GoalMafia

Do you like EpicWin, but hate medieval fantasy? Check out GoalMafia. "GoalMafia: Execute Your Goals."

Earndit

You've seen lots of "get rewards for exercising" programs by this time -- but Earndit is different -- it is a meta-system, that can pull data from many different systems. Will the Gamepocalypse feature a weird hierarchy of reward systems? Of course! When you use your credit card at the grocery store and get both frequent flier miles and gas points, you're already doing it! Why not get Nike points *and* Earndit points *and* Fitbug points *and* RunKeeper points *and* level up your pokemon *and* get points for whatever ends up sitting on top of Earndit at the same time?

The Game Layer on top of the World

Cool talk from Seth Priebatsch about gamification mechanics. About 12 minutes.

Visions of the Gamepocalypse - video

The video of my Visions of the Gamepocalypse talk is up -- nice editing job! There is almost two hours of goodness here, but click "Watch full program" if you want to see it separated out into chapters and everything. Want to play it like a drinking game? Drink every time I say "frickin'" or "awesome." Chug when I say "Frickin' Awesome."

SMBC Theater: MMO

Haw! The Gamepocalypse, indeed!

Ultrinsic

Intrinsic? Extrinsic? Ultrinsic! Want to place bets on what grades you'll get? Now you can! It might even be legal! Thanks to Ian Schreiber for the tip!

Foldit

Foldit has been getting some good press recently. Want to play a game that might actually help real scientists? Do you like 3D representations of proteins? Do you like playing games where you are really not quite sure what you are doing? This might be for you! The creators have done a magnificent job at making an extremely peculiar activity seem somewhat intuitive through a great step-by-step playable tutorial.

I had the pleasure of meeting with Adrien Treuille, one of the creators, not too long ago, and he mentioned that a DNA game might be next... and then the Gamepocalypse will be in our genes!

Vive Virtual Health Coach

Vive is a virtual health coach for your smartphone that gives you challenges, rewards, reminders, and tips. There's a lot of these, but this one seems to have pretty high production values, and is well thought through.

Virgin HealthMiles

Virgin HealthMiles is a system that companies can purchase, that gives points and rewards to employees who exhibit healthy activities via digital pedometers. What can I say that this corporate website doesn't already say? Like:

Virgin HealthMiles’ Pay-for-Prevention™ model creates a culture of prevention that not only rewards the notion of personal responsibility in adopting the right behaviors, but aligns your company interests with those of your employees to drive down lifestyle-related health care and productivity costs. This approach demonstrates true proof of performance with validated activity and health data, enabling you to ensure rewards are earned for actual performance. Your company also benefits from real-time reporting, which details measurable improvements in the health of your workforce and the impact of your overall wellness strategy.

 Thanks corporate website! But what rewards do my employees get?

Your employees will earn points – we call them HealthMiles – for increasing their daily activity and reaching key milestones. As their HealthMiles accumulate, they’ll proceed through a series of five predetermined levels. Every program is different, but if your organization would like to offer incentives to your employees, levels are the milestones at which cash incentives are awarded.

Do I have to give them cash?

Many organizations choose to implement our HealthCash system that allows employees to earn gift cards to major retailers, or cash to spend as they choose. If you’d prefer to offer health insurance premium discounts, HSA credits, something else or nothing at all, we’ll work with you to design a program that motivates your employees as effectively as possible and as you deem appropriate.

Am I doing this because I'm an awesome boss? No way! I'm doing it to save myself money! Check out the calculator on the front page that tells how much I'll save by manipulating my employees into good health!

Tooth Tunes

This isn't a game, per se, but it is a weird way to make toothbrushing into entertainment. The idea is that you should brush your teeth until the song is over. I'm for anything that vibrates my jawbone. And, seriously, there is a Napoleon Dynamite edition.

The Fun Theory

This cool website is all about taking ordinary things, making them more fun, and using that to improve people's behavior. Can fun experiences get people to stop littering? To stop speeding? To recycle? To clean their rooms? In the anecdotal tests shown here, it looks pretty effective -- but how much of it is novelty? Will the effect persist after several months?

It would be easier to take all this seriously if it weren't an ad for Volkswagen.

Game-based Marketing

I wrote about this book on my other blog, but it is highly relevant to the Gamepocalypse, so I'm cross-posting it here.

Madgets

The future of tabletop gaming just got cooler -- with Madgets! Thanks to Ryan Hipple for the link!

Marlboro Miles and Camel Cash

These cigarette promotions are no longer offered, but they are worth studying. Were they cancelled because they weren't working, because people acclimated to them, or because they were working too well? Are new ones with better game mechanics in the offing?

GPS Detergent Boxes

In a novel advertising campaign, some boxes of Brazilian detergent Omo will contain Lojack-like GPS devices, so the ad agency can show up at your house, and give you a prize. It gets big points for being effortless, and even more points for being creepy. Thanks to Tom Guarriello for the tip!