News and Gamification: 'Top Story' Design Brief

In a nutshell, gamification integrates the mechanics of gaming into nongame activities to alter the behaviour of the population. In order to drive participation and engagement, businesses use the practice of gamification to add game dynamics to their websites, business services, online communities, content portals and marketing campaigns. Ultimately, gamification has enabled people to turn their everyday activities, such as going to your local coffee store, into games by offering them rewards and incentives like badges (Wilson, C.F. 2013). Furthermore, this essay will present a gamification design brief for an iPhone app entitled ‘Top Story’ which will attempt to make reading, sharing and discussing the news more fun for university journalism and communication students by combining mobile game concepts with updated news stories.

In ‘Top Story’, the player begins as a journalism student intern who slowly works their way up through the ranks to become an editor in chief. To do this, the player must accumulate points by consuming current news stories. To begin with, the player can choose from five categories (World News, Local News, Sport, Entertainment and Lifestyle), with each topic containing three stories from the past 24 hours. Once the player has chosen a story from their selected category, they must engage in a ‘Super Mario’ style game where they aim to collect five newspapers that each add up to reveal the details about the specific news article. However whilst taking part in this game, there are several obstacles that the player must avoid including ‘scrunched-up paper balls’ that will injure their avatar and take one life away as well as a time limit. To avoid losing the game, the player must also accumulate ‘coffee cups’ to attain more lives. The player can control their avatar with a direction toggle on their touch screen located on the bottom right corner, giving them the options to run from left to right, jump and duck. Once the player has collected the five newspapers, they can not only read the entire news story and achieve points but also share the news story via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. They can accumulate more points by sharing the news stories and their achievements. Furthermore, the player can also achieve special badges if they complete certain tasks, similar to ‘Google News Badges’. For example, if the player completes all three entertainment stories for five days in a row they will receive the ‘Gossip Queen ‘ badge or if they read five soccer related stories from the Sports category they will receive the ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ badge. These accomplishments can also be shared via social media.

Fig. 1: A screenshot of the player engaging in a level of Top Story.

Fig. 2: Top Story shares a similar concept to the layout and rules of Super Mario Bros.

Fig. 3: A screenshot of the different news categories the player can choose from.

Background

Whether or not it is clear to everyone, gamification has been a part of life since childhood. So many things that usually go unnoticed are based on the same, extremely influential platforms as gamification – for example, when a child goes to the doctor to have a needle and is scared, the doctor will often propose a sweet or a toy as a reward or prize if they go through with the procedure – if they complete the challenge. Similarly, at the dentist, if the patient remains cavity-free, which is indeed the challenge, then they are often rewarded with a prize of some description (Belicove, 2012). Regardless of where it lies, that same concept of challenge and reward is used. It is through these rewards that many business people engage and attract an initial market, and from here industries see an opportunity to develop.

The collaboration of gaming and the way in which society consumes news is being encouraged to make the way that people choose to take in their news a more fun experience, and as such, a habit. As defined in “Gamification: Using Game Design Elements in Non-Gaming Contexts” (Deterding et al., 2011) gamification is described as an ‘informal, umbrella term’ to more or less improve the user experience and provide a higher and more established engagement with a specific product. This is done by incorporating elements of gaming into these non-gaming applications and technologies to promote growth of the products. Also known as ‘newsgames’, it defines the use of games in the context of journalism, and, in quite a broad sense, serves the interests of journalism. Newsgames are understood by the media industry as quite a niche market, as they have not been fully developed yet (Bosch, 2011). It is such a specific area of trade because it needs to go above and beyond how people currently access their news – it needs to provide something that is valuable. Chris O’Brien, an American business reporter, believes that “over the next decade, gamification will profoundly reshape the way we experience the web, to the same degree that social media and networks redefined the web last decade” (2011). O’Brien believes this because, quite simply, gamification demonstrates the possibilities that the news industry has to continue growing and becoming stronger, particularly with the younger generation.

The human race survives in a world that is dependent on achievement and reward, with the basic outlay being that the higher you achieve, the bigger the reward will be. It is from this very basis that the concept of gamifying news consumption is bred – it incorporates that competitiveness into another platform of society so that it eventually becomes a fundamental factor in the way in which humans live their day to day lives – it becomes a habit, and taps into “fundamental human psychology” (O’Brien, 2011). The influence of these experiences guides people to act and behave in a specific way, and hence represents the very powerful level of engagement that gamification holds.

The integration of gamification for this type of news consumption is the appropriate choice to stimulate the growth of the audience that is being engaged. Through gaming elements, and in particular through this app, ‘Top Story’, it offers a reward style type of utilization that is not offered through other news outlets, such as newspapers, television or the radio. The fact that users have gone out and actually downloaded an application for their phone or tablet means that they are already a “willing and focused audience” (Padilla, S, Halley, F., & Chantler, M.J. 2011). So by incorporating positive reinforcements, such as winning badges when attaining a position at a certain level and being able to share this through social media, the app becomes a persuasive type of technology. This contributes drastically to the “enjoyment and engagement of the users” (Padilla, S, Halley, F., & Chantler, M.J. 2011), and hence, keeps them returning. Because the ‘Top Story’ app in this brief has such a bright, simple exterior, it draws in the audience right from the initial viewing, before even playing the game. With its ease of navigation, being able to access and understand the game itself without difficulty, this only supports the layout and integration of gamification in the news and media industry.

A survey posed in 2012 by Pew Internet and American Life Project and Elon University’s ‘Imagining the Internet’ Centre asked the question, “what is the future of gamification? Will it boost digital engagement for consumers by 2020?” There were 1,021 participants, who all held a highly engaged technical background. Of these participants, 53 percent believed that gamification will indeed boost the news industry, and in fact advance into other areas, including health and education (Belicove, 2012). Because the news today is accessible in so many different forms, whether that is online, print, television or the like, it has to be quite a strong and enjoyable channel of consumption for a viewer or user to utilize it every day. This is why the ‘Top Story’ app is built on such a positive and rewarding base – so that consumers feel that they are actually achieving something and having fun whilst they absorb their news regularly.

Design Requirements

Mechanics, Dynamics & Aesthetics (MDA)

Regarding the aesthetics of a game, there are several components that are used to describe the level of ‘fun’ and gameplay’ involved. Each game purses multiple aesthetic goals in order to appeal to different players, however, there is no formula that explains the combination and proportion of elements that will result in fun. With this in mind, ‘Top Story’ encompasses the taxonomies of challenge (game as an obstacle course), sensation (game as sense-pleasure), fantasy (game as make-believe) and submission (game as past-time) (Hunicke, R. LeBlanc, M. & Zubek, R. 2004). ‘Top Story’ enables the player to witness clear feedback as to who is winning which in turn results in the player becoming emotionally invested in completing the game. Moreover, several experts have suggested that computer games are more fun when they have the right amount of challenge which is strongly correlated with engagement. ‘Top Story’ engages the player due to constant challenges such as adhering to obstacles to collect ‘newspapers’, the differing heights of the blocks and the existence of the flying ‘paper-balls’ as enemies (Shaker, N. Yannakakis, G. N. Togelius, J. 2013).

Fig. 4: A diagram that explains the different features and obstacles of the game.

However to make the aesthetic experience work, game dynamics are used as fundamentals that create fanaticism and loyalty among players. With regards to ‘Top Story’, challenge is created by the time pressure to complete the game and from the featured obstacles and enemies (Hunicke, R. LeBlanc, M. & Zubek, R. 2004). Scarcity is another dynamic used particularly with the notion of collecting badges. Because these badges require specific acts to be carried out before they can be acquired, they are not easily earned and therefore work off the idea that people want objects that are scarce and are not readily available. Moreover, the dynamics where players wish to feel accomplishment and see progress also heavily relies on the collection of badges that cannot be bought but earned. Additionally, the ranking system also allows the player to see their progress and accomplishments. But ‘Top Story’ takes this feeling of accomplishment and progress one step further by allowing the player to share and brag about their success via social media (Lebel, J. 2011).

Fig. 5: A screenshot that depicts what badges the player has and hasn’t collected.

Fig. 6: An example of badges shown of Google News Badges.

Mechanics are the diverse actions, behaviors and control mechanisms afforded to the player within a game context. When this is combined with the game’s content, the mechanics support overall gameplay dynamics (Hunicke, R. LeBlanc, M. & Zubek, R. 2004). With regards to ‘Top Story’, the player’s interactions with the virtual world is mediated by the player-token or avatar. Similar to games like Crash Bandicoot and Tomb Raider, the ‘journalist’ represents the embodiment of the player is the virtual world including its interactions. Furthermore, one of the most important game mechanics is the locomotion system which is used by the player to control the motion of the avatar. The player-token is the key to core gameplay which is a set of activities that the player will undertake more frequently during the game experience. Therefore, the core game mechanics of ‘Top Story’ encompass all the activities aimed at collecting the ‘newspapers’ and ‘coffees’ whilst avoiding the ‘paper-balls’. In addition, the player’s input moves the ‘journalist’ according to them and other environmental conditions, for example, the ‘jump’ movement allows the ‘journalist’ to jump by simply pressing the ‘up’ button which is extremely useful particularly when it comes to avoiding and conquering obstacles (Fabricatore, C. 2013).

Fig. 7: A screenshot of the sharing options.

Fig. 8: An example of sharing options from Bubble Popp.

Player Journey

A player’s journey is predominantly based on the system of levels and rankings, by which players are rewarded for an accumulation of points they have earned through their gameplay. Often features or abilities are unlocked as players progress through the stages of mastery (novice, problem solver, expert and master). Leveling is one of the highest components of motivation for gamers as it emerges as a clear note of progress (Gamification Wiki, 2010). In the case of ‘Top Story’, the player begins as a student inter who must accumulate points to move up in rankings by completing levels and consuming more news stories. Each completed news story is worth 100 points. Additional points are available for sharing their accomplishments and news story via social media and for receiving badges. Once the player has moved up in rankings the levels become more difficult and challenging: the time limit is reduced, the speed of the flying ‘paper balls’ increases, the ‘newspapers’ become harder to find, and the amount of ‘coffee cups’ is lessened. On the other hand, the player also acquires more abilities including the speed in which the player-token can run, and the height and length in which it can jump. Also, more badges are unlocked as the player progresses through the levels. With regards to the stages of mastery, the play will become more and more invested and engaged in the game and will therefore move from novice to problem solver and eventually become an expert or master of ‘Top Story’.

Fig. 9: A screenshot that depicts the different rankings of Top Story. The player is currently ranked as a Resident Journalist.

The Onboarding Experience

Onboarding is about teaching game players the rules and tools required to play the game. This process starts as soon as the user signs up and ends when they have mastered the fundamental skills needed to play the game and achieve wins in the early stages (Chou, Y. 2013). After ‘Top Story’ has loaded, the player will be taken to the main menu where they can choose to select a step-by-step guide on how to play the game. Although it will be brief, it will explain how to choose a news category and then move on to how to select a news story from that day as well as give a short tutorial on how to complete the game’s levels. These guides will be shown as a set of screenshots that the player can swipe through to get a picture of how the game works. What’s more, when the player first begins to play ‘Top Story’ they will experience a ‘glowing choice’ which is a technique used where hints are displayed to help the player understand what to do next. For example, a red circle will be placed around an object that needs collecting indicating to the player that they must run to that object and pick it up. Furthermore, small achievements need to be rewarded frequently at the beginning of gameplay as it builds the player’s confidence. So whilst the player is still experiencing the ‘glowing choice’, every time the player correctly follows the instructions an applause sound effect will emerge and a congratulatory statement, such as ‘good job’ or ‘well done’, will appear on screen.

Fig. 10: The main menu of the game where the player can choose to learn how to play.

Fig. 11 & 12: The first screenshot depicts the ‘glowing choice’ technique where the player is told to collect the coffee. The second screenshot depicts the player following these instructions and receiving a congratulatory response.

Player Type and Motivation

Create by Dr. Richard Bartle, Bartle’s Player Types describe the different representations of players who engage in Multi User Dungeon (MUD) games. The concept takes into consideration what the player wants, how they act and how they interact within the game environment. This model is popular in gamification as it gives a solid basis to consider the types of users you may come across. Players of ‘Top Story’ will most likely be categorized as ‘achievers’ because they are motivated by mastery and are looking to learn new things and improve themselves by completing the levels and collecting badges. Additionally, the players would also be classed as ‘consumers’ as they want rewards from their actions in the system and will complete activities, such as quizzes, join loyalty schemes and learn, but only if it gives them something in return. This mean that the players of ‘Top Story’ will be motivated to complete the levels and consume news stories only because they will be rewarded with points, badges and higher rankings (Marczewski, A. 2013).

Fig. 13: Top Story Music Theme

Conclusion and a Measurable Outcome

The app that has been designed, entitled ‘Top Story’, is constructed with the aim of gamifying news consumption. As a group, we believe it to be a very simple concept with an inviting style of presentation. However, in order to measure our success, we cannot rely simply on our own opinions. So, to be able to rate our game, we will judge it from societies opinions – how many times it was downloaded, how the product has spread through word of mouth, reviews on the internet, and comments that players have made through iTunes. Predominantly, it is the frequency with which they actually engage with it that will be quite a strong way of determining what people think. The reviews and comments that consumers leave will establish the basis of how the gamification of news consumption will develop.

Reference List

• Belicove, M. (2012). Will it always be fun and gamification? Retrieved October 13, 2013, from http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/223606

• Bosch, M. (2011). Gamify the News. Retrieved October 18, 2013, fromhttp://www.newsgaming.de/2011/01/gamify-the-news/

• Chou, Y. (2013, October 13). 4 Experience Phases in Gamification (#2): The Onboarding Phase. Retrieved October 19, 2013, from http://www.yukaichou.com/gamification-study/4-experience-phases-gamification-2-onboarding-phase/

• Deterding, S, Sicart, M., Nacke, L., O’Hara, K., & Dixon, D. (2011). Gamification: Using Game Design Elements in Non-Gaming Contexts. 1-4. Retrieved October 13, 2013, from Scientific Literature Digital Library.

• FABRICATORE, C. (n.d.). GAMEPLAY AND GAME MECHANICS DESIGN: A KEY TO QUALITY IN VIDEOGAMES. Retrieved October 18, 2013, fromhttp://www.oecd.org/edu/ceri/39414829.pdf

• Gamification Wiki. (2010, November). Levels. Retrieved October 19, 2013, fromhttp://gamification.org/

• Hunicke, R., & Marc LeBlanc & Robert Zubek (2004). MDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research. Retrieved October 18, 2013, fromhttps://learn.uq.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid-448836-dt-content-rid-2071144_1/courses/JOUR2722S_6360_62576/MDA.pdf

• Lebel, J. (2011, December 9). 7 Game Dynamics to Propel Your Business. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from http://www.likeable.com/blog/2011/12/7-game-dynamics-to-propel-your-business/

• MARCZEWSKI, A. (2013, August 12). A New Perspective on the Bartle Player Types for Gamification. Retrieved October 20, 2013, fromhttp://www.gamification.co/2013/08/12/a-new-perspective-on-the-bartle-player-types-for-gamification/

• O’Brien, C. (2011). How can we ‘gamify’ the news experience? Retrieved October 13, 2013, from http://www.pbs.org/idealab/2011/01/how-can-we-gamify-the-news-experience017/

• Padilla, S, Halley, F., & Chantler, M.J. (2011). Improving Product Browsing whilst Engaging Users. Retrieved October 13, 2013, fromhttp://de2011.computing.dundee.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Improving-Product-Browsing-whilst-Engaging-Users.pdf

• Shaker, N., & Georgios, N. Yannakakis & Julian Togelius (2013). Crowd-Sourcing the Aesthetics of Platform Games. Retrieved October 18, 2013, fromhttp://julian.togelius.com/Shaker2012Crowdsourcing.pdf

• WILSON, C. F. (2013, June 03). The Boston Bombings and the Gamification of the News. Retrieved October 15, 2013, from http://kingsofwar.org.uk/2013/06/the-boston-bombings-and-the-gamification-of-the-news/