Gamification, serious play, advergaming, gamestorming and gameful design are all very different things. Savvy?

Gamification is BIG in the northern hemisphere. According to a Gartner report published earlier this year, 100 of the top 135 global Fortune 500 companies will already have serious gaming incorporated into their training. They also predict that by 2015, more than 50 percent of organisations will have gamified their innovation processes. 

But you'd be forgiven for not knowing what all the fuss is about, or for dismissing it prematurely. For every one or two researchers who are deeply interested in the application of game design to enhance productivity, motivation or innovation, there are twenty or so marketers trumpeting their buzz-wordy hype. And just like how "advertising", "marketing" and "branding" are distinctly different terms, they are often used interchangeably by those who don’t know better.

So, let's get clear on a few things:

“Gamification” – is perhaps the most popular term, used to describe the integration of game-like mechanics and dynamics to improve business processes or customer experience. While this can be all-reaching, its main application is generally limited to users engaged with online content (although some tout it as a quick fix, and a cheap way to buy 'loyatly' – which is crap).

“Serious Play” – is best thought of as non-entertainment gaming, where two or more independent decision-makers seek to solve real problems and achieve objectives within clearly defined parameters and constraints.

“Advergaming” – is when a brand pays a developer to make a game. Many companies mistakenly think that advergaming will enhance acquisition of new customers, but this strategy is best used to retain and/or on-sell to an existing customer base.

“Gamestorming” – is the process of using games to facilitate breakthrough thinking. You could think of it as brainstorming with games, but I think that sells it short. Gamestorming can be used to rapidly prototype new ideas, and can aid the creation of team-generated game-plans to execute ideas.

“Gameful Design” – is in some ways similar to gamification, but focusses more upon harnessing and directing our natural disposition to play, in order to overcome challenges and achieve something meaningful. Think Volkswagon’s Fun Theory, Quest to Learn or Find the Future. Gameful design attempts to capture the spirit of a game – and not merely the mechanics that feature within games. 

We are only scratching the surface here. Good game design offers profound insights that, when applied, could unlock massive productivity, motivation and innovation within organisations... but it will always come back to good design, and a deep understanding of the science of motivation.