1.
Gamification: Seriously Fun
TTI Vanguard 2011
Jesse Schell

2.
Seriously Fun: Agenda
• 8:30-9:00: Lecture A: Intro to Games and Gamification
• 9:00-9:15: Exercise 1: (team) Meet your teammates
• 9:15-9:45: Exercise 2: (all) What problems could gamification solve?
• 9:45-10:00: Exercise 3: (team) Pick a problem to solve
• 10:00 -10:30: Lecture B: Game Brainstorming 101
• 10:30-10:50: BREAK
• 10:50-11:30: Exercise 4: (team) Brainstorm potential solutions
• 11:30-11:50: Lecture C: Narrowing the Game Idea Space
• 11:50-12:10: Exercise 5: (team) Choosing one solution
• 12:10-1:00: LUNCH
• 1:00-1:30: Lecture D: Developing Your Game Idea
• 1:30-2:30: Exercise 6: (team) Develop a Three Minute Pitch
• 2:30-3:10: Pitch session! All teams give their pitches!
• 3:10-3:30: Lecture E: Final Thoughts

3.
LEVEL

4.
Lecture A: Introduction

5.
Games
Real Life

6.
The voyage of discovery is not in seeking
new landscapes but in having new eyes.
– Marcel Proust

7.
Magic Words
• I am a game designer.
• Who is a game designer?
• I am a game designer.
• No you’re not.
• I am a game designer.
• What kind of designer?
• I am a game designer.
• You mean you play games.
• I am a game designer.

8.
What does “game design” mean?
Game Design is the act of deciding
what a game should be.

9.
What skills does Game Designer need
to be good at?
• Animation • History
• Anthropology • Interface Design
• Architecture • Management
• Art • Mathematics
• Brainstorming • Music
• Business • Psychology
• Cinematography • Public Speaking
• Communication • Sound Design
• Creative Writing • Technical Writing
• Economics • Visual Arts
• Engineering • …and much more!

10.
What is the most important skill for a
game designer?
?

11.
?
Team
Client
Game
Self
Audience

12.
Experimental Film by TMBG
• I already know the ending /
• it’s the part that makes your face implode /
• I don’t know what makes your face implode /
• but that’s the way the movie ends.

13.
The Lens of
the
Essential
Experience

14.
Choco-fication!

15.
“Hafta” “Wanna”
Duty Fun
Work Play
Slavery Freedom
Efficiency Pleasure

16.
“Work consists of
whatever a body is
obliged to do, and
play consists of
whatever a body is
not obliged to do.”
- Mark Twain

17.
Games are special because…
• They are interactive
• They are designed
ENTIRELY for pleasure

18.
Games provide:
• Clear Feedback
• A Sense of Progress
• The Possibility of Success
• Mental and Physical Exercise
• A Chance to Satisfy Your Curiosity
• A Chance to Solve a Problem
• A Feeling of Freedom

19.
Laughter
Discovery Thrill
Fantasy Story Triumph
Expression Challenge Sensation

20.
The Lens
of
Pleasure

21.
What is a game, anyway?
A game is:
a problem solving activity,
approached with
a spirit of curiosity.

22.
The Lens
of
Curiosity

23.
The Lens
of
Problem
Solving

24.
LEVEL

25.
The Lens
of the
Team

26.
Exercise 1: Meet Your Teammates
1. What is your name?
2. What is your company and role there?
3. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
4. When you were ten years old, what was your
favorite game?
5. How do you hope to use what you learn in
today’s session?
Finish by
6. One question from a teammate. 9:15am

27.
LEVEL

28.
The Lens
of the
Problem
Statement

29.
Exercise 2: What Problem to Solve?

30.
LEVEL

31.
Exercise 3: Pick one!
1. Pick a problem that you personally are
interested in solving – write it down
2. Get everyone’s written ideas up on the easel
3. Come to consensus one which one you will
pursue
Finish by
10:00am

32.
LEVEL

33.
Lecture B: Game Brainstorming 101

34.
Idea  Game
1) Think of an idea.
2) Try it out.
3) Keep changing it and testing it until it seems
good enough.

35.
The Lens
of the
Problem
Statement

36.
Reasons for a clear problem statement
1) Broader creative space
2) Clear measurement of success
3) Better communication

37.
The best way to
have a good idea
is to have a lot
of ideas.
- Linus Pauling

38.
Nine Brainstorming Tips
1. Yes, and…
2. Write down EVERYTHING
3. Number your lists!
4. Acknowledge the power of the marker
5. Jot notes if interrupting is hard
6. Use Images
7. Crack Jokes
8. Listen to your subconscious
9. Mix and Match categories

39.
Ray Bradbury

40.
The Elemental Tetrad
Aesthetics
Mechanics Story
Technology

41.
The Lens
of the
Elemental
Tetrad

42.
Technology Aesthetics
Story Mechanics

43.
LEVEL

44.
BREAK
til
10:50

45.
Exercise 4: Brainstorm Solutions!
1. Yes, and… Finish by
11:30am
2. Write down EVERYTHING
3. Number your lists!
4. Acknowledge the power of the marker
5. Jot notes if interrupting is hard
6. Use Images
7. Crack Jokes
8. Listen to your subconscious
9. Mix and Match categories

46.
LEVEL

47.
Lecture C: Narrowing

48.
Which idea should I pick?

49.
Pick something!

50.
A plan is a real thing.

51.
The Lens
of the
Eight
Filters

52.
The Eight Filters of “Good Enough”
1) Artistic Impulse – Does this game feel right?
2) Demographics – Will the intended audience like this game?
3) Experience Design – Is this a well-designed game?
4) Innovation – Is this game novel enough?
5) Business and Marketing – Will this game be profitable?
6) Engineering – Is it technically possible to build this game?
7) Social / Community – Does this game meet our social and
community goals?
8) Playtesting – Do the playtesters enjoy this game enough?

53.
Rewards can Backfire

54.
LEVEL

55.
Exercise 5: Choose one solution
1. Each person pick 3-5 you like, and write them
down
2. Go through each, one at a time, and mark
down the votes
3. Come to consensus on a solution that you
will go forward with
4. Write it down on a piece of paper, and give it
to me
Finish by
12:10pm

56.
LEVEL

57.
LUNCH!

58.
LEVEL

59.
Lecture D: Developing Your Game Idea

60.
Pleasure is COMPLEX

61.
The Lens
of Fun

62.
What is fun, anyway?
Fun is pleasure with surprises.

63.
The Lens
of
Surprise

64.
Player Experience of Needs Satisfaction
(www.immersyve.com)
Competence Autonomy Relatedness
I want to be I want I want to
good at what freedom! connect to
I do! others!

65.
The Lens
of Control

66.
Freedom
The Lens
of
Freedom

67.
The Lens of
Community

68.
Age Demographics
• 0-3 Infant / Toddler
• 4-6 Preschooler
• 7-9 Kids
• 10-12 Tweens
• 13-18 Teen
• 19-24 Young Adult
• 25-34 Adult
• 35-49 Thirties and Forties
• 50+ Fifties and Up

69.
Gender Preferences
• Male • Female
– Mastery – Emotion
– Competition – Real World
– Destruction – Nurturing
– Spatial Puzzles – Dialog and Verbal Puzzles
– Trial and Error – Learning by Example

70.
The Lens
of the
Player

71.
The Lens
of
Judgment

72.
Crossing the street
Suxxors Roxxors!

73.
The Lens of
Feedback

74.
LEVEL

75.
The Lens
of Visible
Progress

76.
Four Keys for Gamifying
Before After

77.
Key 1: Make it Engaging

78.
Key 2: Make it Effortless

79.
Key 3: Make it Uncheatable

80.
Key 4: Make it Not Embarrassing

81.
LEVEL

82.
Exercise 6: Develop Your Pitch!
• You will create a three minute Powerpoint
presentation that explains your idea
• But…
• Your powerpoint will have NO WORDS!

83.
Exercise 6: Develop Your Pitch!
Finish by
1. What problem are you solving? 2:25pm
2. Why is this problem worth solving?
3. Who is the audience for your solution?
4. How does your solution work? (Walk us through
an example of it being used)
5. Is there a compulsion loop? What drives it?
6. What are the key moments?
7. What are the social forces?
8. Why is this a good investment of time and
resources?

84.
LEVEL

85.
Pitches!
1. What problem are you solving?
2. Why is this problem worth solving?
3. Who is the audience for your solution?
4. How does your solution work? (Walk us through
an example of it being used)
5. Is there a compulsion loop? What drives it?
6. What are the key moments?
7. What are the social forces?
8. Why is this a good investment of time and
resources?

86.
LEVEL

87.
Final Thoughts

88.
You CAN make your experiences better
• Ask yourself these simple
questions:
– Given what I know about
my guests…
– Why will they like this
experience?
– How can I get them to like
it more?

89.
Persuaders Fulfillers
Artists Humanitarians

90.
Persuaders

91.
Fulfillers

92.
Artists

93.
Humanitarians

94.
Persuaders Fulfillers
Artists Humanitarians

95.
“Long experience has taught me that the
crux of my fortunes is whether I can radiate
good will toward my audience. There is only
one way to do it and that is to feel it. You
can fool the eyes and minds of the audience,
but you cannot fool their hearts.”
- Howard Thurston

96.
LEVEL
10000
00000

97.
Thanks!
Email: jesse@schellgames.com
Twitter: @jesseschell
Slides: jesseschell.com