Background: Recently, TechCrunch featured an article about the playdeck they use at SCVNGR that outlines the mechanics of gameplay. The article cites at TED talk by game designer Jane McGonigal, which I talk about here. I was a little disappointed with McGonigal’s conclusion, because she basically offered up the solution as specially-themed video games to leverage the power of game mechanics, or “gameplay superpowers”, to do good in the real world and incite behavior change.
Jane McGonigal gives a fascinating talk about the “superpowers” cultivated by the game-playing masses (more than 500 million with another billion coming up in the next decade!). Obviously we all have the image of the gamer locked in his mother’s basement, endlessly pawing away at an electronic reward system, like a hamster. McGonigal’s takeaway is a little different though. She emphasizes the motivation, inspiration, and social purpose built into game play.
