I have become quite intrigued with the concept of “gamification” and the potential of a “gamepocalypse.”

Lets start with some definitions:

Gamification: “The integration of game mechanics or game dynamics into a website, service, community, campaign, or application in order to drive participation and engagement. In particular, gamification is the application of game technology and game design outside traditional ‘gamespaces,’ and the acceptance of games in non-gaming sectors” (via Wikipedia). The use of this term has been popularized by Gabe Zichermann, and it was through his research that I first encountered it.

Gamepocalypse: “The rapid advancement of sensor and computing technology will collide with human psychology to turn everything in life into a game.” This term, coined by Jesse Schell, gained popularity thanks to Jesse’s popular (and somewhat controversial) DICE 2010 presentation: “Design Outside the Box.”

When I was a boy (and young adult,even!), gaming (video games, board games, and heaven-forbid, role-playing games) were the providence of nerds. Never would you find gaming as a consideration for a serious pastime within a population of people who were well-adjusted and odor-free.

But here we are in 2010, and people are totally cool with it.

In fact, people that are way cooler than me are checking-in everywhere they go to get badges (or if they are lucky, the title of Mayor!), clicking and clacking for hours and hours to raise virtual crops, or translating Tweets just to “add a few levels.”

All of a sudden, gaming, or at least game-based mechanics and reward systems, seem to be everywhere.

Maybe it just took a few years for the nerds and geeks to grow up and gain prominence and power in popular culture.

Maybe it is the near ubiquity of mobile technology and social media that gave people easy access to games that they may have otherwise never played.

Or maybe, just maybe, technology is following an all-too-traditional developmental path: first things are useful (i.e. they help us solve a problem), then they become usable (we make them easier/faster/more effective), and finally, they become desirable (something we crave to experience).

When we think about some of these influencers and their context, is it then really so startling to believe in the possibility of gamification and the concept of a gamepocalypse? After all, at their very core, games are fun… and who doesn’t like a little fun here and there?  Or, to put it in other words, fun is desirable – and as mentioned, desirability is our sought-after technological endgame and a key product differentiator in a packed marketplace.

So, my friends and colleagues, be on the lookout – I truly believe we are just at the start of a new, expansive trend which will bring games to our lives in new and unexpected ways. We can try to ignore the trend and be at the whimsy of those people who will lead the charge, or we can educate ourselves and help this movement take shape in productive, ethical, and exciting ways.