The book starts by setting out the psychological basis for gaming, showing that scientists have gone to some great lengths to explain why we describe some activities as more or less fun. This is the beginning of developing some science around games, and it immediately put us at ease to see that Gamification By Design would not be going down the golden trail of marketing hyperbole. From a science of games comes a section detailing the players. References like Berne's "The Games People Play" show that Gamification By Design is keeping to the high road, while the gaming examples are a mix of contemporary MMO titles like World of Warcraft and retro classics. The meaty middle of the book deals with designing experiences that feel as engaging as any of these games, by adhering to some simple principles. A proscribed end use of these tactics isn't provided here; Gamification By Design can be applied whether you're planning marketing events or developing training courses or just attempting to motivate your small work team. References to many of the strategies and tactics employed on sites like Facebook and Foursquare are discussed, always with a point of reference to the underlying psychology and player motivation.
With tactics must come execution and tools. The final 20% of Gamification By Design deals with specific corporate case studies and some guides to practical application. This is a great leaping-off point for you to explore further, but there's no recipe. You come away armed with plenty of theory, lots of references for further reading, and a bevy of games you can explore (if you haven't already) that contain concrete examples of these principles in action. Because application of actual videogame or online gaming mechanics in a corporate setting still feels novel, it would be premature to show one defined path for success. The Gamification By Design authors wisely avoid taking any stance like this, but they have created a perfect introduction for non-gamers. If, like us, you grew up on games, Gamification By Design becomes more than an introduction; for core gamers who have non-gaming jobs, this book connects the dots between your passionate avocation and your vocation. Used wisely, it might help you craft a space at work where you can actually combine the best of both worlds, assuming there's continued buy-in to the idea of having fun at work. Maybe we're just cynical, but we're pretty sure some employers are still convinced that nothing labelled "fun" can be good in their workplace...
