Reality is Broken, by Jane McGonagal inspired reflection

If you set out to look for how a gamer is defined, google offers a wide range of definitions that more-or-less just say they are people who play a lot of games. Little does it say the kind of skill-set and rigour they bring with them when they step out of their reality to accomplish. Reality is Broken, by Jane McGonagal reveals how gamers are driven by the idea of always doing better and chase the positive emotions on the other side of a problem. How this may help our study is made abundantly clear from the innumerable examples and benefits described throughout the book. But before we get into that, let us consider the following:

Alternate Reality (described heavily in sci-fi, parallel universes) transcends into the awe and wonder of a world different from reality. The worlds derive inspiration from reality, and settle into our understanding perfectly with less apparent complications to take care of, and in turn, focus on a goal. But how does this focus become more compelling through a game than in our real lives?

It can be agreed that the evolution of mankind was led by discoveries not constrained by beliefs we take as precautions now. In a nutshell, the instincts of teaming up, using collective thought processes and meeting the goal of survival has brought us the comforts we reap today. But can we really say that these weren’t gamified experiences, led by the same theorised game mechanics? The same thrill that brings people together for collective good, the same sense of bringing along our best skills forward to tackle problems we’ve left in the past. I like to think that there have been enough coincidences of gamified experiences since the onfoot of humans that has led us where we are today.

Fast-forward : We have the liberty of surviving in our little comfort zones, harnessing the capabilities that make us human. Only this time, we forget that we have more problems lying ahead of us. But how are we to take responsibility in this world of complexity, feeling irrelevant as a single initiator? We are surrounded by endless opportunity and the ease of doing tasks in the age we live in, only to know that there is not a guide to solving large-scale problems.

Here is where design comes to the rescue. Game initiatives such as GroundCrew, that makes contribution a to-do list one can choose to finish at their convenience. The effort is restrained to a minimum- bringing in authentic data, stories, initiatives and experiences. Not just that, a whole community of people vigilantly share the same ideas of the future and collectively work towards sustainable goals. Games make time a valuable factor to accomplish a goal.

Incorporating contribution to social problems as a part of everyday routine should be slow, steady but regular. This is evidently seen in The Extraordinaries, a mobile phone app that makes people feel like a genie basically. To know that they have the power to make someone happy with something easily, they instantly agree to do it! 

This brings an interesting insight. Even if we are motivated to do some good, we wish there was a step-by-step, fool-proof way to do it and to know that the solution would work. Gamers bring with them a dynamic participation bandwidth that is ready to adjust, apply, improvise and remain motivated even in times of failure. It boils down to making ends meet by making the experience just enough challenging and real, that human emotions become the currency to do good!

Let us take the example of an eco-friendly initiative. The idea of a perfect world (no trash, a bright green future) does have us wonder how it would look and feel, and influences our decisions to maybe say no to a plastic bag, or carry own cups. These ideas come from hearing and observing how people say it would help the world. We live for the idea of letting our children have a future. We make conscious decisions led by taking into consideration the possibility of a selfless good. In a future full of demands and limitations, gamification is a legitimate way of keeping things running in the lack of both monetary resources and the expected/ seeking value of a consumer to make them perform a task. I really liked how Engagement Economy is being seen to be the next big approach to making the fool proof plan. To get people to nurture these instincts at a more productive front is a challenge, until the vast and dreadful complications are set aside or made simpler. Made into a game. Chore Wars and The Extraordinaries as games both led the ideologies of making an experience meaningful by bringing in reinforcement by intrinsic motivation. A feeling of satisfaction, the empowering feeling of selflessness, both act as motivators to do everyday mundane tasks.

Millions of facebook initiatives fail, participation numbers drop because the interactions are boring. The picture on the other side of the problem is often forgotten. Jane reminds us that a step of utilising visuals in the process, actually painting the ‘ ideal picture’ for people to actually work towards than merely wonder can be fruitful. It is however, important to make sure people think their time is valued and their efforts reap actual benefits. A real feeling of success, or the convincing feeling of their work adding value to the world. Humans are a capable resource underutilised in the face of complicated problems we see each day. The simplification can happen by generalising these complications into tasks that are simpler, easier to remember, and just enough to pursue what would otherwise be stressed upon to make sure it actually does good. The effort needs to be channelised into getting specific about the problems, and their unique needs for probable solutions stitched together by cognitive challenges for people to pursue.

As a designer, a Black Mirror influenced skeptic I think Reality is Broken made it easier for me to accept the thought of no harm taking place if the intent is ensured and the chosen context is apt.

  • Simran Singh