Game Frame: Using Games as a Strategy for Success

The book provides insightful information on how games work, core components and applications for a variety of settings. Moreover, the presentation of the book and the author’s ability to engage the reader are evident in terms of the organization of the book in “levels” (chapters) 1-7, which present the lessons of the game, together with lucid examples such as Nike+ and how it offers feedback, social pressure and competition in order to engage the consumer in a game-like environment. The book then devotes chapters 8-10 to how these principles can be put to use through the 10 general and 10 specific building blocks. The author also conducts a thorough analysis of the history of gaming and examples.

For some older readers the initial examples may be difficult to grasp as a generational issue, such as apps or websites which the reader may not be as aware of as the younger, “wired” generations. However, the principles and building blocks transcend modern technology, making this book all the more interesting in its application across a variety of settings.

Ever wonder why teens can spend entire weekends playing video games but struggle with just one hour of homework? Why we’re addicted to certain websites and steal glances at our smartphones under the dinner table? Or why some people are able to find joy in difficult or repetitive jobs while others burn out? It’s not the experiences themselves but the way they’re structured that matters.
All our lives we’ve been told that games are distractions—playful pastimes, but unrelated to success. In “Game Frame”, Aaron Dignan shows us that the opposite is true: games produce peak learning conditions and accelerated achievement. Here, the crucial connection between the games we love to play and the everyday tasks, goals, and dreams we have trouble realizing is illuminated.
“Game Frame” is the first prescriptive explanation of what games mean to us, the human psychology behind their magnetic pull, and how we can use the lessons they teach as a framework to achieve our potential in business and beyond.

This book spells out the building blocks for applying games to increase engagement with your clients, employees or in social settings, along with relevant examples of how gaming is applied in the business setting and the underlying blocks which appeal to us and makes it work. Most importantly, it will lead you to start thinking in game terms and how you can apply these concepts in order to effect change. For more on this subject, see Senteo’s review for “Game On”.