"Game Layer on Top of the World": Nissan Leaf's Driving Karma System

There's anecdotal evidence that Prius users were already making a game of "beating their (mileage efficiency) high score." Nice example of Nissan taking this phenomenon and applying a competitive layer. As a next step, they should let these Leaf owners take on a userID, opening up marketing and promotional possibilities.

This has the ability to be huge. Exchange points for gas discounts or off maintenance? Lots of other potentially game changing things could be added to the game mechanics of an automobile platform.

Nissan has done a fantastic job with the leaf experience from beginning to end. Good website, good product, excellent marketing and now efficiency "achievements". It's something us HNer's could really learn from.<p>Also the leaf website is fantastic (<a href="http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car" rel="nofollow">http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car</a>) and won a ton of awards for "best flash website" even though the intro video is the only flash, and the rest is HTML &#38; SVG.

Reminds me of this video: <a href="http://g4tv.com/videos/44277/DICE-2010-Design-Outside-the-Box-Presentation/" rel="nofollow">http://g4tv.com/videos/44277/DICE-2010-Design-Outside-the-Bo...</a> (relevant part more towards the end, but it's all good)<p>Well, I guess "Achievement Unlocked: Drank Pepsi 5 Days in a Row" is where we're heading after all. I, for one, know that this has potential to change the way I go about my day-to-day life.

Game design guru Michael John posted an ode to the game sensibilities of the Prius when it was (ahem) the only game in town:<p><a href="http://www.methodgames.com/methodblog/files/archive-4.html#unique-entry-id-34" rel="nofollow">http://www.methodgames.com/methodblog/files/archive-4.html#u...</a><p>All you need to make a game is a feedback loop with some challenge (an implied reward) for the user. With the Leaf, the challenge is a lot more explicit, but any number representing performance quality is challenge enough.<p>Fuel efficiency metering is a great example of this, and also of gentle teaching which inspires users to become more passionate.

When Scvngr CEO Seth Priebatsch presented the concept of the layer I was so elated at the clarity of the idea. Everything in life is a game, and when business embraces it properly it's a win for everyone. A game creates group think, competition and a rare unarticulated desire for success.<p>What's sexy for business is the idea that by presenting a gaming layer on their product line is that it allow you're product to become a platform. You're not selling me a iPhone, you're selling me Angry Bird, Scrabble, Plants Vs Zombies.

I think that hacking the human internal reward systems to produce desired behavior is awesome. I'm just afraid that a hundred years from now we'll end up like everyone on that episode of STTNG where an addictive game was used to take over the ship.

prius drivers already seem awful, I can't help but think it's because they're rolling along monitoring their fuel consumption on the dash rather than watching the damn road.