Wanting the Unwanted - What Games Can Teach Us about the Future of Software Development

摘要

Do you know anyone who likes to engage in uncomfortable topics like tax return, household chores, diseases or death? Nevertheless, this is necessary in various life situations. The presentation of suitable motivational factors can offer an answer to the problem. In terms of Gamification, corresponding approaches have already been finding their way into the development of business and educational software. But we can still learn from the games industry that motivational problems can be overcome easier by taking into account game design mechanisms in early conceptions of interactive applications. As an example this paper considers the platformer Limbo [1], dealing with death crucially. The game which has been published in 2010 has experienced global success until today by providing its recipients a framework to reflect upon this topic, frustration and motivation factors being balanced skillfully. This paper examines how gaming systems can facilitate engagement in otherwise uncomfortable topics, analyzing one game within the entertainment business and describing two implementations of gaming systems in medical and educational fields.