Gamification with Unity 5.x

Lauren S. Ferro

• Publisher: Packt Publishing
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9781786463487
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Programming Games
• Index: Computer Science

Build exhilarating gaming experiences using a wide range of game elements in Unity 5.x

About This Book

• Achieve your goals in a fun-filled way by creating gamification projects from scratch
• Leverage the Unity 5.X toolkit to create stunning and appealing projects
• Make your transition towards a pro project manager/ developer by learning tricks and techniques

Who This Book Is For

If you are a project manager, game developer, or programmer who wants to create successful end-to-end gamification projects from scratch, then this is the book for you. You do not need any previous experience of working with Unity 5.X. All the details required to make the most of gamifying your projects are provided in the book.

What You Will Learn

• Assess your learners' abilities by setting up challenges and quests
• Implement the game elements that relate to the project into Unity
• Publish your own task management application to better engage readers
• Improve your design using methods of playtesting and iteration
• Issue OpenBadges to recognize achievements and set up an online database to store your users achievements.

In Detail

Are you looking at implementing gamification techniques for your business and wondering where to get a complete rundown of all the tricks and techniques? Well, you have come to the right place!

This book will start right from the basics such as gameplay elements and their functionalities before gradually moving onto creating your first gamification project from scratch.

You'll be given the tools and shown how to perform various techniques for creating gamified applications in different contexts. Finally, you will implement various game elements into Unity, publish your own task management application, and get to know the best practices and approaches when designing gamified experiences.

Style and approach

This book takes a real-world case studies approach, moving ahead in a step-by-step tutorial manner. You will create your own project from scratch, and the practical examples will help you create a successful gamification project.

Gamification with Unity 5.x

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Gamification with Unity 5.x

Copyright © 2016 Packt Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the author, nor Packt Publishing, and its dealers and distributors will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this book.

Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all of the companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals. However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

First published: November 2016

Production reference: 1231116

Published by Packt Publishing Ltd.

Livery Place

35 Livery Street

Birmingham

B3 2PB, UK.

ISBN 978-1-78646-348-7

www.packtpub.com

Credits

Author Lauren S. Ferro	Copy Editor Safis Editing
Reviewer Charles Palmer	Project Coordinator Ritika Manoj
Commissioning Editor Amarabha Banerjee	Proofreader Safis Editing
Acquisition Editor Larissa Pinto	Indexer Rekha Nair
C ontent De velopment Editor Sachin Karnani	Graphics Abhinash Sahu
Technical Editor Sachit Bedi	Production Coordinator Melwyn Dsa

About the Author

Lauren S. Ferro is a gamification consultant and designer of game and game-like applications. She has worked, designed, consulted, and implemented strategies for a range of different purposes, including professional development, recommendation systems, and educational games. She is an active researcher in the area of gamification, player profiling, and user-centered game design. Lauren runs workshops both for the general public and companies that focus on designing user-centered games and game-like applications. She is also the creator of a game design resource, Gamicards, which is a prototyping tool for both games and game-like experiences, which is centered on player’s preferences for game elements and mechanics.

She is passionate about the future of games and the technologies surrounding them, as well as their potential to improve the lives people.

When she is not playing or creating games, you can find her flying kites, creating music, or whipping up a storm in the kitchen.

Whether directly or indirectly, it takes a combined effort to create something wonderful. For this reason, I would like to thank the following for their contributions towards the development and completion of this book: Packt Publishing and everyone involved in publication of this book. Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to write about gamification. It has been a fantastic journey and I have enjoyed being a part of the community. In particular, I would like to thank Sachin Karnani for his help through the development of this book. Your comments, suggestions, and edits through each stage have helped to make this book great. The reviewers who have taken the time to read this book and provide suggestions and feedback to improve it for the future readers. Francesco Sapio, for his help and support throughout the process of writing this book. His knowledge, experience and expertise has been more than valuable. My parents, who have done everything to support me and for always believing in me. Thank you for being my inspiration and motivation in life, and the reason that I entered into the world of games. Lastly, to you, the reader. Thank you for entering the world of gaming, and allowing me the opportunity to provide you with information and resources that will take you on many adventures in creating your own gaming experiences. Don’t just be a gamer, be a game changer.

About the Reviewer

Charles Palmer is a faculty member and administrator at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, a STEM-focused, private, four-year comprehensive university dedicated to ensuring institutional access for underrepresented students and linking learning and research to practical outcomes.

As the Executive Director of the Center for Advanced Entertainment and Learning Technologies, Professor Palmer oversees the design and development of ventures in new and emerging technologies, serves as Program Lead for the undergraduate Interactive Media program, is an adviser to the Learning Technology Masters of Science program, coordinates a high school video game academy, and mentors university students on research projects in the fields of augmented/virtual reality, mobile computing, web application development, digital media, and interactive games.

As a technologist and public speaker, Charles uses virtual reality, 3D printing, gamification, interactive storytelling, social media, and simulations to discuss how training and performance can be improved with the inclusion of the latest technological advances.

Professor Palmer is also a co-author of the recently released Alternate Reality Games: Gamification for Performance, available from CRC Press and Amazon.

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Preface

As you can guess from the title of the book, this book is designed to teach you about implementing gamification into Unity. However, this isn’t any ordinary how-to guide. It will give you not only a strong theoretical foundation of what gamification is, but also how it can be implemented to achieve different results. It discusses motivation, reward schedules, feedback loops, and how these all impact the end user. In addition, this book will also guide you through the process of game development from concept to implementation, including testing, iterating, marketing, and finally publishing.

What this book covers

Chapter 1, The Anatomy of Games, explains the different components of gameplay and their functionalities. We will explore what games are made up of–t...