3 Gaming Tacticsto Supercharge User’s

Motivation

5 min read

Whether it’s winning EPIC boss fights,

Game: Shank

Solving ENDLESS puzzles,

Game: FEZ

Or failing AGAIN AND AGAIN...

Game: Flappy Bird

One thing is certain.

GAMES ARE HARD WORK

AND GAMERS DON’T GIVE UP

Read on to learn how games keep players motivated using 3 crucial steps.

Please allow me to introduce myself first

Hi, I’m Dori Adar.

I write and talk about the intersection of video games and non-game consumer products.

www.DoriAdar.com

@ Dori Adar

3 STEP MOTIVATION MODEL1. Aspirations and Social Proof2. Milestones3. Small Victories

3 STEP MOTIVATION MODEL1. Aspirations and Social Proof2. Milestones3. Small Victories

That’s the opening screen of Monkey Island (™).When I saw that as a kid, 25 years ago, I was like...

Hell yea! Me too!

Kids these days have different aspirations.

Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, a mobile game by GLU,was all the rage on the app stores in 2014.

(Rage = $200 million in revenue)

Source: Forbes

Both games inspire their users to BECOME SOMEONE.

Both enhance this goal with SOCIAL PROOF.

Each character in KKhas a very visible “celebrity rank”

as a constant reminder of the main quest.

And there’s Kimthe primary role model.

In Monkey Islandeverybody is a goddamn mighty pirate

But you.

...except for YOU

3 STEP MOTIVATION MODEL1. Aspirations and Social Proof2. Milestones3. Small Victories

It might take weeks of gameplayto become a pirate/A-lister.

That’s why it’s so important to set milestones along the journey.

Finish these trials and become a pirate in Monkey Island.

Make it to the next celebrity level on your way to becoming

an A-lister.

Milestones assure users they are on the right track,and should always seem within reach.

3 STEP MOTIVATION MODEL1. Aspirations and Social Proof2. Milestones3. Small Victories

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Each step is a small victory.Games give us plenty of these.

In Monkey Island, each time an item is picked up, or better yet, is used: It’s a small victory.

Acquiring fans by participating in events and dates are KK’s small victories.

Each time the user logs into the game she gets her fix of small victories.

That’s how playing turns into a daily habit.

Let’s take some non-gaming examples that use this model.

Is an online education platform for learning code.It is used by 24 mil users.

The ASPIRATION is clear, right from the homepage.

Enhanced with SOCIAL PROOF.

This is aMILESTONE.

And here are the small steps, the

SMALL VICTORIES.

But hey, Learning to code is BORING…

Let’s spice things up.

Is a dating app/game that has made over 1 billion matches.

How do they motivate their users?

Tinder’s go-to-market strategy was to acquire hot students to be the first users,

for social proof’s sake.

It worked. Tinder became the first dating app to break the online dating stigma.

Tinder users’ aspirations may vary, but are always related to meeting new people.

The milestones are the DATES...

And of course small steps → SMALL VICTORIES.

Once Alison and I finally meet...

Me Alison

It will be these pics, SMSs and other small victories gestures...

That keep this new relationship aliveuntil the next milestone date.

Remember this 3 step plan......And motivate your users

WITH LOVE!

Feeling motivated?

SHAREWanna get some more?

www.DoriAdar.com

Thank you Sarah Keyes for reviewing this slide.