Social Media and Gaming Mechanics

Great slide below by Amy Jo Kim. It describes the intersection of that which makes gaming addictive and social media. She defines game mechanics as "the systems and features that make games fun, compelling, and addictive." Those are:

1. Collecting - Impressive Collections = Bragging Rights (think 'Connections' on LinkedIn); People want to complete collections (only X more to go...);
   
2. Points - Game points from the system and Social points from other players; Redeemable points drive loyalty; Leaderboards drive player behavior; Levels punctuate the game experience and open features.
   
3. Feedback - Accelerates mastery and makes it fun. Social feedback drives engagement.
   
4. Exchanges - Implicit or Explicit
   
5. Customization - Of characters and interfaces

Gaming is also influencing Social Media with the following trends, according to Kim:

• Accessible
• Recombinant
• Syndicated

Here's the presentation:

Fun in Functional 2009

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