Gamification hit the scene a decade ago amidst great hope, hype and promise of bringing a revolutionary new approach to compelling community engagement. But far too many projects have failed to deliver anything more than fleeting, short-term results. Video game industry veteran Steve Bocska draws on his extensive experience producing and designing AAA video games for Disney, Electronic Arts, Sega, and Ubisoft - games that tens of millions of people have paid their own money to play. He highlights the most common gamification misconceptions, mistakes, and breakdowns while offering a glimpse into a secret toolkit of proven mechanics and powerful new analytics.

1. Getting the "Game" Back Into Gamification
A Veteran Video Game Designer's Perspective
Steve Bocska

6. The Big Problem

7. 1999-2000
Steve Bocska
CEO

8. Steve Bocska
CEO
Producer (Associate)
$8m budget
4.7 million units sold
$200m+ revenue
Producer (Audio)
$10m budget
3.8 million units sold
$150m+ revenue
Game Designer/Producer
$3.3m budget
4.9 million units sold
$125m+ revenue
Founding CEO
$6.5m raised
130+ employees

9. The Big Problem

10. The Problems With “PBL”

11. “P”

12. LITTLE BOBBY
“B”

13. LITTLE BOBBY

14. LITTLE BOBBY

15. Rank Name Points
1 Someone I Don't Trust 115,492,316
2 Someone I Hate 1,325,953
3 Someone I Hate 1,156,090
4 Someone I Hate 1,030,118
5 Someone I Hate 1,001,764
6 Someone I Hate 987,436
7 Someone I Hate 952,576
8 ME 943,102
9 Someone Who Hates Me 920,715
10 Someone Who Hates Me 914,855
11 Someone Who Hates Me 910,993
12 Someone Who Hates Me 903,164
13 Someone Who Hates Me 899,354
14 Someone Who Hates Me 870,438
Top Leaders Overall
“L”

19. SNES

20. Steve Bocska
CEO
Steve’s Net Engagement Score™
(SNES™)

21. Steve’s Net Engagement Score™
(SNES™)
𝑆𝑁𝐸𝑆 =
𝑅𝑎𝑤 𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝐼𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡𝑠 (𝑎𝑘𝑎 𝑐𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑠)
Steve Bocska
CEO

22. Steve’s Net Engagement Score™
(SNES™)
𝑆𝑁𝐸𝑆 =
𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠
𝑅𝑎𝑤 𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝐼𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡𝑠
Steve Bocska
CEO

23. Steve’s Net Engagement Score™
(SNES™)
𝑆𝑁𝐸𝑆 =
𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑥 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠
𝑅𝑎𝑤 𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝐼𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡𝑠
Steve Bocska
CEO

24. Steve’s Net Engagement Score™
(SNES™)
𝑆𝑁𝐸𝑆 =
𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑥 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑥 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒
𝑅𝑎𝑤 𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝐼𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡𝑠
Steve Bocska
CEO

25. 𝑆𝑁𝐸𝑆 =
𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑥 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑥 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒
𝑅𝑎𝑤 𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝐼𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡𝑠
Steve Bocska
CEO
BIGGER BIGGER BIGGER!
SMALLER SMALLER SMALLER!

26. Steve Bocska
CEO
0 ∞
Steve’s Net Engagement Score™
(SNES™)

27. Steve Bocska
CEO
0 ∞
Google
~1
Steve’s Net Engagement Score™
(SNES™)

28. Steve Bocska
CEO
Video Games
50+
0 ∞
Google
~1
Steve’s Net Engagement Score™
(SNES™)

29. Steve Bocska
CEO
Video Games
50+
0 ∞
Clickbait
< 1
Google
~1
Steve’s Net Engagement Score™
(SNES™)

30. Steve Bocska
CEO
Video Games
50+
0 ∞
Gamification
5-150
Clickbait
< 1
Google
~1
Steve’s Net Engagement Score™
(SNES™)

31. The Boring Old Way
Desired
Action
Desired
Action
Desired
Action
Reward

32. Example:Double-StackedEngagement Funnel
Interesting Choices
Consequences
Conversion
Redemption
Interesting
Choices
Consequences
Currency
(abstraction)

37. Interesting Choices
Consequences
Conversion
Redemption
Interesting
Choices
Consequences
Currency
(abstraction)

38. Getting the "Game" Back Into Gamification
A Veteran Video Game Designer's Perspective
Steve Bocska

39. Kotex: Before
NET ENGAGEMENT SCORE
1.0-1.2
• Challenge: Community was growing discontented and unresponsive to repetitive,
simple social medial engagement gimmicks and promotions, sales were lagging
• Starting Point: Engagement through product line information, sweepstakes and
simple social media contests, transactional loyalty points program, simple tools &
interactive content activities

40. Picnic™ Feature Engagement Outcome
Personalized dynamic user profiles Enhanced commitment and personal investment
Highly-leveraged content activities Meaningful interest-based engagement
Competitive ranking & recognition Fosters high motivation to advance in relation to other users
User timeline and history Reflects users personal story to build loyalty
Omni-channel contesting systems Boosts short-term engagement through extrinsic motivators
Kotex: Mis Momentos
NET ENGAGEMENT SCORE
7.0-9.6

41. Canadian Space Agency: Before
NET ENGAGEMENT SCORE
0.9-1.8
• Challenge: “Government” feel of online experience hampered
engagement and challenged their relevancy to the community
• Starting Point: Static quality web content, dated presentation and user
navigation, poorly targeted experiences

42. Picnic™ Feature Engagement Outcome
Personalized dynamic user profiles Enhanced commitment and personal investment
User-centric adaptive questing Dynamically motivators that drive conversion to “the next step”
Highly-leveraged content activities Meaningful interest-based engagement
Responsive unlocking of new challenges Interactive loops that drive repeat activity
Gameplay-engagement feedback loop Interesting choices & consequences inspire deep engagement
All-purpose currency/credit system Loyalty quantified to create sense of accumulated value
Integrated/consequential mini-games Highly interactive, “fun-first” distractions provide rich variety
CSA: Mission: Astronaut
NET ENGAGEMENT SCORE
27-76

43. • Challenge: digital strategy misaligned with community needs, important
content was not reaching the intended audience
• Starting Point: Website with basic navigation and hierarchical sitemap
design, static content, linear user flow with very limited interactivity
Adoptive Families Association: Before
NET ENGAGEMENT SCORE
0.7-0.9

44. Picnic™ Feature Engagement Outcome
Personalized dynamic user profiles Enhanced commitment and personal investment
Highly-leveraged content activities Meaningful interest-based engagement
User timeline and history Reflects users personal story to build loyalty
Gameplay-engagement feedback loop Interesting choices & consequences inspire deep engagement
All-purpose currency/credit system Loyalty quantified to create sense of accumulated value
Adoptive Families Association: AgedOut
NET ENGAGEMENT SCORE
6.5-9.6

45. • Challenge: Online community participation plateaued, sponsors and fans
growing weary of static content, simple contests rewarded most dedicated
fans, alienated broad audience
• Starting Point: Background show info, static downloadables, trivia activity,
Watch & Play Facebook “game”, mailing list, podcasts, merchandise e-store
Ice Pilots: Before
NET ENGAGEMENT SCORE
1.2-1.5

46. Picnic™ Feature Engagement Outcome
Highly-leveraged content activities Meaningful interest-based engagement
Competitive ranking & recognition Fosters high motivation to advance in relation to other users
Community collaboration activities Strengthens community purpose and identity
Interest-based matchmaking Personalized community segmentation and consolidation
Omni-channel contesting systems Boosts short-term engagement through extrinsic motivators
Gameplay-engagement feedback loop Interesting choices & consequences inspire deep engagement
Integrated/consequential mini-games Highly interactive, “fun-first” distractions provide rich variety
Ice Pilots: Air Hunt
NET ENGAGEMENT SCORE
8.6-24.0

47. • Challenge: Long-standing program was suffering from campaign stagnation resulting in
years of relatively modest growth, were looking for a breakout solution to revitalize
community enthusiasm
• Starting Point: Website with static information, fragmented content (videos, songs,
resources), disconnected social media strategy used primarily to drive simple contesting
Conservation Pays: Before
NET ENGAGEMENT SCORE
0.8-1.1

48. Picnic™ Feature Engagement Outcome
Personalized dynamic user profiles Enhanced commitment and personal investment
User-centric adaptive questing Dynamically motivators that drive conversion to “the next step”
Highly-leveraged content activities Meaningful interest-based engagement
User timeline and history Reflects users personal story to build loyalty
Gameplay-engagement feedback loop Interesting choices & consequences inspire deep engagement
All-purpose currency/credit system Loyalty quantified to create sense of accumulated value
Integrated/consequential mini-games Highly interactive, “fun-first” distractions provide rich variety
Conservation Pays: Challenge
NET ENGAGEMENT SCORE
7.0-9.6

49. Getting the "Game" Back Into Gamification
A Veteran Video Game Designer's Perspective
Steve Bocska

50. SteveBocska
Waitlist for SNES whitepaper
email:info@pugpharm.com
Subject: WHITEPAPER