Implicit vs. Explicit Gamification

At the end of the day, one type of gamification is not inherently better than the other. The proper use of Implicit or Explicit Gamification depends on the purpose of the project as well as your target market. Some groups like participating in games; some don’t. Some want to have that adrenaline rush when purchasing, while others want to expand their creativity and master a learning curve. Of course, all 8 Core Drives can be implemented into Implicit and Explicit Gamification campaigns, which we will explore in the following chapters.

While it is not useful to argue what gamification includes and excludes, it is very important to understand what types of implementations are most appropriate for your design project based on the objectives, the contextual landscape, and cultural expectations. Again, at the end of the day, gamification should never be a cookie-cutter solution. All games have game elements and game mechanics in them, but most games...