The most widespread criticism of gamification is that the external rewards of gamification might lower the intrinsic motivations of education (Howe). The problem is actually two-fold. First, if players don't enjoy the actual activity, they are likely to complete tasks only for the external rewards, and thus not develop any inner desire to do the work (Howe). But more troubling is the idea that students who could actually find school work rewarding could externalize the reward system. Once those achievements are removed in the transition to another class environment, the student would find no compelling reason to complete the tasks. This topic has been discussed in some depth by educational theorists. Unfortunately, for all its validity, this criticism of gamification only manages to describe a situation that is already prevalent throughout education--students have very little drive to complete most ungraded tasks. Grades, in this way, are very similar to a gamification of the tasks (an external reward system mapped onto a non-gaming environment with statuses and competition, etc.)
In a more direct criticism, Ian Bogost literally calls Gamification “bullshit.” His argument is that gamification, as a corporate practice, that seeks to obscure truth (“Gamification is Bullshit”). Furthermore, he says that gamification “takes games—a mysterious, magical, powerful medium that has captured the attention of millions of people—and it makes them accessible in the context of contemporary business” (“Gamification is Bullshit”). He is not the only academic to state this opinion, one I, at least, partially agree with. Bogost’s concerns about gamification ignoring the basic structure of a game (the interactive engagement, the play, the situated learning, etc.) is precisely why I separated the application of game form and game mechanics into two separate “Levels.”
However, this does not mean that I see no value to gamification. It can easily be paired with more in-depth systems in order to create a complex and rewarding system. It can also help players be meta-cognitively away that they are, in fact, playing a game. Finally, Jane McGonigal’s applications of gamification are resistant to Bogost’s criticism—rather than acting as a means of obfuscation (as a way of “bullshitting”), her games involve players being actively aware of the imposed system while they are, at the same time, engaged in the process of using it.
Works Cited
Ian Bogost. “Gamification Is Bullshit.” Bogost.com. 8 Aug. 2011. Web. 1 Dec. 2012.
Howe, Chelsea. "Game Design Aspect of the Month: Gameful Design." International Game Developers Association. August 27, 2012. Web.