-hate-it-and-why-i-love-it&catid=4:blog&Itemid=251&lang=en|url-status=usurped}}

In an article by the LA Times, the gamification of worker engagement at Disneyland was described as an "electronic whip".{{Cite web |date=2011-10-19 |title=Steve Lopez: Disneyland workers answer to 'electronic whip' |url=https://www.latimes.com/health/la-xpm-2011-oct-19-la-me-1019-lopez-disney-20111018-story.html |access-date=2022-11-12 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}} Workers had reported feeling controlled and overworked by the system.

• Bartle taxonomy of player types
• BrainHex
• Dark pattern
• Egoboo, a component of some gamification strategies
• Gamification of learning
• GNS theory

{{notelist}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book|last=Burke|title=Gamify: How Gamification Motivates People to Do Extraordinary Things|publisher=Bibliomotion|year=2014|isbn=978-1-937134-85-3|first=Brian}}
• {{cite book|last=Marczewski|title=Even Ninja Monkeys Like to Play: Unicorn Edition|publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing|year=2018|isbn=978-1-7240-1710-9|first=Andrzej}}

{{Video game genre}}

{{Cognitive psychology}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Behavioral economics

Category:Gaming

Category:User interface techniques