Gamification and Energy Management
I recently attended a Social Media Breakfast (SMB) in Ottawa and the speaker was David Nicholson (http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpnicholson) a VP at Power Challenge. The discussion surrounded the mechanics of the video game industry. He called it, “Gamification”. The gist of it was that video games succeed in growing a captive audience by achieving three goals: retention, virality, and engagement. How can one make their business stickier by using game mechanics?
The games are designed to incite behaviour modification. They want the players to challenge the game, seek rewards, collect points, and succeed to new levels. To accomplish this Amy Jo Kim, creative director for Shufflebrain, describes the five ways to build flow in a game. You can review her presentation here: http://www.slideshare.net/amyjokim/putting-the-fun-in-functiona
What has this got to do with energy management? Quite a bit, I think.
In the commercial real estate world it would appear that many building owners are dragging their feet when it comes to retrofitting new building efficiencies. Too costly, not enough incentive, no proof upgrades are beneficial to the bottom-line, too many products with similar claims so it’s confusing, and so on. Sounds like an education deficiency. Despite the ongoing government and industry initiatives towards new efficiencies the end user is reluctant to participate. Perhaps it is the way we are delivering the message. Why not make the education of energy management a video game?
Government and industry associations could get together to create a video game, Green PM! Or, some such title. The building owner would collect points (carbon credits?) for each new efficiency achieved. Various levels of difficulty could be built into the game like, budget cuts, employee turnover, a fire, or some other challenge. As each challenge is overcome more points are accumulated and a new level achieved. Present this game to building owners and property managers and offer a challenge to their companies as to which one can win the overall efficiency award. One could even build in game bonuses, such as the current OPA incentive program, to entice the building owners to make improvements.
Now, some detractors may claim that games are just that and adults do not participate in video games and the challenges they offer. How many of us play games on our iPod, iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, laptop, I could go on. People enjoy games and games can be a great learning tool. Besides, in the coming years it will be the younger generations that will be dealing with our inaction.
Why don’t we make the energy message itself more efficient? Turn it into a (learning) game!
The games are designed to incite behaviour modification. They want the players to challenge the game, seek rewards, collect points, and succeed to new levels. To accomplish this Amy Jo Kim, creative director for Shufflebrain, describes the five ways to build flow in a game. You can review her presentation here: http://www.slideshare.net/amyjokim/putting-the-fun-in-functiona
What has this got to do with energy management? Quite a bit, I think.
In the commercial real estate world it would appear that many building owners are dragging their feet when it comes to retrofitting new building efficiencies. Too costly, not enough incentive, no proof upgrades are beneficial to the bottom-line, too many products with similar claims so it’s confusing, and so on. Sounds like an education deficiency. Despite the ongoing government and industry initiatives towards new efficiencies the end user is reluctant to participate. Perhaps it is the way we are delivering the message. Why not make the education of energy management a video game?
Government and industry associations could get together to create a video game, Green PM! Or, some such title. The building owner would collect points (carbon credits?) for each new efficiency achieved. Various levels of difficulty could be built into the game like, budget cuts, employee turnover, a fire, or some other challenge. As each challenge is overcome more points are accumulated and a new level achieved. Present this game to building owners and property managers and offer a challenge to their companies as to which one can win the overall efficiency award. One could even build in game bonuses, such as the current OPA incentive program, to entice the building owners to make improvements.
Now, some detractors may claim that games are just that and adults do not participate in video games and the challenges they offer. How many of us play games on our iPod, iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, laptop, I could go on. People enjoy games and games can be a great learning tool. Besides, in the coming years it will be the younger generations that will be dealing with our inaction.
Why don’t we make the energy message itself more efficient? Turn it into a (learning) game!
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