Gamification as the Post-Modern Phalanstère - The Video Game Industry: Formation, Present State, and Future - page 193

respect to the actual benefi ts that corporations and the employer's organiza-
tion obtain from our productive work under the form of dividends. There-
fore, gamifi cation would not be a tool aimed at contributing to the creation
of a better world (exterior universe) and better persons (inner universe).
Certain video games mentioned by McGonigal, such as Halo (Bungie Stu-
dios, 2001), automatize algorithmic responses (above all among a distinctly
male audience) that are insatiably and tirelessly repeated, as long as the game
keeps arousing the gamer's interest; in these games, emergence is restricted
by level design and the rules pre-programmed by the development team. If
we compare the game world of Halo with, for example, the work-world of a
clerk, we would identify a common, unchanged scenario: the “stalking and
hunting” task carried out by Halo 's modern hunter horde equipped with
high-technology armour and weapons becomes the day-to-day reality of
a worker sitting in front of a computer screen, carrying out mathematical
calculations and introducing formulae into management software. In video
games like Halo , creativity consists of combining, in the most appropriate
way, the use of terrain and weaponry, taking advantage of the events that
take place on the screen to win, all at a clearly frenetic pace.
The choice of dif erent weapons available, the unpredictable reactions
of the enemy, the changes in dif erent scenarios, etc., provide each game
with unique and changing elements that increase amusement. On the other
hand, the changing elements at the oi ce are ciphers, the bigger or smaller
amount of work; creativity consists in searching for the most ef ective solu-
tions to accomplish the tasks in the shortest possible time in the best pos-
sible way. Considering the restrictions concerning equipment and software,
we would probably reach the highest point soon. In Halo we can quit play-
ing when we are tired; in most oi ces, however, there are strict working
times we have to comply with regardless of whether we have fi nished our
daily tasks or not. What about rewards? In Halo the reward would be
“hunt the enemy” and that our avatar/group acquires more prestige among
the gamer community. In the oi ce, it would be the salary received at the
end of the month and the satisfaction of being . . . the best worker of the
month? Nevertheless, the prestige acquired in Halo is, to a certain extent,
volatile; its meaning and continuity depend on the interest in the game pres-
ent in the world of video game players, i.e. prestige is conserved as long as
the gamer community supports and enjoys the game, a situation that can
only last for years if the game becomes a classic (for instance, StarCraft ,
whose large community has remained intact for more than ten years, or
Pac-Man ; see http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0923752/-). T he clerk's prestige
and satisfaction generated by having done good work (even administrative
work) for years are an inner experience, whether shared with others or not,
and they contribute to the fulfi lment of more levels of Maslow's pyramid
in a more permanent way than a hobby (even if practiced for years) like
playing Halo (unless playing this video game becomes a competitive sport,
that is, a paid job).