Sesame Credit

I haven't posted anything on this blog for quite a while, because really I was finding so much of the gamification stuff I was running across to be repetitive or badly designed, or just boring. But... Sesame Credit is none of these things. At last a system that lives up to the title of this blog. Just watch this video -- while it's still legal to do so:

Want To Ease Traffic Congestion? Just Play Games!

Chutes and Ladders

Although seemingly counter-intuitive, a new game app developed by a Google Ventures-backed start-up can reduce traffic in busy transportation systems.

How? The app, a mobile version of the children's board game Chutes and Ladders, incentivizes people using transit systems to commute during less active hours, thus reducing congestion at traditionally brisk travel times. Users earn points when they commute during off-peak hours based on the time-stamp on their commuter cards, and those points can be redeemed for real prizes, including money or tickets to sporting events. Preliminary results showed as much as a 17% shift from peak to off-peak travel in heavily congested areas, including Singapore, Bangalore and California.

Would cash and prizes tempt you to show up to work at 10AM, instead of 8AM? You'd be able to earn money, sleep in and save the earth. Sounds like a win-win for everyone! (just make sure your boss is on board.)

To learn more about this inventive game app, read this article or visit Urban Engines.

Screenshot of the app

Playful Recycling

Can recycling be fun? The folks at the Coca-Cola Company seem to think so. To encourage recycling in parts of the world with little awareness of its benefits, Cola-Cola introduced an arcade game powered not by tokens nor money, but by plastic Coke bottles. Just pop an empty bottle into the uniquely designed slot and earn your chance to play the Pong-like game on the machine.

Known as the "Happiness Arcade," this game was on display in six different parts of Dhaka, Bangladesh over a six-day period. Watch the awesome reactions of some of the players in this video.

What do you think? Can playful recycling lead to broader awareness and higher rates of participation?

Augmented Reality Made Easier...With Contact Lenses

Wearable tech continues to make its way into our everyday lives. Technology developer Innovega recently debuted its latest iOptik product, which consists of modern-looking eye glasses and a pair of contact lenses, that allow the wearer to view not only their immediate surroundings but also their personal digital media.

iOptik glasses

Here's the twist: the wearer can use the special contact lenses just as they would any pair of contacts. They can place them in their eyes and their vision will be normal. It is only after the wearer dons the iOptik glasses that they will have a truly immersive, augmented reality experience with the iOptik system.

View of the world using the iOptik system

This article provides a great overview of this new technology.

World Exploration Becomes a Game

Created by an exclusive team at Google, Ingress is a game that gets you out of the house and into the world. This mobile app, driven by Google maps, encourages users to move through their own neighborhood or locale to play the game. The game directs players to find objects, capture territories and ally with others to complete required tasks. The Android version can be downloaded at the Google Play store, and the game will be available for iOS devices sometime this year. Learn more about it here.

Do you think the release of this game signals the beginning of a trend where more game developers seek to incorporate GPS-like systems into gameplay?

For Your Eyes Only

The idea of controlling a game using your eyes only has been around for awhile. Recently the companies Tobii and SteelSeries developed new, affordable game gear that uses eye tracking to make the game play experience more captivating. Learn more about it in this story.

It is worth noting that this device is actually a less expensive version of the excellent LC Technologies Eye Follower. The Tobii EyeX tool kit for developers is being sold for the low price of $95. 

Would you like to play a game using your eyes only? Just be sure to have some Visine on hand!

The Next Level of 3-D Motion Tracking Has Arrived

MIT has done it again. It's developed WiTrack, the newest generation of motion tracking. This technology uses a wireless network and radio waves to track a person's movement in a room. It can even see through walls, making its applications endless.

Check out the video. It's pretty amazing.

The Nose Knows

Think of it...a game that rewards you not only with points, but also with the smell of buttered popcorn! The company Pop Secret commissioned the creation of an iOS game called Poptopia that can be accompanied by a Pop Dongle, a device which emits the smell of buttered popcorn during game play. Apparently the smell becomes more intense the better the game is played.

Are we finally one step closer to smell-o-vision? You decide.

What do you call a group of Pop Dongles? A herd, a gaggle, a flock?

The "Wright" Way to Gamify Your Life

In a recent interview, Will Wright, creator of Electronic Arts' SimCity and The Sims, explored the idea of constructing a game that connects people to the gameplay of their lives, rather than to fictitious or virtual worlds. Wright explains that he is "extremely interested in making games where reality is the playing field."

What do you think? Do people play games to escape their own reality? Or will they embrace the idea of creating a game world based on their own lives? 

Goodbye Gamification, Hello Gumification!

Forget remote controls and arrow keys. They are so last century. This new iOS game called Gumulon is controlled by mastication. Yup...chewing. Using the front facing camera, players chew to control the game's characters as they swing and jump through dangerous mazes. Developed for makers of the Stride gum, this game gives players a truly original way to play.

Interested in learning more? Read on.

Chok! Chok! Chok!

Leave it to master marketer Coca-Cola to create the first ever interactive television/mobile promotion that successfully uses game mechanics to reach its audience. Mobile users were instructed to download an app to their phones. Then at an appointed time, a Coca-Cola commercial aired on television, prompting people to race for their device to "chok," or frantically shake it, for a chance to win instant prizes. The app was downloaded 380,000 times in the first month alone and nine million people saw the ad, proving yet again that games can be a fun and powerful motivator.

Read more about this amazing marketing campaign.

Paper Tab

Tablets will get thinner and cheaper... until this happens:


It's a big question -- how cheap will they get? Can you imagine having a stack of fifty battery powered sheets of paper? It will probably happen, probably by 2030, if I had to guess.

Microsoft Illumiroom

Ray Bradbury presents: The Xbox 451!


In the long term, consoles will find it more and more necessary to be deeply immersive, and this system does that by involving your peripheral vision, which is important because peripheral vision is what the brain uses to give you a feeling of motion. Described in some detail by Ray Bradbury in Fahrenheit 451, this has been used in the CAVE attractions at DisneyQuest to great effect -- and at last it may be coming to the home. Choosing to burn all your books is optional -- for now.

"My Brain is Busy...Call Back Later"

Developed in a mere 26 hours at a hackathon sponsored by AT&T, the app Good Times takes call management to a whole new level. By tapping into brain waves, the app can determine whether or not it is a good time for the user to make or take a phone call. If the user is concentrating or agitated, the app can detect the increased brain activity, and in turn, provide the caller with a message to try again later. When the user is relaxed, the system lets the call through. Read more about it here.

The app's creator sees many applications for this technology beyond call screening. He suggests it could be used to change the music on your player based on your mood. Or it could automatically switch the television channel if you were bored.

What other applications can you see for this technology?

Put a Fork in It!

The new year has arrived, and many have turned their thoughts to fulfilling new year's resolutions. For some, losing weight is top of the list. A French company HAPIlabs has developed a new technology to aid in this pursuit.

Called the HAPIfork, this electronic fork monitors your eating habits. The company contends that weight gain can be caused by eating too fast. This "smart fork" alerts you when you are eating too quickly. It also measures every meal and tracks it via an app on your phone. The Verge saw this fork at CES 2013 and reports on it here.

A special thanks to Scott Landsman for pointing out this new gadget!

Gamification Goes Mainstream

More and more companies are using the principles of game design to entice people to use their products and services. This New York Times article highlights the different ways gamification is seeping into our every day lives. Even the article itself is a game. Earn a badge for scrolling to the end. Score additional points for finding the quote from me.

Kiip: Gaming Customer Rewards

Kiip is a mobile rewards company that allows advertisers to give awards to their customers while they are interfacing with games or apps. The Kiip system shows banner ads at a moment of achievement within an app. Users who click on the ad can claim a reward, like a $5 shopping card from a retailer. (See the above picture for an example.) Currently Kiip is in the process of expanding its model beyond mobile to any web platform.

BTW, according to its web site, the company name is pronounced "keep," not "kip."

Learn more about Kiip in this article from VentureBeat.

Gamifying Employee Recognition

Seattle based start-up MeritShare is boldly venturing into the world of employee recognition programs. Their web-based software offers both online and offline rewards, and allows companies to promote their employees' successes both internally and externally. Read more in this VentureBeat article.

With costs to replace exiting employees rising, do you think systems like this one will strengthen employee satisfaction and encourage retention? Share your thoughts with me.

XBox Gamerscore Earns Discounts

Now your XBox Gamerscore gets you discounts when you buy stuff in their store. Details here: http://www.shacknews.com/article/75977/gamerscore-unlocks-xbox-live-marketplace-rebates

Sight

Sight is an awesome short film painting a clear picture of the Gamepocalypse from Eran May-raz and Daniel Lazo. It's like a 2.0 version of PLAY or Augmented (HYPER) Reality. Thoughtful, concise, and well-executed. But... how does that dude click on stuff?

You might also check out my ARE2010 Keynote on the subject.