3DWire 2014: Gamification Results

Authors: Flavio Escribano >> @ludictador and Jordi Moretón Galí >> @jordimgali

Spanish Version / Versión en Castellano: Descarga

Introduction

In September 2014 GECON.ES received a request from Paramotion Films to gamify 3DWire event. We have published a report which we summarize below.

The following are the download links to the infographic summary of the presentation and to the Gamification Global Report of 3DWire 2014:

• 3DWire2014_GAM_Infographic
• 3DWireGAM 2014 Global Report vFinal

Why Gamify 3DWire?

3DWire is an annual international event created and organized by Paramotion Films, a production company. The event is held in Segovia (Spain) and is geared towards animation and digital audiovisual production (New Media, ICT and Videogames), bringing together lots of professionals, both national and international.

Paramotion Films requested GECON.ES the creation of the first Gamified experience for 3DWire, defining two main objectives:

1. To attract attendees to less frequented areas of the event.
2. To promote networking between attendees.

On the other hand GECON.ES defined other research objectives related to the Gamification of social places like congresses:

1. To study the fun factor as a dynamization element and as a facilitator of goal attainment in this area of application.
2. To study the segmentation and habits of event attendees.

The methodology used in-house tools and knowledge as well as other frameworks, highlighting the Gamification Model Canvas (in its GameOn! Toolkit format) by Sergio Jiménez Arenas.

• We designed 8 Quests covering organization’s objectives. These quests allowed us to profile attendees by the means of a character sheet –the Gamified accreditation– and were distributed spatially and linked to the event agenda.
• Among others, these quests involved exploration, altruism and achievement dynamics, all of it garnished in 8bit fantasy style with two rivaled factions: ElfCubes and OrkCubes, that drove the event’s storytelling.
• Finally, we designed a data collecting system to get meaningful statistics of the event. We did an inventory of all Gamification components –all of them analog-, counting the number of coins, badges and the rest of stickers so to characterize and understand the event dynamics and attendees’ behavior (those that decided to gamify their experience).

Results

Many data was collected, of which we highlight the following:

1. Over 800 quests in total were completed.
2. Up to 39% of the attendees during Friday and/or Saturday experimented with Gamification, meaning over 150 attendees. Of these, 39% were female and 61% male. Coincidentally, the proportions of Elfcubes and OrkCubes accreditations were similar, 41% and 59%.
3. If segmented by expertise, proportions of gamified attendees and proportions of overall attendees (gamified and non-gamified), were:

4. 77% of the forecasted coins (rupees) were distributed. Of those, 66% were redeemed for prizes. 38% of prizes were redeemed and, of these, the average priced ones were the most wanted.

5. Up to 131 gamified attendees went to the Showroom (a less visited area in previous editions of the event). The number of visits made to the 15 stands was up to 642, in other words, a maximum of 50 visits per stand. We’d like to highlight that more than 61% of the total rupees were given in the Showroom.

6. Over 360 potions of gratitude (metal badges) were printed, 73% of the total purchased by the organization.

7. The end result of the battle of clans was 182 points for the ElfCubes and 541 points for the OrkCubes. The proportion of points is 26% and 74%, respectively, which indicates that regardless of the proportion of attendees from one faction or another, OrkCubes (¿male profiles?) were more competitive than ElfCubes (¿female profiles?).

8. The organization launched a satisfaction survey to the attendees to get, among others, feedback on the impact of Gamification. The conclusions of it are the following:

• About the ATTRACTIVENESS and FUN FACTOR of 3DWire’s Gamification we gathered that positive opinions are a majority (82,9% vs 17,1%). Overall the experience was enjoyed and was perceived as fun. Several attendees (27%) also explicitly stated that it was interesting.

• On the USEFULNESS of Gamification in 3DWire we can see that positive opinions are the majority (79.3%). This is consistent with the widespread opinion that gamification was useful (generically) except for a few opinions that highlight a playful, entertaining component, but not useful for their specific goals.

• On the usefulness of Gamification specifically to FACILITATE NETWORKGING almost 52% of gamified attendees answered that it was indeed useful for networking. Our interpretation of this is that for the remaining 48% Gamification has not been useful for networking but in no case one can infer that gamification worsened it.

Conclusions

The conclusions we draw from the experience of having gamified the event are:

1. Benefits of Gamification for both attendees and the production team.

Thanks to 3D Wire we have been able to experiment how the proposed Gamification has enhanced the experience and overall satisfaction of the event for both participants and organizers.

• Improvement of assistance to various program events. In this experience we improved assistance to less frequented areas in previous editions, but we believe that the Gamification can also improve attendance at events that happen in bad timings (eg lectures early in the morning).
• Improved interaction between the attendees and participants exhibiting in showrooms or other types of space / POIs.
• Improved networking among attendees. We have verified how Gamification facilitates introductions and cooperation, either by creating a playful state that predisposes to socialize or that by means of elements like the gamified accreditation helps attendees to break the ice.
• Improved media coverage, either in social networks, TV or radio. Gamification, thanks to its innovative look and transversality of its application, creates excitement and interest in the media as well as fun/significant situations that are easily shareable by participants themselves in their own social networks.
• Added fun to the event. Although Gamification doesn’t transform the event into a game, playful element remains one of the great aspects that enhance the experience. In this sense Gamification generates fun facilitating the benefits mentioned above and adding a substantial increase in attendee loyalty.
• Encourages the production team by including them in a meta-narrative and interaction layer above the production of a conventional event that keeps them motivated.

2. The place of Gamification in events

Gamification should be integrated within the event but not overshadow it. Gamification should not be the focus, but to support the objectives of the event and enhance the experience for attendees. Gamification is not the creation of a game but the application of game design elements in the event design, supporting its program needs.

3. Importance and role of Storytelling

In some cases Gamification needs a context and in our case this was the storytelling and the supporting elements, without which much of the power of immersion and commitment to the experience and Gamification would have been lost and would have become a more mechanical exercise. The storytelling has to be aligned with the audiences, who have to be familiar with the terminology, visual elements and even with the dynamics and mechanics.

4. Profiling & Targeting

We stress the importance of a good analysis of the potential public during the design phase. To do this the information available in the event web registration process was very useful.

5. KPI & Stats in events thanks to Gamification

We have also seen that Gamification is a very useful tool for statistical control, among others valid to measure attendance, participation and user activity flows and to complement the classic data logging and monitoring in events.

The compiled dataset, inferences, deductions and new assumptions made, start a yearly time series that will delve further throwing light on the value of Gamification as a useful and effective technique in a more scientific way.

Open Access

We hope that the reports and logged data we publish serve the Gamification community and researchers to support their work. We believe that open access policies, both in terms of documents as well as data, are the way to a more efficient and effective progress.

Acknowledgements

GECON.ES wishes to express our gratitude to the Paramotion Films staff, specially to its director José Luis Farias, for having entrusted us the Gamification of 3D Wire, as well as the excellent volunteer team – Game Masters: Pablo Franco Corral, Rodrigo Lasanta, Luis Vallejo, Oscar Luis Fermosel and Manu Saiz, without them it wouldn’t have been possible to develop a project like this and with this success.

The following are the download links to the infographic summary of the presentation and to the Gamification Global Report of 3DWire 2014:

• 3DWire2014_GAM_Infographic
• 3DWireGAM 2014 Global Report vFinal

Event’s phots at https://www.flickr.com/photos/106314026@N08/sets/72157647877977999/

Under specific request we provide the following Annexes

• Annex 1: Game Master’s manual
• Annex 2: Player’s instructions (No)Handbook
• Annex 3: Volunteers’ survey results
• Annex 4: Attendees’ survey results
• Annex 5: Statistical data control sheet

Don’t hesitate to contact us at info@gecon.es and ask for your copy of any annex you are interested on.

Thank you very much.