In the rush to gamify enterprise websites, a number of SaaS companies have sprung up almost overnight, including BadgeFarm, Bunchball, and the self-proclaimed leader in gamification, Badgeville. Their business model is to enhance enterprise websites with “social loyalty” platforms that turn content, commerce, and community branding into a self-directed experience that exploits the psychology of gaming to keep users coming back for hours at a time. These are the same characteristics that get users to spend hours on end in massive multi-player online games like “World of Warcraft.”
For the record, the way this is discussed is exactly the mistake, precisely the error. You rarely see it spelled out in such specific language, but there it is.
Gamification Boosting Enterprise Websites – Social Business
(via slavin)