Research | XEODesign®

At XEODesign (pronounced zee-oh-design) we increase engagement with fun. We help our clients attract new markets to capitalize on players' hidden motivations through game mechanics and game-like interactions.

The 4 Keys is a proven practical model to help companies innovate by crafting emotions to create deeper engagement with Gamification.

Our continuing research on why we play games helps us unearth new methods for increasing engagement with play. In 2004, we discovered The 4 Keys to Fun, a model that demystifies how best-sellers create captivating play, rich experiences, and strong player re-engagement. Pulled from the facial expression of hundreds of players, this trend-setting research lays the foundation for gamification.

The 4 Keys to Fun: the game mechanics that drive play

Easy Fun (Novelty): Curiosity from exploration, role play, and creativity
Hard Fun (Challenge): Fiero, the epic win, from achieving a difficult goal
People Fun (Friendship): Amusement from competition and cooperation
Serious Fun (Meaning): Excitement from changing the player and their world

4 Keys to Fun Resources:

The 4 Keys to Fun helps companies design new kinds of products, Apps, and services. Leveraging the psychology of fun, the 4 Keys allows developers to create innovative mobile games and wearable experiences that are emotionally engaging with less risk.

3 Tips for Innovating with the 4 Keys

Identify the emotions already associated with the promise of the future technology or platform.
Connect actions into play loops and game mechanics to create these emotions.
Be sure to use actions from all 4 Keys.
To retain users, increase challenges over time with new opportunities for strategy, instead of simply increasing difficulty by giving players less time to fight more monsters.

Next Gen Experiences

Through the Glass Hole

Nicole's blog post on the future of Google Glass and wearable tech.

The Future of Work is Play

Video of the Chicago Ideas Week talk. Posted by Walt Mossberg

Game to Deliver Govt Services

Games and Government

Can Games Replace Government and Provide Public Services?
Download the PDF

Chasing Wonder and the Future of Engagement

GDC 2011 Slideshare

Change the World

Tilt World

See how playing a game plants real trees in Madagascar.

Serious Play Silver Award Winner 2013
GSummit Social Good Award Winner 2013
IGF Mobile Honorable Mention Art
Download for iOS

The 4 Keys helps designers craft discrete emotions from interaction design to pursue a specific goal. This is next generation interaction design where we use actions to create emotion the way an artist uses color, shape, and font. Leverages techniques discovered in the world's best selling games. Taken one step further the 4 Keys can help people hack their brains to increase happiness and achieve their goals. The 4 Keys can even increase a user’s creativity at the project’s start, increase teamwork with social emotion, and help users be more decisive to wrap up the project.

3 Tips for Crafting Emotions with the 4 Keys

Create an emotion profile containing the primary emotions for your brand and/or your experience.
Use the 4 Keys to identify the actions that create these emotions. Forge these actions into game mechanics to create these emotions. Tune the emotion profile by testing with users.
Reward players with emotions to increase intrinsic motivation instead of extrinsic motivators like badges, which are less effective over time.

Monetize

The 4 Emotions that Monetize F2P Games

The emotions your free to play game needs to increase monetization.
Slideshare for the GDC 2014 Talk

Monetization Infographic

Download the Inforgraphic for the GDC 2014 Talk

Increase Happiness

4 Chemicals That Activate Happiness

4 ways to gamify happiness by hacking your brain
Podcast with TechnologyAdvice

The Science of Fun

3 Ways Games Make You Happier, Save the World, and Drive Retention

Create Social Bonds

Most Important Emotions for Casual Games

The emotions every free to play social game designer needs to deliver.
Video + Slideshare

The 4 Keys provides the building blocks for how to use game mechanics to incentivize, influence behavior, learn more, and increase volunteerism. An essential part of player experience design the 4 Keys uses game mechanics to increase user acquisition, engagement, retention, social sharing, and monetization.

3 Tips for Gamification and Increasing Engagement with the 4 Keys

Make the monetization part of the gameplay and ensure social competition for getting the best stuff or to gear up to participate in group activities.
Increase the number who return by offering fun challenges and new strategies.
Increase long term retention by offering social interaction such as multiplayer gameplay or a one button action to express friendliness as in gifting or the like button on Facebook.