by The Mayor
Your First Blog Post Comments!
Oct 10, 2010 at 10:08 am by The Mayor
Hello Monsters!
We set up this blog post for comments that will complete one of your first Mayoral challenges. Let us know something crazy, wonderful, inspiring, witty — whatever comes to mind and is truly you, that other Monsters might discover and talk to you about.
I am still finding my way around the gameful world, but I already have 3 friends.
I am working on designing a game that will combine online and real world components, similar to “The Lost Ring” described in Jane McGonigal’s book.
Hi all, this seems like an amazing idea. I hope it really takes off. Something about myself…not too long ago I found a couple of notebooks from when I was a teenager full of game design proposals and short stories that my mom left on my bed when I came to visit. They all sucked, but sometimes I wonder if I could make something that is good. Also, I haven’t really accomplished anything of note up to this point in my life, but maybe making a really good game could change that.
Hey everybody! Like many of you, I found this site through “Reality is Broken”, and now I’m just browsing many gaming sites on the Internet trying to figure out where I can contribute best.
Hello,
I think I posted this in the wrong place before. still trying to get the hang of it here.
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Hello all,
I run a small games studio in Los Angeles focusing on interactive game/books for young readers. I am also a professional magician of 20 years and a capoeirista. Looking forward to getting to know you all.
Poking around…
Learned about this site at a conference. I think I’m in love – so many like-minded people out there. It is inspiring to see everyone’s statuses which seem to echo my thoughts!
We’ve been holding Can’t Stop the Serenity events for six years now, and most participants have seen the film several times. Everyone is looking for a way to make these charity events more attractive and exciting, so I thought, “Why not turn the ‘verse into a game.” One that’s now as complex as the Serenity tabletop RPG, that more people could easily play, and that would raise money for all the charities we work for.
Hey all!
I am going to be senior at the University of Pennsylvania next year and am writing my senior thesis on the potential benefits video games and education could hold for each other. So far, I have written the first portion of the thesis which investigates the elements of video games that keep gamers gaming and how they are already being applied in some games and educational environments.
During the summer I intend to conduct more research into the subject and find like-minded individuals who would be able to assist me in my endeavors. (By pointing me to examples that I can cite in my paper and in any other ways!) In the future, I would like to investigate the feasibility of redesigning teaching styles to emulate the engaging qualities of video games in order to encourage learning as a more enjoyable activity. Additionally, I would like to be a part of a team dedicated to developing quality and engaging educational video games that can still stand alone as mainstream products–games that subtly teach basic math, science, reading, writing, etc. skills in the background of immersive, engaging, and most importantly, EPIC stories.
Obviously, these are gargantuan and long-term goals, and I will never be able to do this by myself, but you have to start somewhere, right? (And I think I found the right place!)
In closing…I look forward to meeting everyone!
Till next time,
Christian
I was so bummed to not be chosen for Find The Future….. especially so having a relatively popular submissions (I had 8 or 9 “likes” – way more than average.) /sigh.
I have perfected the art of gameplay while a cat lays across my forearms. This is no small feat.
oh god yes! I know the cat-on-the-forearms position well!
I never sign up for these online sites/communities, but I couldn’t help signing up for gameful.org. The spirit here is incredible! I was standing in line at Disneyland two days ago and my friends and I hashed out a game idea that you could play on your phone with the people around you while you wait in line. The avatars that you create for yourself then follow you into the actual ride and you actually “play” with the other people on the ride with you. I think something like this could get people to interact more and break the whole feeling that you are alone (with your group) in the crowd and encourage more collaboration.
I want to make it!! But I have so much more to learn yet. Looking forward to interacting with you all!
Snarwwl-last! (Translation: Hi Monsters!)
Introduction: I am interested in learning more about ARG.
Also, I love tomatoes!
Garglefluff! (Translation: TTYL)
Jess
An idea is the most powerful thing in the world. Ideas outlive their creators and through that idea a person becomes immortal.
And Idea is the most powerful thing in the world. Ideas outline their creators and through that idea a person becomes immortal.
Anyone have any good c programming resources?? I’d like to make a game/app using the language…but I first need to learn the language!
I am a master student of political science and international relations at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. I am currently working on my masters dissertation that will focus on the potential for games to enhance governance/society/politics in Africa.
I am still looking for a research question, but the ideas I have so far are:
1. The practicality of crowdsourcing to limit corruption in Africa and promote more transparent governance.
2. The potential of discursive democracy (Habermas) through online gaming.
I welcome any ideas
I am a founder because of a TED talk I saw long ago and a Kickstarter project I believed in. I got my puzzle piece and book. Then life happened. Things got busy and games got ignored. Then I gave my book to a friend and re-bought it for myself. This has led to her asking me to develop an exercise game we can play together which leads me back here.
So after a long hiatus from designing, I am back to if Gameful has a game pre-built for me or if I need to farm you all for ideas to create my own.
Hey everyone! Really excited to be apart of this community and share what I am doing with everyone. Hopefully I can help on a project or share some of my experiences with some of you on your projects! This place is H-awesome!
I want to bring gamification to the corporate world to liven up tedious office jobs!
Definitely – there should be a group for office games to liven up the or even better games to liven up tedious meetings
Currently working on a startup that leverages commerce to create social good. On our platform individuals support causes by buying products requested by social enterprises and supplied by participating businesses, rather than donating an arbitrary amount. We feel there is incredible potential to engage individuals with the use of game mechanics to take our platform beyond just a marketplace. We envision a prosocial community of individuals rewarded extrinsically by its local economy and intrinsically by the real world impact it creates. Imagine finding clear actionable goals to achieve, both online and offline, on behalf of local organizations you choose and be rewarded by a quantified sense of yourself and deals from local businesses for your contributions toward social good. Lets convert Slactivists to Activists!
Just picked up “Reality is Broken.” Great book, makes me want to add more game theory and positive psychology to my doctoral work in the future.
I just finished it as well and it has inspired me to focus my master’s dissertation on the potential of games for better governance in Africa
Happy to meet this community and discuss gamification. I am a grad student studying criminal justice and am blown away by the potential for games to provoke thinking about public policy.
The most enjoyable gaming experience in my early years was playing Adventure Construction Set on my Commodore 64. Building the game was as fun as playing the game.
Gaming is an emergent property of the human brain and its hackery (created by layers of capabilities on top of one another, from lizard brain to forebrain). But work isn’t, and it’s just as important to our lives. Let’s take what we know about why games work – all that twisted logic in the gray and white matter! – and use it to make us more effective, productive, and happier at work, while creating more and thicker value for the economy. Anyway, that’s what I want to do, and I’m developing product ideas to do that.
My heroes are Jane McG (of course), plus Kathy Sierra, Robert Sutton, Chip Heath, Dan Ariely, Jonathan Haidt, and more, who are helping us understand what’s going on in there (our brains) and how to make use of that knowledge to make our lives – in all realms – better.
Hi all!
I found this website in class today (I was meant to be learning about gamified websites!) and I love the idea of fixing the world with game design. I think that in the games industry there is still such a big focus on entertainment and profit rather than anything really world changing. From what I can see games have a great deal of potential to help the human race. Personally I want to live in a world were the word ‘games’ means something more than just entertainment.
-Inksprout
I’ve got ideas and a bit of a gadget geek. As I sit here with my desktop and my laptop beside. My netbook is at work, and my iPad is on order (ships May 5th!) I’m sure some of you can relate. I continuously find myself pondering… man it would be cool if I could use my iPad in meetings at work but then wouldn’t someone look at me funny? Or would it be revolutionary? Pull up bugzilla, then click on a link in bugzilla that would zoom me to the buggy report. Click the report and woosh to AX (Microsoft ERP), drill into the data. All through an iPad. Then… gamify the experience.
One thing that I remind myself is that games are easy to get a hold of and intuitive. If you think of something while you’re playing, chances are the designers have already thought of it. It’s not frustrating and if it is… flip it to easy mode. Now I’m not a game designer but sometimes I wonder if they spend more time thinking about UI than about the game mechanics. Why don’t companies that build business software hire more artists and designers? The business logic is absolutely critical but so is user acceptance and getting people to use the business logic.
My 1st 2 bits. Lots more ideas rolling around in this head of mine.
Dave
Reality is Broken is my Bible some people are already getting anyoned by me talking about making a better world with games. Thanks!
As son as I finished my Thesis which is *surprise* about ARGs it will be time to stop talking and start doing
My favorite example of low-tech game thinking thanks to philosopher John Perry http://www.structuredprocrastination.com/
Hello I’m Michael. i enjoy creating video games. more so then playing them actually. perhaps its the sense of accomplishment or the ability to express my creativity in a way others can enjoy. I have been making games my whole life. It started with a choose your own path book i wrote when i was five to board games and now video games. I hope to follow my dream and make something of it. Its only recently that i have created projects / games i feel are worth sharing.
http://www.mikeswickedgames.com
Hi all! – I’m a concept developer, interactive art director, designer and all-over creative with a penchant for mischief and the sleeping habits of a giraffe. I’m lousy at packaging the whole thing tightly when I’m not getting paid for it. At work I’m A Professional. At play.. I’m just plain messy!
Currently majoring in comp-sci, I’m interested in making some educational games with awesome storylines. And helping people appreciate the ultimate sandbox environment that is life.
I have always used games in my classes, but the idea of arg’s and social media type games takes it to a whole new level that I want to explore.
I am working on a mobile application that looks like a tamagotchi and is used to give incentive for physical exercise. It is made with app inventor and I am surprised that I could do it without any developer experience. I think it is my first solid effort to help on real issues with a game… \o/
I facilitate a class for adult learners (age 23-37, average age 30). Only 15% of them claim to be gamers, but they all universally enjoy the gameful way I collect their feedback on the class:
I wrote a little client/server network app that each student runs. It appears as a simple screen with four input boxes and a high score list. The input boxes are titled:
“What did you like about the class?”
“What did you NOT like?”
“What was confusing?”
“What did you learn?”
As the students type their responses in the boxes, the program counts the number of words they have typed and broadcasts that as their score to all other students on the network. The program displays a live-updating high-score list with highest scores on top, so the students are motivated by competition to outscore their classmates by typing more.
Whoever has typed the most words when I call time up is the winner. I’ve tried offering the intrinsic reward of winning as the prize vs. offering a home-made cookie as a reward for the winner. When I offer the cookie, the students type 60% more words than when there is no prize.
What a great way to encourage feedback from a group of course attendees
Just read Jane’s book and saw John Gee talk at the Learning and the Brain conference in SF last month. Am now a convert to “gamifying” my courses and classroom. Working on a 10 week long game context for 9th graders who are studying India. Excited about it.
To teach is noble, to teach without teaching truly excellent. That is what games can do, but we have to make them do that. If we do not concentrate on what lessons games are teaching, then we must at least beware of unintended lessons that are games are teaching….
Random Thought
Found this site in a roundabout way, just finished reading ‘Reality is Broken’, had seen a few of Jane’s talks before and thoroughly enjoyed the book. It inspired me to get more involed. Not a game designer but a lifelong casual gamer and can’t wait to see how this site develops.
I like this site, but I’m still confused… ^^;
I have to admit, I’ve never played much games in my life, it’s only recently that I’ve acquired an interest for this. More than playing them, I like to make them, and it started when I discovered the potential it has for engaging and educating people about real world problems. I haven’t made a game that has been produced yet, but I’m so lucky to have a project with funding now. It will be the first game my company makes that hasn’t got a client, just sponsors, and I’m very happy to be part of it!
Brief History of myself: I grow up in a family of gamers. Both my parents are gamers, and all of my brothers and sisters too. So I guess you can say i was born to be a gamer.
Where I’m at now: I have always wanted to help people, its just something I enjoy doing. Even while playing video games i try to help people, Be it my team or my friends. It’s just what I do, and when I heard about this site from Xbox Live and heard what it was about, I knew i had to join to try and do my part. I’m always willing to help, all you need to do is ask.
I have a confession to make….
I’m addicted to games. After hearing about the vision behind what this site wants to accomplish with the potential of games, I decided I had to sign up and see if I could put my life talents to good use.
I really enjoy the mission of this website, I hope to help and contribute.
I believe there’s a mean scheme coming on the scene – cause all I see is self-fullfilling prophecy.Yea. For we are all mad here. But only the insane refuse to accept this fact. I think I’ll follow this rabbit now and see where I land. Here’s to us finding each other on the other side.
I was unable to sleep all the way through the night because I’m worrying about something related to work. Time for distraction. Get out of bed, realize I’d been wanting to browse through Gameful, come here, and SMILE fairly quickly.
And even better, I’ve got an excuse to figure out why I’m smiling…
My friend and I did this project for a competition in Schneider Electric, India which involved reducing the energy consumption inside a building. They told us to think of an ‘out-of-the-box’ idea to do the same. I had come across Jane McGonigal’s TED talk just then and realized what a powerful idea a game can be.
For the SEI competition, we designed a dynamic incentive-based game which would award points to the ‘greenest’ employee etc. We thought of integrating green technology with green behaviour(of employees) to achieve minimum, optimum energy consumption in the building.
We developed the supervision and control system for the game. The only problem putting the systems in place, which we couldn’t do.
I want that one day our game helps in making a every office a ‘green’ place to be.
I will put up the blueprint of the game later.
Comments please!
Oops,
I already posted to one blog, but I think I posted to the wrong one.
I am interested in this site because I enjoy playing games, but most of the social games I have been involved with are low-tech pencil and paper based role-playing games.
However, the last ten years or so have seen a lot of innovation in this area of gaming. Games like _Dogs in the Vinyard_, _The Burning Wheel_, and _Sorcerer_ have created new mechanics and new ways to define winning, losing and even playing games.
I look forward to reading more on this site.
Until 18 months ago, I never knew:
1. you can make an animation of a kid having a tantrum from a video of a real person throwing a tantrum
2. – after 18 years in public education – how awesome people who work in the private sector are !!
3. how awesome making the future can be – thank you Jane for your inspiration!
as Teri (@worldismygarden) so brilliantly suggested: “Come one, come all! Read my first blog post! Git yerself 100 sweet treats, if you leave a reply!”
http://gameful.org/drmel/game-concept-a-force-more-powerful/
A truly BHAG “Game Design Concept” that I’m daunted by, but felt I had to share! Looking for encouragement, questions, suggestions and other feedback.
“Reality is Broken” has changed my life! It is now so obvious that so many of the things I do at work, like creating competence development systems, should clearly be games – we’re spend all day “levelling up” at work! But it could be so much more satisfying and fulfilling and fun.
Ender’s Game was brill as well – need to reread it . . .
I am looking forward to taking the teaching world by storm with some innovative games ( at least my teaching world!)
I feel the same way about that book. I’ve told so many people to read it. And it’s so applicable to various disciplines.
So tell me…will I be guided through the process of developing a game as part of my leveling up…or is that something I need to do in my spare time–which I’m eating up rather quickly because I’m too busy reading everybody’s posts–you guys are doing some cool stuff!
I recently found Gameful through Jane McGonigal’s TED talk followed by getting her book. I’m glad I found it and through reading the comments in this post alone I am hopeful for our future.
I’m currently in college for computer programming, and my wife is trying to become a teacher. I can see no better way of teaching children than through games. Before finding this site my wife had created a game for our son that gives him points for doing things around the house, and he has taken to it with gusto. Now that I’ve learned about games like Chore Wars, I want to see what other games can be created to benefit humanity.