A never-before published look at the many possibilities of social game development
People are playing games more than ever before--but many of those games are less obvious than you might think. Games have influenced education, healthcare, retail, and consumer industries. Here are a few companies doing things with game mechanics that you might not have suspected, as well as questions you can ask yourself about your own business:
1) LinkedIn.com
The popular business networking website has turned networking into a game. People love collecting things--and on LinkedIn, the connections you form with other people are like a collection of virtual business cards. The more connections you have, the more you “win.” On LinkedIn, the rewards are social status; but collecting is fun in a wide range of businesses. What could you enable your customers to collect?
2) Dollar Tree
Exploration is fun, and many popular digital and social games are about finding hidden places, secret treasures and unusual artifacts. Dollar Tree attracts people with the premise that everything will be only $1 --but it’s the act of exploring that is fun for many people. Could your company give your customers the thrill of exploration? Better yet, could you let people use social media to spread the word of their discoveries?
3) Cold Stone Creamery
In games like World of Warcraft, many people enjoy “crafting” their own products. Creativity is fun--even when it comes from a well-worn process. Combine it with the pleasure of eating great ice cream, and you’ll understand part of what makes Cold Stone Creamery interesting. Beyond Cold Stone Creamery, other companies as diverse as Brighton (jewelry and accessories) and Build-a-Bear Workshop (stuffed bears) are tapping into the desire for personal, automated crafting to turn shopping and dining into an experience. How can you allow your customers to craft?
4) Upromise
Upromise has turned saving money for college into a game--it’s about discovering the products and companies that allow you to earn extra cash to invest in your kids’ education. It’s also a social game: you enroll your family, and make college savings a team effort. What makes it work is the continuous sense of progress. How can you give customers a sense that they’re always achieving something?
5) Nike
Nike has gone beyond being a footwear company--they’re about providing a complete experience that’s about running and fashion. Using social technology like Nike+, an application that let’s you record your runs and share them with others around the world, Nike promotes a sense of community with their brand. Likewise, Nike.ID allows customers to design their own look, and share them with others. By integrating multiple elements of competition, discovery and personalization into their products, it’s as if you’re playing the World of Nike game. How could you create an immersive experience for your customers?
6) Groupon
For many people, collecting coupons is more than a way to save money--it’s about discovery and reward. Groupon has taken it to the next level by making it a social experience as well: when you find an activity you like, you can save a few dollars while also uncovering an activity that you and your friends can enjoy together. How can you market your business better by turning a solitary experience into a social activity?
7) MeYouHealth
Successful games feature many small rewards to keep you focused and engaged. One of the largest areas where this could have a huge and positive effect on society is our health--but let’s face it: healthcare is rarely fun. MeYouHealth, a subsidiary of Healthways, is creating games and applications that get people to think about well-being by focusing on the small steps you can take to improve your life. How can you give your customers a pathway to success, one small (but rewarding) step at a time?
8) St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum
Almost every game is about learning: figuring out a strategy, improving a skill, or gaining an understanding of a set of rules; yet attempts at integrating learning with games have often yielded less-than-engaging results. However, when learning is made fun by crafting an experience enriched by story and discovery, the results can be spectacular. A great example of this is the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum, which has turned learning about pirates into a fully immersive adventure. Rather than have your customers look at a world, how can you have them customers experience it?
As one of the few entrepreneurs in the world with expertise building both social media and games, author Jon Radoff brings a one-of-a-kind perspective to this unique book. He shows that games are more than a profitable form of entertainment?the techniques of social games can be used to enhance the quality of online applications, social media and a wide range of other consumer and business experiences. With this book, you?ll explore how social games can be put to work for any business and examine why they work at all. The first part of explains what makes games fun, while the second part reviews the process and details of game design.
- Looks at how games are the basis for many everyday functions and explains how techniques of social games can be used by businesses as money-making tools
- Drills down the process of game design while focusing on the design, analysis, and creation of games
- Features screen shots, diagrams and explanations to illuminate key concepts, accessible to anyone regardless of game playing or design experience
- Reviews what works and what doesn?t using a range of real-world scenarios as examples
- Author Jon Radoff has a unique blend of experiences creating games, Internet-based social media, and Web technology.
Game On is not playing around. Discover how social media games make money?and how you can enhance your business using games.
Amazon.com Exclusive Article: “8 Businesses Changing the World with Game Mechanics”
by Jon Radoff, Author of Game On: Energize Your Business with Social Media Games
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1) LinkedIn.com
The popular business networking website has turned networking into a game. People love collecting things--and on LinkedIn, the connections you form with other people are like a collection of virtual business cards. The more connections you have, the more you “win.” On LinkedIn, the rewards are social status; but collecting is fun in a wide range of businesses. What could you enable your customers to collect?
2) Dollar Tree
Exploration is fun, and many popular digital and social games are about finding hidden places, secret treasures and unusual artifacts. Dollar Tree attracts people with the premise that everything will be only $1 --but it’s the act of exploring that is fun for many people. Could your company give your customers the thrill of exploration? Better yet, could you let people use social media to spread the word of their discoveries?
3) Cold Stone Creamery
In games like World of Warcraft, many people enjoy “crafting” their own products. Creativity is fun--even when it comes from a well-worn process. Combine it with the pleasure of eating great ice cream, and you’ll understand part of what makes Cold Stone Creamery interesting. Beyond Cold Stone Creamery, other companies as diverse as Brighton (jewelry and accessories) and Build-a-Bear Workshop (stuffed bears) are tapping into the desire for personal, automated crafting to turn shopping and dining into an experience. How can you allow your customers to craft?
4) Upromise
Upromise has turned saving money for college into a game--it’s about discovering the products and companies that allow you to earn extra cash to invest in your kids’ education. It’s also a social game: you enroll your family, and make college savings a team effort. What makes it work is the continuous sense of progress. How can you give customers a sense that they’re always achieving something?
5) Nike
Nike has gone beyond being a footwear company--they’re about providing a complete experience that’s about running and fashion. Using social technology like Nike+, an application that let’s you record your runs and share them with others around the world, Nike promotes a sense of community with their brand. Likewise, Nike.ID allows customers to design their own look, and share them with others. By integrating multiple elements of competition, discovery and personalization into their products, it’s as if you’re playing the World of Nike game. How could you create an immersive experience for your customers?
6) Groupon
For many people, collecting coupons is more than a way to save money--it’s about discovery and reward. Groupon has taken it to the next level by making it a social experience as well: when you find an activity you like, you can save a few dollars while also uncovering an activity that you and your friends can enjoy together. How can you market your business better by turning a solitary experience into a social activity?
7) MeYouHealth
Successful games feature many small rewards to keep you focused and engaged. One of the largest areas where this could have a huge and positive effect on society is our health--but let’s face it: healthcare is rarely fun. MeYouHealth, a subsidiary of Healthways, is creating games and applications that get people to think about well-being by focusing on the small steps you can take to improve your life. How can you give your customers a pathway to success, one small (but rewarding) step at a time?
8) St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum
Almost every game is about learning: figuring out a strategy, improving a skill, or gaining an understanding of a set of rules; yet attempts at integrating learning with games have often yielded less-than-engaging results. However, when learning is made fun by crafting an experience enriched by story and discovery, the results can be spectacular. A great example of this is the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum, which has turned learning about pirates into a fully immersive adventure. Rather than have your customers look at a world, how can you have them customers experience it?
