TEDxSMU Tuesday 4.5.11
Gaming
Welcome to the Decade of Games, Seth Priebatsch, Harvard Business Review, September 10, 2010
“…When you hear games, you probably immediately think about things like World of WarCraft, the Nintendo Wii and Farmville. And while those are huge (and will get even bigger) I’m talking about the underlying game dynamics that are the core building blocks of those games. And in this decade of games, these game dynamics will move far beyond your computer screen and into decidedly non-game like environments, like the way we court customers, engage with others at work, discover where to hang out on Saturday nights and what, when and how we choose to purchase.”
- About SCVNGR
SCVNGR’s Secret Game Mechanics Playdeck, TechCrunch, August 25, 2010
“SCVNGR, which makes a mobile game with real-world challenges, has a playdeck. It is a deck of cards listing nearly 50 different game mechanics that can be mixed and matched to create the foundation for different types of games.”
Video game addiction gets attention from MTV, Kent State University, GamePro, January 27, 2010
Two pieces of media released this week highlight dimensions of video game addiction not commonly talked about. The first, MTV’s True Life episode “I’m addicted to videogames” looks at the problem from the perspective of an African-American woman. The second is a Kent State University student-written article emphasizes the social interaction angle.
Video Game ‘Addiction’ Tied to Depression, Anxiety in Kids, US News & World Report, January 17, 2011
“The new study found that children who are more likely to become addicted to video games (which the researchers call “pathological” video gaming) are those who spend a lot of hours playing these games, have trouble fitting in with other kids and are more impulsive than children who aren’t addicted.”
Jane McGonigal: Gaming can make a better world, TED 2010
Games like World of Warcraft give players the means to save worlds, and incentive to learn the habits of heroes. What if we could harness this gamer power to solve real-world problems? Jane McGonigal says we can, and explains how.
Jesse Schell: When games invade real life, DICE Summit 2010
Games are invading the real world — and the runaway popularity of Farmville and Guitar Hero is just the beginning, says Jesse Schell. At the DICE Summit, he makes a startling prediction: a future where 1-ups and experience points break “out of the box” and into every part of our daily lives.
Motivation and Choice
UnMarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging, by Scott Stratten, 2010
With a smart take on using social media as a new toolset rather than just a fad, UnMarketing features numerous bite-size chapters you can consult and apply according to your unique business requirements. These chapters are all bursting with practical tips and real-world examples, giving you a sense not just of what works (and what doesn’t) but of how and for whom.
Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less, by Barry Schwartz, 2005
In The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz explains at what point choice—the hallmark of individual freedom and self-determination that we so cherish—becomes detrimental to our psychological and emotional well-being. In accessible, engaging, and anecdotal prose, Schwartz shows how the dramatic explosion in choice—from the mundane to the profound challenges of balancing career, family, and individual needs—has paradoxically become a problem instead of a solution.
Dan Pink on the surprising science of motivation, TEDGlobal 2009
Career analyst Dan Pink examines the puzzle of motivation, starting with a fact that social scientists know but most managers don’t: Traditional rewards aren’t always as effective as we think. Listen for illuminating stories — and maybe, a way forward.
Dan Ariely asks, Are we in control of our own decisions? EG 2008
Behavioral economist Dan Ariely, the author of Predictably Irrational, uses classic visual illusions and his own counterintuitive (and sometimes shocking) research findings to show how we’re not as rational as we think when we make decisions.
His Holiness the Karmapa: The technology of the heart, TEDIndia 2009
His Holiness the Karmapa talks about how he was discovered to be the reincarnation of a revered figure in Tibetan Buddhism. In telling his story, he urges us to work on not just technology and design, but the technology and design of the heart. He is translated onstage by Tyler Dewar.