The Great Gamification Debate: What is Gamification, What is it Good For, and Why Does it Matter?

Vancouver startup Ayogo Games is hosting an event called the Great Gamification Debate, which will bring together “hot button topics and an open bar.” Always a good combo.

According to the event details, the debate is part comedy competition, part performance, and part informational. The Great Gamification Debate aims to settle, once and for all, these burning questions: What is gamification? What is it good for? And why does it matter? 

Debaters include Michael Fergussion, “the innovator, business poet and mastermind behind Ayogo,” and Steve Bocska, the founding president of Pug Pharm productions, a gamification startup. A microsoft exec and former EA exec, Joe Nickolls, will be moderating.

How will the debate work? First, each debater will be pre-infomed of the points of debate, but neither debater will know which side of the point they will have to defend. Then, each debater will get 2 minutes to defend their side and 1 minute for rebuttals; the loudest audience cheers will decide the winner of each point. Finally, at the end of five rounds a winner will be declared and the debate will wrap up with a 15 minute Q&A session.

The debate happens February 2nd at The Hive on West Hastings Street in Vancouver. It’s free but online registration is mandatory.