Another method is to gamify the real idea-generation mechanism. This seeks to affect cognitive functions — the brain operations that let us understand, respond, and adapt to any given scenario — and incorporates what appears to be a game. This makes implementation more complex since it necessitates the construction of a more complicated notion. Simple investment points will not work here — and this is where unique ideas might truly thrive.

Alternative reality games and live-action role play (LARP) are two ways this may be done. Players in alternative reality games behave as themselves, but the world surrounding them alters. Jane McGonigal, a gamification specialist, demonstrated how it may work in a simulation, where gamers were faced with a scenario in which the world progressively runs out of oil.

Regular updates on pricing, shortages, and fresh oil strikes were supplied to encourage people to consider what this would imply for them. Participants shared their predictions on how their lives might alter with others. They were then grouped into ‘signals of change’. Several industries might then employ this collective thinking for long-term scenario analysis.

As the title implies, in live-action role-play, the people take on different roles as the world around them changes or remains constant. What is important is how the players engage with one another and the knowledge they receive from playing a new role or studying others.

A new position frees gamers from societal standards and lets them investigate their personalities and existence. For example, the University of California researchers explored smart social wearables (wearable technologies that aim to improve real-life interactions) using a LARP.

The attendees acted as survivors of an extraterrestrial assault on their home planet and had to adapt their dialogue with one another based on markers of mental and physical well-being from the apparel they were ‘wearing’. By examining the outcomes, the researchers acquired ideas on how wearable smart technology may moderate human interactivity.