During her time working on genre-defining games like The Sims, Rock Band, and Ultima Online, Amy Jo learned that customers stick with products that help them get better at something they care about, like playing an instrument or leading a team. Amy Jo has used her insights from gaming to help hundreds of companies like Netflix, Disney, The New York Times, Ubisoft and Happify innovate faster and smarter, and drive long-term engagement.

L&D professionals may think of games and gamification as silver bullets for engagement and motivation issues that add fun to workplace learning. But they need to use those tools to show value, rather than showcase fun. This requires a mindset shift and a move from content to actions through game thinking. In this issue of TD at Work, Zsolt Olah delves into the definition of games and gamification. He also: · details considerations for building a game-based learning strategy that is engaging and effective · presents case studies of when to use game-based learning or gamification and when not to. · offers tips on how to keep learners—that is, players—in mind while building learning games.

Garry Kasparov's 1997 chess match against the IBM supercomputer Deep Blue was a watershed moment in the history of technology. It was the dawn of a new era in artificial intelligence: a machine capable of beating the reigning human champion at this most cerebral game. That moment was more than a century in the making, and in this breakthrough book, Kasparov reveals his astonishing side of the story for the first time. He describes how it felt to strategize against an implacable, untiring opponent with the whole world watching, and recounts the history of machine intelligence through the microcosm of chess, considered by generations of scientific pioneers to be a key to unlocking the secrets of human and machine cognition. Kasparov uses his unrivaled experience to look into the future of intelligent machines and sees it bright with possibility. As many critics decry artificial intelligence as a menace, particularly to human jobs, Kasparov shows how humanity can rise to new heights with the help of our most extraordinary creations, rather than fear them. Deep Thinking is a tightly argued case for technological progress, from the man who stood at its precipice with his own career at stake.

The growth in popularity and complexity of video games has spurred new interest in how games are developed and in the research and technology behind them. David Heineman brings together some of the most iconic, influential, and interesting voices from across the gaming industry and asks them to weigh in on the past, present, and future of video games. Among them are legendary game designers Nolan Bushnell (Pong) and Eugene Jarvis (Defender), who talk about their history of innovations from the earliest days of the video game industry through to the present; contemporary trailblazers Kellee Santiago (Journey) and Casey Hudson (Mass Effect), who discuss contemporary relationships between those who create games and those who play them; and scholars Ian Bogost (How to Do Things With Videogames) and Edward Castronova (Exodus to the Virtual World), who discuss how to research and write about games in ways that engage a range of audiences. These experts and others offer fascinating perspectives on video games, game studies, gaming culture, and the game industry more broadly.

Great things don't happen in a vacuum. But creating an environment for creative thinking and innovation can be a daunting challenge. How can you make it happen at your company? The answer may surprise you: gamestorming. This book includes more than 80 games to help you break down barriers, communicate better, and generate new ideas, insights, and strategies. The authors have identified tools and techniques from some of the world's most innovative professionals, whose teams collaborate and make great things happen. This book is the result: a unique collection of games that encourage engagement and creativity while bringing more structure and clarity to the workplace. Find out why -- and how -- with Gamestorming. Overcome conflict and increase engagement with team-oriented games Improve collaboration and communication in cross-disciplinary teams with visual-thinking techniques Improve understanding by role-playing customer and user experiences Generate better ideas and more of them, faster than ever before Shorten meetings and make them more productive Simulate and explore complex systems, interactions, and dynamics Identify a problem's root cause, and find the paths that point toward a solution

This is the hugely updated second edition of Even Ninja Monkeys Like To Play. A guide to using gamification and game thinking to create engaging experiences for people. This book takes you on a journey through the theories on which gamification is built, onto practical advice for building gamified solutions. "A book that dances in the space where psychology and game design meet, offering practical guidance to gamification - all tied together with Andrzej's best-in-class categorisation of what works most appropriately for whom." -- Dr Richard Bartle, Professor of Game Design at the University of Essex, Author of "Designing Virtual Worlds" Andrzej Marczewski's book "Even Ninja Monkeys Like To Play" gives extraordinary and important knowledge upon the topic of gamification and game thinking strategies. It is a must read for anyone having a beginning interest or even for veterans of the topic. It provides more than a base of information for anyone to pick it up and understand the topic more deeply. -- Dr. Anthony Bean, Ph.D., Video Game Expert and Researcher Contents The Theory of Games, Play and Gamification What is Gamification? What Are Games and Play? What Are Game Mechanics? What is Fun? What is Game Thinking? Gamification and Game Thinking in Practice Ethical Considerations of Gamification The Science of Gamification What Motivates Us? The Intrinsic Motivation RAMP What is Flow and Why is it Important? User Types in Gamification (The HEXAD) The Neuroscience of Gamification Building Gamified Solutions How to Start with The User Journey How to Use Points, Badges and Leaderboards How to Set Clear Goals How to Design Good Feedback and Reward Systems How to Design a Simple Gamified System How to Understand Emotions in Gamification Design How to Use Narrative to Create Deeper Experiences How to Create Playful Experiences How to Handle Cheating How to See it From the User's Perspective Gamification Mechanics and Elements Planning and Implementing your Gamification Design The Gamification Design Framework How to Keep the User Engaged How to Balance a Gamified System Keeping it Simple Tying Loyalty into Gamification Modelling Gamified Systems Final Thoughts Five Steps to a Happier Life with Gamification Other Design Tips

From the New York Times bestselling author of Start With Why and Leaders Eat Last, a bold framework for leadership in today’s ever-changing world. How do we win a game that has no end? Finite games, like football or chess, have known players, fixed rules and a clear endpoint. The winners and losers are easily identified. Infinite games, games with no finish line, like business or politics, or life itself, have players who come and go. The rules of an infinite game are changeable while infinite games have no defined endpoint. There are no winners or losers—only ahead and behind. The question is, how do we play to succeed in the game we’re in? In this revelatory new book, Simon Sinek offers a framework for leading with an infinite mindset. On one hand, none of us can resist the fleeting thrills of a promotion earned or a tournament won, yet these rewards fade quickly. In pursuit of a Just Cause, we will commit to a vision of a future world so appealing that we will build it week after week, month after month, year after year. Although we do not know the exact form this world will take, working toward it gives our work and our life meaning. Leaders who embrace an infinite mindset build stronger, more innovative, more inspiring organizations. Ultimately, they are the ones who lead us into the future.