The rise of social gaming has been nothing short of breathtaking. It’s mind boggling how many hours people are willing to devote to tending their virtual plantations on Farmville without a dime of real compensation to show for it. So why in an economy with 10% unemployment is social gaming still captivating millions of users? Two factors seem to stand out. Social gaming is both 1) socially rewarding and 2) addictive. The social pressure of competing to build your virtual empire combined with the addictive nature of the game dynamics themselves meld into a powerfully intoxicating mix that drives hours and hours of engagement.
So why can’t these game dynamics be applied to the enterprise? Why can’t there be a financial reward for playing the game of business as well as a social reward? Instead of farming virtual cucumbers with virtual tractors, why can’t we apply real rewards to real-life productivity through virtual currency, milestone achievements and in-game upgrades?
