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The spread of ‘Gamification’

Major corporations and the government are creating apps and games to make non-game activities more game-like — and they're collecting a lot of data.

Volkswagen just launched an app called Smile Drive. Using bluetooth, the app gives you data on the trips you make — also badges and tiny rewards for long drives, holiday trips, things like that. Is this sounding suspiciously familiar yet? It’s “gamification.” The idea of making non-game activities more game-like isn’t brand new, but companies like Volkswagen, and even government agencies, are using it more and more. Ty McCormick has been studying the spread of gamification for Foreign Policy Magazine.

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