Game Access

We have an exciting new Guest Blog today from Scott Mullins at BigDoor!

Scott Mullins is the mobile product manager at BigDoor where he’s responsible for developing and executing a mobile strategy for the company’s online gaming and social engagement features and is helping to create the next generation of mobile apps that effectively use game mechanics—starting with an app for Dell World 2011. Previously, Scott served as the senior director of business-to-business deployments at RealNetworks where he was responsible for technical program management for the company’s cloud computing platform. Prior to RealNetworks, Mullins served as mobile manager and principle solution architect at Photobucket (previously Ontela).

Game mechanics are the concepts and techniques used in games to engage players and keep them coming back for more. With the emergence of gamification, many non-game programs now incorporate game mechanics in an attempt to motivate users and encourage participation.

There are a lot of game mechanics to choose from: rewards, quests, status, levels, the list goes on and on. Some game mechanics are better at maintaining loyalty while others are better for sharing and virality. The trick is, which ones should you use and how do you implement them in a way that’s meaningful to your users? The art of applying game mechanics to non-game programs is still quite new, but a few apps are doing it right and getting results.

Fleetly fitness

In many ways, Fleetly is similar to other fitness apps. You track exercises, stats, weight, and target fitness level. It offers up popular workouts and even customizes a workout for your target body zones. But Fleetly stands out in a few key areas—namely the game mechanics it uses to encourage you to stay fit.

Fleetly uses a variety of motivational techniques. It has intrinsic motivations—like setting and achieving personal goals with rewarding feedback, and extrinsic motivations—like ranking yourself against others on leaderboards and in competing in challenges. You can easily connect with your social web to let your friends know about your struggles and achievements. Whether you’re primarily interested in self-improvement or competing with your friends (and strangers), there’s plenty here to help you stay motivated.

Medals

Similar to badges, medals provide positive feedback when you’re just getting started (onboarding). As you progress, you can earn advanced medals like the Triathlete, Marathoner, or En Fuego (a week that’s just too hot to handle).

Fitness level

Fleetly has levels, but you don’t level up in the traditional way. Instead, you take a 10 second quiz and determine what level of exercise you want to maintain on a consistent basis. Level 10 is a good baseline of a few hours a week, level 25 is hardcore (a 5K and 1000 crunches a day) and level 50 is well, a bit nuts. Once you set your level, it’s your goal to maintain that level and not drop below it. As you get in better shape, you can aim for a higher level.

Challenges

One of Fleetly’s best game mechanics are its Challenges. You can choose from a variety of open challenges like the descriptively-named Six Pack 2011, Pushups Galore, or the 100 Mile Running Challenge. Once you join a challenge, you compare progress with competitors on a leaderboard and trash talk your way to the top. You can even create your own challenges and invite your friends.

Mobile adventure walks

This app is brand-new but it does a good job of incorporating game mechanics, especially in the form of guided walks.

Guided walks

Developed for the American Public Health Association by Shinobi Labs, the main goal of this app is to get you outside and moving. While other fitness apps focus on tracking stats and raising status, this app is more about motivation and fun. It does this by guiding you on pre-programmed walks around your city; these walks would be considered quests or journeys in a traditional game.

Before embarking on a walk, you’re given basic trip stats so you know what you’re getting into. As you walk, the app tracks your progress on Google Maps. Arriving at certain landmarks, you’re prompted with a simple quiz; answer the questions correctly and you earn Explorer Points.

From a gaming perspective, this app injects more interest and fun into your stroll with pre-programmed way-points and simple quizzes and puzzles. These can be a pleasant distraction along the way but will need to be combined with other elements to truly enrich the basic experience. This app could benefit from the ability to share your experiences with your cohorts, encouraging them to join the fun or shame them with your adventure-walking virtuosity.

Mobile Adventure Walks is still in the early stages so you won’t find many walks yet. As the app gains popularity and as people add their own walks, there’s the potential for some seriously interactive strolls.

Nike+ GPS

As one of the first gamified fitness apps, Nike+ GPS is one of the best examples of an app that uses game mechanics for motivation. It tracks your stats like the other fitness apps and it integrates with Facebook so you can post your runs and achievements, but it also adds some creative game mechanics that really add to the running experience.

Cheers

Runners get a special thrill and run a little bit faster as they pass their friends, whether those friends are encouraging them from the sidelines or are falling behind them on a tough hill. Nike+ emulates that experience with the Cheers feature. If you turn on Cheers, you’ll hear a crowd cheer every time one of your friends clicks the Like button during your run. If you’re like me and prefer to appreciate the special joys of your local 5k vicariously, cheering on your friends just got even easier.

Tagging

Now you can tag your friends to start a friendly running game. Whoever runs the shortest distance or has the shortest time is IT. The only way you can stop being IT is to start a new game and tag someone else. While you’re IT, your friends can send trash talk straight to your home screen—so there’s an incentive to start a new game.

These fitness apps are just the beginning of what mobile applications can do with game mechanics. I’m excited for the future of gamified apps—especially apps on newer devices like the Kindle Fire, iPhone 4S, and the iPad.

 

GameAcces would like to thank Scott and Michelle Furedy for their contribution to our blog