Gamification with Unity 5.x

Chapter 1. The Anatomy of Games

In a world full of work, chores, and just plain boring things, we all must find the time to play. We must allow ourselves to be immerse ourselves within enchanted worlds of fantasy, to explore far-away and uncharted exotic islands throughout mysterious worlds. We may also find hidden treasure while confronting and overcoming some of our worst fears. As we enter utopian and dystopian worlds, mesmerized by the magic of games, we realize anything and everything is possible, and all that we have to do is imagine.

There are many things that are involved in creating this magical places, and in this chapter, we will begin by exploring the following:

To begin Not just pixels and programming will cover the basics of what games are and the types of game that exist. It will discuss how games have developed and how to think about what a game really is.
Next,Playing to learn discusses the difference types of game and gamified experiences that can have, and have had, an impact on our daily lives.
Then, Gamify all the things with gamification has examples of gamified applications that are used in everyday life. It discusses the types of game element and mechanics that are used within each one, and how they encourage different types of interaction.
To answer the question of What is game design? this section will explore thedifferent kinds of element and mechanics that games and gamified experiences have.
This chapter will conclude with, Competency and complacency - where do we draw the line? Thissection looks at how games and their components are used to get us up and off the couch and keep us engaged.

Not just pixels and programming

Gaming has an interesting and ancient history. It goes back as far as the ancient Egyptians with a game called Sennet. Long after the reign of the great Egyptian Kings, the ancient Greeks and Romans saw games as a way to display strength and stamina. However, as time has elapsed, games have not only developed from the marble pieces of Sennet or the glittering swords of battles, they have also adapted to changes in media: from stone to paper, and from paper to technology. We have seen the rise and development of physical games (for example, table and card games) to games that need us to physically move our characters by using our bodies and peripherals (Playstation Move, WiiMote), to interact with the game environment (Wii Sports, Heavy Rain). So now, not only do we have the ability to create 3D virtual worlds with virtual reality, we can enter their worlds as well. Just like the following image, which is from Dungeons and Dragons, games don't have to take on a digital form, they can also be physical.

Dungeons and Dragons board with figurines and dice

Finding your preferred type

Now, let's take it a step further and observe the different types of games that exist. There are games to teach, to train, to escape reality with, and games to transform ourselves. As we can see in the following image, there are tons of games that we can play, and across varying platforms as well!

Many different types of game that are available

To begin, you have your games for entertainment. They may have some other elements such as some accurate historic facts (Assassin's Creed, Civilization), but their main purpose is to entertain us. They can exist across a range of different genres from shooter (Call of Duty) to adventure (Fable) and can be played either alone (Alone in the Dark, Alan Wake, Metro 2033) or with company both near and far (Word of Warcraft, Dota 2, Guild Wars 2). Other genres include:

Action: These games offer intensity of action as the primary attraction. They challenge the player in many ways, such as testing their hand-eye coordination and their ability to react to enemies.
Adventure: These games can send us to magical faraway lands where majestic animals live and wealth and fortune await. They focus on story and problem solving to get from one part of the game world to another.
Arcade: These games give us an experience similar to those from the past and provide us with the opportunity to kill invaders, destroy blocks, and dodge barrels as they inevitably hurl towards us. Gaming experiences are in essence diverse and there is definitely no one-size-fits-all approach to choosing them, let alone to create or design them.
Educational: These games aim to teach us about real-world concepts and can complement the work that we may do in the classroom.
Fighting: These games place us in the ring with an enemy, or two, and bring out the fighter in us. They often feature players competing against each other in a battle of strength and endurance.
Horror: These games have us terrified, unable to move while our hearts are racing as we turn every corner; horror games are what nightmares are made of. They feature overwhelmed protagonist(s), an oppressive atmosphere, and a need for careful management of resources (ammo, health, and so on).
Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO): These games are just that. They are games that contain large amounts of players, from all corners of the globe, engaging in various types of gameplay. Players engage in real time and encourage social interaction. They can traverse various detailed and immersive worlds, or solve puzzles against enemies or with allies. MMO's also allow the player to engage with intricate storylines while completing various quests throughout the worlds.
Music/Rhythm: These games get you into a rhythm where the player has to input the same synchronized action to a beat or melody such as singing with the right pitch or pushing buttons on a guitar in the right sequence.
Platformer: These games are all about platforming. They require the player to jump from one edge to another; sometimes straight into enemy characters over terrifying voids, flames, or even poisonous liquid.
Puzzle: These games require focus and concentration. They test your mental skills as well as your dexterity and reflexes.
Racing/Driving: These games are where the player drives a vehicle of some kind and races against either other players or time. Such games may create or even break friendships (such as Mario Kart).
Role Playing Games (RPG's): RPGs allow us to live out our fantasies as other people or even species. We can be whoever we want, wherever we choose.
Shooters (First-Person Shooter (FPS)/Third-Person Shooter (TPS)): These games require the player to go around as a lone agent, team, or rogue and kill anything that moves. These fast-paced games bring out the competitive element within us. We might forge strong bonds or in some cases destroy them.
Simulation: These games simulate parts of a reality.
Sports: These games allow you to race, swim, and fly. We can live the dream of extreme sports (without the risk) or become an athlete that inspires us.
Strategy: These games require you to think outside the box; they challenge your logic and question your reasoning. It is up to you, the player, to come up with plans and tactics to overcome all the challenges that you will face.

Tip

To get a better understanding about different types of genres, try to play a few games from each, albeit on consoles, PC, or mobile. If you don't have a lot of time to spare, check out gameplay videos and see how each genre differs in gameplay.

Playing to learn

The structure of these types of game is what gameplay is molded around. Ultimately, these games aim to teach a concept (or many) to players in more interesting ways than reading the same information from a textbook. In some instances, you will have an educational game, where designers entwine the learning objectives into an abstracted reality; and then there are games that stylize reality.

Minecraft

Minecraft is an open-world sandbox type of game where the player can create basically anything that they put their mind to. Just as we can see in the following screenshot, the world of Minecraft is made up of blocks that the player must collect in order to create range of things from houses to the Enterprise. While this game was not necessarily designed to be used as part of a formal educational environment, just that happened. So much so in fact that some schools have integrated it into their lesson plans and curriculum. To this extent, MinecraftEdu which was its educational version (https://education.minecraft.net/), was created in 2011 so that it can better support learning objectives. The main concept for creating MinecraftEdu was so that it could preserve the world of creation that original Minecraft offered while adding elements that enabled it to be effectively used within the classroom. The use of Minecraft and MinecraftEdu has ranged from teaching math concepts to teaching languages.

In-game screenshot of Minecraft

Kerbal Space Program

Kerbal Space Program (www.kerbalspaceprogram.com) allows the player to create their own space program. This starts with the construction of a spacecraft that is not only capable of flying its crew out into space, but also doesn't kill them. In order to do this, the player has a set of different parts, which are then used to build the functional spacecraft. Each piece serves its own function and will affect the way that the spacecraft flies (or doesn't, just like in the following screenshot). Furthermore, the game supports different game modes. For instance, in the Career Mode, the player has the possibility to expand and manage their own Space Center, by completing missions and researching new technologies. Another is the Sandbox mode, where the player can explore the Kerbal universe without restrictions. Finally, the Science mode is a mix between the previous two.

In-game screenshot of Kerbal Space Program with a crashed spaceship

Sid Meier's Civilization

Imagine being Montezuma of the Aztecs, Darius I of Persia, or Augustus Caesar of Rome like in the following screenshot. Can you image taking the role of some of the most famous historical people that we have only read about? Not only this, but also being the person who must guide the development of a civilization from the first settlements, through the bronze and golden ages all the way through the industrial revolution; and then end up putting a man on the moon, whilst maintaining relationships with nearby nations. Simple...right?

In-game screenshot of Augustus Caesar displaying the background history to the player before they embark on creating their own civilization

Sid Meier's Civilization (1991-2016) series are prime examples of how the natural progression of history plays out depending on how the communities develop skills and infrastructure. In Civilization V (www.civilization5.com) the player can take the role of a historic figure such as Napoleon Bonaparte, Augustus Caesar, or Alexander the Great. The player learns about the history behind each of these great leaders and the time in which they held reign over their respective countries and civilizations. However, what needs to be noted is that the player does not take the explicit role of the historical figure, as they play during different historical periods. The player is effectively writing history as a historical character. In this way, it's possible for Augustus Caesar to order the construction of the pyramids of Giza. This sets up the premise for competitive gameplay among systems within the game and among the gaming community. To get their civilization further along quicker, the player needs to utilize the game's systems more effectively.

It is during historic periods of time (for example, golden age, bronze age, and so on) that the player finds out how their actions affect the outcome of the civilization and the choices resulting in progression and outcomes that allow the player to create an understanding about how different actions and solutions affect the development of a civilization.

Stop kidding around, be serious!

Serious games take concepts from reality that we need to learn, and stylize them in a way that is similar to reality. Whether we are learning about running our own business or a new language, the way that we receive information does not need to remain in endless pages of large textbooks or involves copying notes from classroom whiteboards. The monotonous method of learning can be changed, and serious games take this information and present it as part of an immersive and interactive e-learning environment. Fortunately enough, serious games also provide the ability to test out the knowledge that we learn along the way.

America's Army

The game is a FPS published in 2002 by the U.S. Army (www.americasarmy.com) and is branded as a strategic communication device, designed to allow young Americans to virtually explore the Army at their own pace. The game was created to identify player's interests and then to determine if it matches their needs, interests, and abilities with a view to being part of the U.S. Army. In fact, America's Army represents the first large-scale use of game technology by the U.S. government as a platform for strategic communication and the first use of game technology in support of U.S. Army recruiting.

Screenshot of two different environments from America's Army

Foldit

Foldit (www.fold.it) is an online game that is part of an experimental research project developed by the University of Washington's Center for Game Science in collaboration with the UW Department of Biochemistry. Players are required to fold the structures of selected proteins using tools that are provided in the game. We can see an example of how the player learns how such structures are formed, in the following image. Of all the solutions, those that score the highest are then analyzed by researchers, who then determine whether there is a native structural configuration (native state) that can be applied to relevant proteins in the real world. What is useful about Foldit is that scientists can then use these solutions to target, eradicate diseases, and create biological innovations. Some of the many successful case stories include www.scientificamerican.com/article/foldit-gamers-solve-riddle and http://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms12549. You are also encouraged to explore other success stories and news surrounding Foldit.

In-game screenshot of a tutorial part of Foldit

Moonbase Alpha

NASA has once again landed on the moon; however, this time their aim is to colonize, research, and further their exploration. After arriving on the Lunar surface, NASA established a small outpost on the south pole of the moon called Moonbase Alpha (www.nasa.gov/moonbasealpha). Not long after establishing the Moonbase, it became self-sufficient and plans for further expansion were begun.

In Moonbase Alpha, you are an astronaut working to further human expansion and research. However, upon returning from a research expedition, you witness a meteorite impact that cripples the life support capability of the newly established base. With time ticking away with each passing moment, it is up to you and your team to repair (as seen in the following screenshot) and replace equipment in order to restore the oxygen production to the settlement and survive.

Moonbase Alpha requires team coordination along with the use and allocation of your available resources such as robots, rovers, repair tools, and so on. These resources are key to you and your team's overall success and survival. There are several ways that the life support system of the lunar base can be restored. However, you are pressed for time and must work efficiently and effectively, learn from decisions (both good and bad), which are taken in previous gaming sessions. Ultimately, this learning process provides the much needed insight to rise above others on the leaderboard and come out as the ideal astronaut to save you and your team from imminent death in the dark depths of space.

In-game screenshot of the player's avatar (the astronaut) repairing a broken part of the space station

Keeping it real with simulations

Next, there are games that try to emulate reality. These are simulations and they simulate real-world consequences. For example, if you die, you have to start again. They can exist in both fantasy and realistic worlds, but just like real life their consequences are permanent.

Virtual Heroes

Virtual Heroes (www.virtualheroes.com) specializes in 3D simulations that are aimed predominantly towards medical or military training. These are two areas where accurate decisions and fast action can be the difference between living and dying. In reality, it can be dangerous to engage in real scenarios due to the risks that they contain. As a result, it is nearly impossible for new trainees to practice in real-life contexts, and get the much needed skills before heading out on the job. Thankfully, 3D simulated environments (such as those that we can see in the following screenshot) in Virtual Heroes not only offer the space to practice essential skills, but also an environment that contains a higher level of safety where novice personnel can perform various tasks without putting anyone at risk. For example, in emergency room situations, patients are able to interact in simulated scenarios. This process allows for failure, where the student can learn from their mistakes without endangering actual patients. From these experiences, students can be trained to think quickly and make appropriate decisions. As the students progress and develop their skills, the scenarios can be modified so that they present new challenges that offer more opportunities to practice and use the previously developed skills. On the backend of these programs, data can be collected, which can provide insights in to how well or badly students perform. As a result, instructors are able to identify problematic areas that will then help to inform them about what areas to focus on when designing future tasks.

In-game screenshot from Virtual Heroes displaying two different types of environment and situation that a player can face during the game

SimCity

SimCity (www.simcity.com) is a rare example of a long-term multiplayer simulation game. In all the other games of the same series, the player has to manage a city. In SimCity, the player controls an entire region that could contain up to 16 cities with different specializations that the player has to control at the same time. Also, they have the possibility to interact with other players' cities. Both a collaborative or competitive behavior can be adopted by the player to guide them during the decision making process. There are no right or wrong choices, but all of them have consequences. For example, building a casino will bring tourists, and therefore money as well, but it will encourage criminal activity. As a result, your city will become more dangerous and it may ultimately affect your population levels. In addition, universities can research new technologies, but they are very expensive to maintain in comparison to other types of buildings and facilities.

If we look at the following image of SimCity, we can get a feel for many aspects that the player will need to learn, just by the HUD alone! From keeping the citizens happy, managing economies, and building infrastructure, lessons can be learnt, which can then be adapted to real life from such experiences.

Screenshot during gameplay of SimCity

From Dust

From Dust (www.ubisoft.com/en-GB/game/from-dust) recreates the world and the story of a primitive tribe that fights to survive in a hostile environment, in constant evolution. The player has to control the elements to keep their people safe from tsunamis, wildfires, earthquakes, volcanoes, and torrential rains. As we can see in the following screenshot, players begin with building the most basic of things such as bridges to provide a means of getting from one part of the map to the other. The only way to survive is to investigate the ancestors to restore a lost power. Furthermore, the game comes with different modes that the player can be challenged on, from puzzle-based modes to time modes with a lot of pressure. Finally, the game also provides a way to share the player's result in a general leaderboard and let them join a special community.

Screenshot taken during the tutorial level in From Dust

P. M. Roos Aug 11, 2018

For the intermediate level (at least) UNITY programmer, this is a very valuable book. You need to have experience in UNITY "to connect the lines between the dots". I love this book.

Amazon Verified review

J Lee Thompson Mar 17, 2020

I was looking for some good Unity books, and this was one that came up in the recommended list, and after starting to read it, I quickly regretted my purchase.I'd never heard the term "gamification" before, and while I could have easily looked it up on the internet, I wanted to find out how the author defined it for the reader. However, gamification isn't defined until around page 20, which is after you've been bombarded with a lot of buzzwords/terms over and over, sometimes multiple times in the same sentence. Some of the concepts are defined using the name of the concept within the definition (imagine the dictionary doing that with words). There are also a lot of grammatical issues that make some parts difficult to read.You don't start getting to work with Unity until around page 60, but the instructions don't walk the reader through step-by-step, which means you must already be experienced with Unity even though the intro seems to indicate you don't. Also, the website referenced to download the image files used in the projects seems to be an empty WordPress site that's unrelated to the book.I wasn't impressed with the material.

Gamification with Unity 5.x: Build exhilarating gaming experiences using a wide range of game elements in Unity 5.x

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