In my last blog, I talked about why I decided to write Reality Check, but there’s one aspect that I didn’t touch on; the influence of gamification and esports.
Whether you know the term or not, gamification is a regular part of life for many people. Some think it’s a good thing, while others try to avoid it at all costs. The fact is, whether you consider yourself a gamer or not, you may well participate in certain aspects of gamification.
Video games, like boardgames, can be a lot of fun. It’s a new medium to experience storytelling and adventure that has grown a lot over recent decades. There’s more to come, too, but this rise of gamification – and the potential consequences – was an interesting theme for the story I wanted to tell.
The rise of gamification
Gamification can be found almost anywhere. You complete a task and get a sticker or badge – even if these are digital rewards, or the task is something simple you do every day – and we get the endorphin release that makes us feel good for doing it. Whether it’s a physical chart on a wall or an app on your phone, the effect is the same.
It started in games themselves, with rewards for completing tasks a part of many gaming experiences. Whether it’s a part of the main story or a side quest, it encourages us to keep playing and completing these tasks.
In real life, we’re seeing gamification in more places than ever. In the workplace, tracking apps let us know what we need to do and when, and reward us for completing them. Programs that help us learn a new language, as another example, cheer for us when we complete a segment or prove we’re learning.
Hell, Pokémon Go is going strong 5 years after release and rewards us for merely walking around and tapping on a screen (note, I’m a fan, but it’s a good example).
This isn’t going away anytime soon, but where might it take us?
Esports gaining prominence around the world
While this was happening long before, the Covid-19 pandemic really gave esports a chance to shine. Nothing much was happening for people to follow, and a lot of sports need multiple people or specialised arenas to work.
Not so with esports. Whether it was football, racing, FPS or other types of games, people could watch and play from the comfort of their own homes. What wasn’t always clear for a lot of people was just how good these players are or can be.
While a popular activity, a common criticism is that the people who play these games, even professionally, would never match up to those who compete in sports away from the screen, with football and motorsport a prime example. That said, the reverse is also most likely true.
It’s an argument meant to diminish their value and effort, and isn’t a fair description given the time and investment these people put in.
Thinking about what might happen
This all got me thinking about what might happen in a future where the influence of gamification and esports can be seen obviously in society, where it takes over as the main form of entertainment. I don’t think people will ever be fully content with watching everything on a screen or display, there still needs to be an element of real action for them to latch onto.
Safety is also a growing concern in many sports. In football, head injuries and traumas are being researched. Motorsport is still dangerous no matter how many safety measures are put in place. Rugby and boxing are sports that involve heavy physical contact. Every year, we learn more about what we can do.
So, thinking ahead, I asked myself what could make these things exciting but safe? I came up with simulators that make every sport virtual, but each participant is in their own sim, and any impacts or risks are mitigated.
We still needed that real element, and avatars to represent the people on the field of play were a good compromise.
This gave me a theme to work with, but it wasn’t enough.
How the influence of gamification and esports changed Reality Check
This idea that a gaming mentality becomes a normal way of life meets in the way simulators protect these characters and how they act, which is one of the biggest examples of the influence of gamification and esports in the book.
Whereas now, we’re aware of the risks certain actions hold because of what might happen to us and others, this is less relevant in an environment where simulators remove a lot of these consequences. It would be easy to create a world where characters do things in simulators they wouldn’t outside, and if it was a new idea or technology, that might work.
With this technology ingrained in their way of life, and technology beyond the simulators also offering a safe environment, it would create a new way of thinking. That’s what I wanted to represent in Reality Check.
Consequences have real meaning, even if the people in this world don’t think about. I needed a situation that was so grave it would give bring up situations to expose this flawed thinking.
The gamification, where this all started, becomes a lot more nuanced and woven into the story in a less obtrusive and natural way – not that it’s always a good thing.
The end result is…
I wanted a high-stakes and fast-paced story, which is what I’ve hopefully created. I’ve had these thoughts for a long time, but now that Reality Check has finally released, I’m glad people can see for themselves what I’ve created.
Some parallels can be drawn to stories like Ender’s Game or Ready Player One, but there’s a lot more going on here, and each of these books tackle similar themes in different ways. I hope my take on it is different, too, but the influence of gamification and esports is there, even if they’re not the most obvious themes.
Let’s not forget, though, that this is only book 1, and there’s more to come.