What do you think of gamification?

[Slant]

its about rewarding those who are very engaged, but can isolate others

it potentially opens up those not aware of the value of their engagement to abuse, without the participants even knowing of it. steam cards are example, and also this happen >> Gamers Messed With The Steam Sale, Then Valve Changed The Rules

its increasingly being introduced in meatspace. The random drops thing? yeah its more frustrating when forced in real life too. You cannot just buy something anymore without worrying about your long term plans of buying stuff from that source. It feels like gambling away real world effort in pursuit of cheaper petrol, flight tickets, fast food, concert/movie tickets or games... when these are not actually cheaper, despite knowing somehow these things are meant to get you in and spend more, we still think we can outsmart it and get a good deal, which is basically impossible by design.

biggest example: Its still cheaper to get the physical media mailed than get the digital distribution when its not on sale.

and most disturbingly, it makes consumption of advertisements seem like work. you are not earning plat by clicking those offers. you are wasting time doing some thing you don't really want to do, messing up your purchase history so other publishers can show numbers on their presentations. This also happens to be about the only way to get someone to actually try the app in the midst of the sheer numbers, that's the other side, so does any one know a way out?

not targeting specific platform or game, just that its pervading everywhere, and just want to have open discussion, don't like entrusting rewards to algorithms, wish there was a more non machine way to track and reward involvement.