GAMIFY MINE, PLEASE

We have become a "supersize that" society. Our need and greed for "more" has set up an expectation that we should be entertained, or at least, amused on a daily basis. Maybe it's about numbing our stresses...or maybe it's just a kind of addiction to instant pleasure, but whatever it is, they have noticed. They are the corporate marketing heads who have been taking a dip in the gaming bubble bath filled with irresistible little rubber duckies...the kind that captivate the 3-year-old in us.

You can hardly visit a major brand site where you aren't engaged in some level of game play. Looking for NABiSCO snack ideas or registering for one of their sweeps? You could find yourself playing a few arcade games before you realize you've abandoned your to-do list...not for Facebook or Big Fish...but for NABiSCO! http://www.nabiscoworld.com/games/default.aspx

Looking for a Betty Crocker recipe? There's not only an app for that, but you can download a search bar, a desktop recipe calendar, Halloween pumpkin templates (so you can carve your jack-o-lantern to look like your favorite cereal characters, of course)and, other game-like activities. http://www.bettycrocker.com/downloads-and-games

Shopping for a greeting card online at Hallmark is more fun now that you can hang out with "Hoops and Yoyo" (think of them as Hallmark mascots). At their own section of the Hallmark site, you'll find videos and "funimations" you can send to friends, and, you can play "Coffee Run, An Office Adventure Game." Hmmn...they might want to re-name that game. I know what coffee does to some people. http://www.hallmark.com/online/hoopsandyoyo/fan-fun/

In an article I found recently on Reviewon.com (not sure how old the article), it quotes a survey reporting that, while, the majority of the respondents were looking for coupons/discounts, "about 20% percent were looking for branded games." It seems they really like games that have discounts as rewards. While 20% isn't overly impressive, it reflects some level of interest. Good way to keep a customer engaged while you give them what they really want. Here's the link to the full article on Reviewon.com: http://www.reviewon.com/what-online-consumers-want-from-their-favorite-c...

It certainly makes sense for retailers to get into gamification - makes customer experience more satisfying. But, if gamifying makes everything better, I'm thinking there are some other experiences I'd like to gamify. Everyday situations and chores that are not so pleasant as a rule, could be made just a tad more tolerable, if, say, there was something a little entertaining about it. I asked a few friends and network members for some of their dreads, and decided I'd share a few (and just for grins) I'll throw in ideas on how we might apply some gamification.

PEOPLE IN CHECK-OUT LANE AT THE GROCERY STORE WITH MORE THAN 10 ITEMS: For every person who gets to express check-out with more than 10 items, they will need to spin a "restitution wheel" to see what check-out counter item they will be purchasing for everyone else behind them. I like candy bars. Little outrageous, but, at least entertaining for those having to wait the extra minutes for the person who is hi-jacking their time.

WAITING AT THE DMV: The "just shoot me now" experiences that some of us have while playing musical chairs as we wait to renew a license could be a little less exhausting if the number tickets we pull from the machine had game codes on them. Add a QR code for quick access. Seems like a nice trade - entertainment freebie for taking up hours of our lives.

WAITING TO GET SEATED AT A POPULAR RESTAURANT: You know those little buzzers they give you at chain restaurants? What if they were more like iPods and loaded with cool games (of course, with some advertising or discounts embedded). Take em right into the bar or sit out on the porch and start enjoying your evening right away. You might have to hand over your driver's license for the wait staff to hold while you have their iPod/buzzer thing, but I actually think some restaurants have you do that now, anyway.

DENTAL CLEANINGS: Instead of looking at "how to clean your teeth" posters for the hour it takes to get your pearlies a bit whiter - what if we strapped a game controller to the side of that dental chair and install a screen near the ceiling for some casual gaming. Don't know about you, but I'd be happy for any decent distraction.

GASSING UP: Really...just put "ka-ching" pulls on the sides of the pump and call it done. The thing already has your credit card - what's wrong with a couple of spins to see if you can get a row of cherries to pop up? If you win, you could get a few bucks off of your purchase - how great would that be?!

PUSH-MOWING GRASS: There must be some way to attach a projector to the front of the mower that reflects cartoon groundhogs or something on the ground in front of you. A handy button on the mower handle takes out the virtual pest for a satisfaction that goes well beyond chopping blades of grass. I'm thinking this will help us get teenagers back into grass-mowing, which we all know is the way it should be.

DEALING WITH BAD DRIVERS: Why don't we just add a feature to the GPS that helps us manage those times when we get behind a guy driving 35 in the left lane of the highway. Press a button and up pops a infrared virtual missile launcher. I could have used this the other day when I pulled into the median to wait for traffic to clear and an idiot in a bigger car pulls into the same median beside me, cutting off my view of the traffic completely. The driver shoots out in front of me when she could see the traffic had cleared. Just the satisfaction of pressing that red button knowing that you have "virtually" blasted away one pain of your day would be therapeutic, if not just a little fun. To intensify the satisfaction, when the red button is engaged, the GPS voice should change to a Mike Ditka-like voice that rips up the offender appropriately. I haven't really thought through the potential elevation of road rage for those with that problem nor the possibility that the slight distraction could cause an accident...but I think the idea could have some merit

Just some thoughts - some odd, but makes you think, doesn't it? And, that's the point, actually. If retailers "get it," then developers can open the gates to how they can apply gamification. Gaming isn't just stand-alone entertainment...it can solve problems, relieve stress, bring attention to brands and situations, and make life more interesting...and yes...more enjoyable. So, really, standard gaming isn't so standard anymore. The question really is...what would you gamify? (And, who would you collaborate with to make that happen?)