Gartner: More Than 70 Percent of Global 2000 Companies To Have at Least One Gamified Application by 2014

By 2014, more than 70 percent of Global 2000 organisations will have at least one "gamified" application, according to Gartner, Inc. Analysts said that while the current interest in gamification is largely driven by novelty and hype, gamification is still positioned to become a significant trend over the next five years.

Gamification describes the broad trend of applying game mechanics to non-game environments to motivate people and change behaviour.

At Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2011 on the Gold Coast next week, Gartner research vice president Brian Burke will talk with Australian technology executives about whether they need to address this trend in their own organisation.

"Gamification aims to inspire deeper, more engaged relationships and to change behaviour, but it needs to be implemented thoughtfully," said Mr. Burke. "Most attempts at gamification currently miss the mark, but successful and sustainable gamification can convert customers into fans, turn work into fun, or make learning a joy. The potential is enormous."

For a gamified application to engage its audience, three key ingredients must be present and correctly positioned: motivation, momentum and meaning (collectively known as "M"). According to Mr Burke, "The vast majority of gamified applications today lack or misplace at least one of these ingredients, which means they run the risk of falling into disuse once the novelty wears off."

Motivation is inspired by most of today's gamified applications primarily by offering extrinsic rewards and/or weak intrinsic rewards to direct behavioural changes. Extrinsic motivation comes from outside an individual and is inspired by rewards such as money and grades. Intrinsic motivation exists within an individual and derives from that person's interest in, or enjoyment of, the task. "Framing the right motivations is an important consideration when designing gamified applications," said Mr. Burke. "It's essential to use the right mix of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, combined with appropriate player relationships — competitive or collaborative."

Momentum depends on sustained engagement. In gaming, momentum is achieved by balancing the difficulty of the challenges presented with the skill levels of the players. If players find challenges too easy, they will soon get bored. On the other hand, if challenges are too difficult, players will become frustrated. Gamified applications need to engage players quickly and maintain their engagement through deft use of game mechanics such as challenges, rules, chance, rewards and levels.

Meaning is about serving a larger purpose. To succeed, gamified applications must provide rewards that are meaningful to the participants. Different people will find different rewards and incentives meaningful, but many will value opportunities to help charities through donations, lose weight, master a specific skill or achieve a significant task.

"Gamification could become as important as Facebook, eBay or Amazon," said Mr. Burke. "During 2012, 20 percent of Global 2000 organisations will deploy a gamified application. IT leaders must start exploring opportunities to use gamification to increase engagement with customers and employees, with the aim of deploying a gamified application next year. Understanding how to apply game mechanics to motivate positive behavioural change is critical to success."

About Gartner Symposium/ITxpoGartner Symposium/ITxpo is the industry's largest and most important annual gathering of CIOs and senior IT executives. This event delivers independent and objective content with the authority and weight of the world's leading IT research and advisory organisation, and provides access to the latest solutions from key technology providers. Gartner's annual Symposium/ITxpo events are key components of attendees' annual planning efforts. They rely on Gartner Symposium/ITxpo to gain insight into how their organisations can use IT to address business challenges and improve operational efficiency.

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 About Gartner

Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT) is the world's leading information technology research and advisory company. Gartner delivers the technology-related insight necessary for its clients to make the right decisions, every day. From CIOs and senior IT leaders in corporations and government agencies, to business leaders in high-tech and telecom enterprises and professional services firms, to technology investors, Gartner is a valuable partner to 60,000 clients in 11,500 distinct organisations. Through the resources of Gartner Research, Gartner Executive Programs, Gartner Consulting and Gartner Events, Gartner works with every client to research, analyze and interpret the business of IT within the context of their individual role. Founded in 1979, Gartner is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, USA, and has 4,500 associates, including 1,250 research analysts and consultants, and clients in 85 countries. For more information, visit www.gartner.com.

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