Is ReGame a Gamification?

We discovered the word Gamification sometimes later in 2011,  What is it? Here is the list of definition of Gamification:-

1) "Gamification as the infusion of game design techniques, game mechanics, and/or game style into anything" - Gamification Wiki
2) "Gamification is the use of game thinking and game mechanics in a non-game context in order to engage users and solve problems" - Gabe Zichermann
3) "Gamification is the application of typical elements of game playing (e.g. point scoring, competition with others, rules of play) to other areas of activity, typically as an online marketing technique to encourage engagement with a product or service" - Oxford Dictionaries
4) "Gamification applies the mechanics of gaming to nongame activities to change people’s behavior. When used in a business context, gamification is the process of integrating game dynamics (and game mechanics) into a website, business service, online community, content portal, or marketing campaign in order to drive participation and engagement" - Bunchball
5) "Gamification is a modern business strategy that uses proven techniques from social gaming to measure and influence behavior" - Badgeville
6) "Gamification is the craft of deriving all the fun and addicting elements found in games and applying them to real-world or productive activities" - Yu-kai Chou

My partner at FunTech, Ezehan Reza wrote about True Gamification.

Thats lead to ReGame!

ReGame is FunTech operating platform that uses game design principles, game mechanics and dynamics to effectively harness the motivating power of FUN to achieve important goals and objectives.

So is ReGame by FunTech a Gamification? Or beyond?

My chit chat about FunTech!

IS THIS GAME FOR ME?

1) There were many instances that we observe that people think that these casual and manual games like traditional games and board games including euro board games were not for them.

2) They feel that the games are only for nerds.  Or when the games require some thinking, they assume it's boring.

3) Another reasons is probably because when they have never play any game or just exposed to only a couple of them like Monopoly and Scrabble for example.

4) Like to share 2 real stories:-
(i) I brought few games to a newly open restaurant.  We open this "Ricochet Robot" which is more puzzle than game.  A lady friend at the table immediately complaining that this is not her game and it will not be interesting so she did not want to play the game.  It was fine with us so we proceed playing.  However, after about just 5 minutes, while we were still thinking and bidding for the least number of solutions in the game, suddenly she interrupted and said " Can I try?".  We were surprise but replied "Go ahead" and she joint us to play the game for the next 3 rounds of the game!  Her comment "Hey, this thinking game is great! I love it!"

(ii) We brought our games to a Youth Carnival a couple of months ago.  A group of teens approach our booth and asking about the games, one of my Fun Crew have only 1 game left at that time and its this "Ricochet Robot" again :-). They gave us this "Oh no!" face, full off scary expression that this game is going to be bored to death, but they ends up playing the game alone for 2 hours!

5) It turns out that we all love to think and when playing games we having fun thinking!  And games makes us voluntarily wants to face an unnecessary obstacles!

6) So, is the game for you?  Lets try first the power of game and then you decide.   Visit us at FnD mindspot for a productive lepaking

FnD

WHY WE PLAY GAMES

Wow! It has been a while since my last post here.  Thousand apology.  Being busy reading books and articles about games, spend times together with new friends playing more games, bringing our games to be enjoyed by different group of people and all range of ages.  Since then I do get some direct comments and suggestion about the subject of Games.  Significantly, for the first time we had bring games and fun to quite a remote village who do not get real exposure to many games.  They don't even have good access to internet! 

Board game corner - seen here Blokus and Incan Gold

"Mind stimulating game"

Young and adult playing Giant Jenga and many more games

They all voluntarily joint the session hence approving a quote by Bernard Suits, the late, great philosopher:-

"Playing games is the voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles."

My first 2 post is on the power of games, so many friends and customer had been asking why actually we play games?  Most of us that have Facebook have play Farmville but how many of us is actually farmer?  Probably not many.  Hence why we play it?  It is a simple question but don't have a straight forward answer.  There are many literature and books  on the subject but I will quote a great summary from a research done by XEODesign Inc.... :-)

1) Hard Fun - Players like the opportunities for challenge, strategy, and problem solving. Their comments focus on the game’s challenge and strategic thinking and problem solving. This “Hard Fun” frequently generates emotions and experiences of Frustration, and Fiero (Fiero is an Italian word for personal triumph over adversity).

2) Easy Fun - Players enjoy intrigue and curiosity. Players become immersed in games when it absorbs their complete attention, or when it takes them on an exciting adventure. These Immersive game aspects are “Easy Fun” and generate emotions and experiences of Wonder, Awe, and Mystery.

3) Altered States - Players treasure the enjoyment from their internal experiences in reaction to the visceral, behavior, cognitive, and social properties. These players play for internal sensations such as Excitement or Relief from their thoughts and feelings.

4) The People Factor - Players use games as mechanisms for social experiences.  These players enjoy the emotions of Amusement, Schadenfreude(Gloat over misfortune of a rival), and Naches(Pleasure or pride at the accomplishment) coming from the social experiences of competition, teamwork, as well as opportunity for social bonding and personal recognition that comes from playing with  theirs.

There are probably more reasons, but above is a great summary.

Myself?  I will settle for Fiero :-)

THE POWER OF GAMES I.5

Hello everyone,

there will be more Followers soon but the 1st will be the one and only "Misz G", thank you dear!

After the first post - The Power of Games, I receive some direct feedback from friends and readers that why did I left out traditional games and FnD mindspot main attraction - the Giant Games especially the Giant Jenga.  Well, it was intentionally actually.  I plan to mention that a bit later, consistent with the overall "storyline" of the blog.

Though I will write about games in general, but as an Asian I will definitely to some extent will put and promote it from an Asian perspective.  Yes, Games are Powerful but we have seen how the addiction to games have results in some social issues as well.  I had seen two, probably 11 or 12 years old, friends sitting next to each other for 2 hours, not a single word uttered while playing their portable games.  Still I don't blame it on the games though!  However, many online games and also mobile games have change the way we conduct our lives.

In particular, we interact physically with others less now while playing some of the games!  However, games like traditional games and  board games (GIANT or normal size) are category of games which is still have some similar games mechanic but have one extra significant element - physical interaction.  I am not saying this is an Asian cultural issues alone, but this is a more sensitive issues as far as Asian is concern.

This subject deserve a post by itself, which I will elaborate further in the future.

In this Internet age,  i don't think we should discount those "manual" games - quote by a customer "...an eye-opening experience.......hard to find a venue where playing card games/boardgames/strategy games can still be a lot of fun in the internet age..."  

We have bring this games to the public, people comes to our game "showroom" to play the games, and for us, we observe, learn and will share the fun and the power of the games with you.  Check out this amature clip :-)

Take care and have fun!

FnD

THE POWER OF GAMES

This is my first ever blog and many many more coming soon, and is all about game and the Power of Game.  What games and games mechanic can do to you, your family, your community, your corporate and your life!


When I started what I am doing right now, nearly a year ago, it’s all because I see and believe how games have a lot to offer.  A lot of games I had played, watched others played it, learned and observed the mechanics of the games, experience the emotional aspect comes with it and many, many more!

I didn’t win all the time (though I wanted to…J), sometimes I lost and off course sometimes drew and WON (yaahhhooo...!).  BUT I keep on playing games and more games.

Watch & Game - Popeye

I can’t remember which game was the first and can’t also arrange it in chronological order, because I just don’t care at that time - the most important think is to have fun!  However, a few do stuck in my hall of fame like this Game & Watch! You name it, Popeye, Octopus, Fire etc.  Yes! Those who grow up in the 80s will remember this games. Ha ha…Lets see how Popeye Watch & Game in action...

RISK - Introduce me to the real world of board gaming

Then I discovered RISK board game!  And there goes my undergraduate time playing a lot of RISK (well I completed my degree in actuarial though, it help me to strategize, negotiate, communicate and win a battle!), and I really mean a lot of it!  It was in Edinburgh through RISK that I realize how a board game can make few “smart” human being meet up for FEW HOURS just to have fun being generals and lead a group of armies to war and try to accomplish their mission.  And the list of boardgames or Europe boardgames or designer boardgames goes on like Settlers of Catan, Acquire, Blokus, Power Grid, Citadel .............


...and a little promotion ha ha - you can come and play some of this game at our "Showroom" or a lepaKING place at FnD mindspot...

And ladies and gentlemen, DAYTONA - is a racing arcade game by Sega and the highest grossing arcade machine of all time (from Wikipedia). I cannot remember how many times I went to arcade centre to play this alone or race with others (my own friends or some strangers!). It was amazing to see that people actually queue up waiting their turns to play, guys and also chics...:-). Well, there are also among other arcade game Street Fighter! with Sagat, Chun Li, Honda and all those fantastic characters!!

I get to develope, train and lead an army to war!

It’s a sin if I don’t mention Warcraft 2 here.  If you played this PC game, you know what I meant!  Especially if you play with other humans or 'orcs' through network connection. For the generals, for old time sake, watch this Warcraft 2 trailer :-).  Who played this games? Executives (at least my friends at that time...:-).  Some of them have become somebody in the corporate world, some are doing very well in their own business.  One thing for sure, we all have fun and experience one of the greatest time of our lives!! 

What ever the game was, some of it we still play today! Now there are Facebook Games! All are fun games!  The question is how many of us that play Farmville is a farmer? So why we spend hours playing games? and download many of this game off course!

Games had been played thousands of years ago.  It was believe, Senet, an ancestor of backgammon is the oldest game in the world. It was played in Ancient Egypt around 3500BC.  Archaeologists have found its fossil!

The power of games is probably understated.  I use to believe games have a lot of potential, but now I can barely see the boundary that game or game mechanics can produce.

I don’t just talk and write about games.  I have create a ‘showroom’ for people to come hangout, play and have fun with friends using games, where? FnD mindspot AND we have more stories, more great experiences, more answers to the Power of Games, you can discover what type of "player" are you?

Believe me, GAMES ARE POWERFUL!    to be continue...:-)