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Gamification Blog Game On: The Rules of Online Ad Engagement Jane McGonigal, Director of Game Research, Institute for the Future If you're wondering what engages people consider this: Globally, there are now 1 billion people on the planet who play games for at least an hour a day. And that number is climbing fast with the growing adoption of smartphones and tablets. In fact, Jane McGonigal, director of game research at the Institute for the Future argues in her wildly popular TED talk, we should spend more time playing games too. Games like World of Warcraft give players the opportunity to save worlds, and the incentive to learn the habits of heroes – as well as solve big real-world problems. Gamification, the process of applying the best elements of gaming to real-world, non-game situations, is also incredibly effective at creating behavioural change. It’s no wonder then that brands have been quick to consider game mechanics to solve an advertising challenge: increasing ad engagement. Rule #1: Find the right game fit. Friday is Venn-day.