It is not so difficult to criticize gamification , the application of elements from computer games in a different context, but it is important to also keep an eye on the possibilities. And they are certainly there. For example in the field of mobility: the fight against overcrowded trains and polluting traffic jams. What is already happening there with gamification and what else would be possible?
Like many other public domains, public transport is automatically gamified by means of Foursquare : you can score points by checking in at station locations. The RET used this at the end of last year to promote Metro Line E. By checking in as often as possible at the stations of the line, you had a chance to win prizes. This is an obvious and accessible way to use Foursquare, which is used by many transport companies worldwide.
BART – the public transportation company in the San Francisco Bay Area, where brother cell phone list Foursquare is also headquartered – recently conducted a survey to find out how their passengers felt about the combination with Foursquare. 82% said they had not increased or decreased their public transportation use because of Foursquare, but more than half did find that their travel experience had become more enjoyable because they had earned a virtual badge or had run into friends at the station. I suspect that the Foursquare approach is not powerful enough to entice passengers to travel outside of peak hours (the so-called “from peak to shoulder” problem). In any case, it will not be more effective than the pricing mechanisms that carriers already use (i.e. discounts during off-peak hours ).