Vancouver Sun Article: Games Earn Loyalty

The problem of engaging communities of people is complex,” said Bocska, who has a background in video game design. “Just slapping badges and points on to an experience isn’t going to magically resuscitate a disengaged online community.”
But done right, games can engage consumers, games earn loyalty and improve experiences. They can also change behaviour.
Ayogo’s Monster Manor app, for example, helps kids with Type 1 diabetes monitor their blood glucose levels. Every time a player checks and logs their blood glucose, “they are rewarded with gameplay where they can unlock crazy monsters, bizarre furniture and weird pets,” according to the website.
The Vancouver-based company specializes in gamified health care apps. “One of the inspirations for our company was the acknowledgment, the recognition that games change our behaviour,” Ayogo CEO Michael Fergusson said.
Read more: http://www.vancourier1.com/Cultural+innovation+Gamification+makes+even+mundane+companies+more+engaging/10157903/story.html#ixzz3cmdphm4f
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