Episode 102 – I’ve got Plastisity

New GamesAtWork.BiZ Recording Studio

New GamesAtWork.BiZ Recording Studio


Phaedra, Michael and Michael get together for a detailed review of the economics of digital games for 2014. We continue to see the transition from Pay to Play to Free to Play games, and discuss how this is changing the game play of many MMOs. We also take issue with a recent report on how Gamificiation is failing health care. The issue is not gamification, but bad design. As more and more people jump into the hype of gamificaiton we are seeing the same patterns as other technologies, where people are trying to just use the term, without understanding the appropriate way of doing this. You can just use “blanket approaches” to gamifiction, you need to identify the correct success metrics, and build your game around ensuring the appropriate behavior and outcomes.

We end the episode with a discussion on how different generations engage with same game. Do you play games with your kids, or parents? Do you enjoy it in the same way? Do you enjoy watching others play games more than playing the game yourself?

Show Links:
Digital Games Year in review
Maple Story
World of Warcraft competes in a freemium world
Lord of the Rings Online goes Free to Play
Star Wars the Old Republic goes Free to Play
Why Gamification is failing in Healthcare
Amazon buys Twitch TV

Games we are playing:
Michael M. – Disco Zoo, Crossy Road, and Game Dev Story
Phaedra – Portal 2, Checkers, Chess, and Words with Strangers
Michael R. – Space Age

Happy Thanksgiving to our US Listeners

Hi, host and co-founder Michael Rowe here, just a quick post to our listeners to explain our up coming two week absence. As you may know, we are all overloaded in our day jobs, to the point that getting all of four of us in a show this year has been near impossible. So given that we have year end work pressures and an opportunity to take some time off this week to be with friends and family, we have decided to take a quick break.

We look forward, to your tweets, emails and comments on the site, to come back charged with more great shows!

In the mean time, while you are enjoying feasts with families, check out this app that co-founder Michael Martine found: Dungeon Runner: Fitness Quest

Episode 101 – Oh Canada, Doh!

We begin this post with a little levity based on the South Park idea that Freemium games were created by the Canadian devil (apologies to our neighbors to the north).

The Michaels go deep on last week’s episode about Freemium games. We also begin an experiment to remove all freemium games from our lives. Are we addicted to these games? Can they be used for good? We look at how to potentially leverage this approach of Freemium games to improving work processes. Tell us what you think. What would you use “premium’ currency for to not have to deal with at work?

Show Links:
Episode 100

What Games are you no longer playing:
Simpson’s Tapped Out
Clash of Clans
Family Guy – The Quest for Stuff
Tiny Towers
Disco Zoo
Dots
Two Dots
Angry Birds Rio and Angry Birds Holiday Edition
Zen Studio’s Pinball Games
Plants vs. Zombies 2
Draw Something
8 Bit Ninja
Chuzzle

Episode 100 – Malaria-Ebola and Freemium Games


Our 100th episode is extremely special with us all in one room and with two special guests Jonathan Estes and Porter Stowell. Jonathan is the CEO of Smart Games Systems, Inc. SGSYS has been working in subsaharan Africa on games for infant mortality and malaria vectors. The transfer of habits from games to real life can truly be a question of survival around health and safety concerns. Exploring these themes we enjoy an amazing conversation about playing games at work! We discuss how games are being used to extend beyond simulation to real engagement of individuals with replayability and increased effectiveness over time.

Showlinks:
SouthPark avatar creator
Smart Game Systems
Insecticide Resistance Video about digital game
Smart Green Heroes Kickstarter – Preview
Chocolate Sauce and Ebola
Zork
Encase Portable Raspberry Pi Gaming Console
Raspberry Pi Keyboard
Ebola and the Walking Dead
Model UN
Doomsday Clock
Car TalkTom Magliozzi – RIP
Sparx
Let The Games Begin! Game Theory Nov. 13th

What we are playing:
Jonathan – Terra Mystica
Phaedra – Way Too Many, currently judging the serious games challenge
Michael R. – World of Warcraft – Live Blog
Michael M. – Sousaphone Hero
Porter – Bomberman with Time Manipulation