Ludified Culture: Gamficattion

Abstract

Gamification is a recently emerged concept and practice, rising to high popularity as of mid to late 2010. This thesis analyzes this concept in regards to how and why it became the concept and practice we know it as today and the implications this imposes on the current day society.

Gamification entails the use of elements of games to alter and add to our daily landscape of activities by engaging us in non-game contexts. But it is not an inherently new practice. The practice of making experiences more engaging by using game elements is something we are very familiar with already. However, gamification is a development, an evolution, of this practice. This change occurred due to various developments.

These developments signify a mode of participation, which through technological advancements and the presence of social networks afford the practice and concept of gamification to be shaped. Furthermore the casual revolution (Juul 2010) indicates a growing awareness and appropriation of a set of conventions related to games. This allows us to engage with and navigate through gamified processes without being barred by a lack of skill or knowledge about the meaning of the game elements which are integral to these activities.

These developments imply a further development of our playful identities (Raessens 2005; 2006) as homo ludens (Huizinga 1955) and the appropriation of gaming capital (Consalvo 2007) which serves in lieu of acknowledging a ludification of our current culture (Raessens 2006).