Has Gamification Gone Too Far?

[Sev]

I just saw this commercial on Youtube, and can't decide if the thing being showcased is a useful innovation or a dangerous Gimmick.



On the one hand, it will likely cause people to drive more efficiently.
On the other hand, it could just prove a source of distraction. People might become so involved in getting their leaves to grow that they start to drive in a sub-optimal or even annoying way.

What do you guys make of this?

[jacojerb]

I don't like that. It'd annoy me, more than anything else.

What's wrong with giving statistics? Most cars give an average fuel use thing (at least, I think... I don't really drive). I'd rather like to see higher numbers at the "kilometers per liter" (or do they do that in miles per gallon?...) than some abstract leaves.

[Sev]

That's because Ford can't market numbers or eco lights as innovative. It seems that half the time that it does not matter whether or not it's actually better, just so long as it's different.

[Dasc-Crescent]

Personally I just don't like the digitization of cars... I don't want a glass cockpit or fly by wire controls... Look its great and cool and stuff, I just don't want that in my every day car, if I had it in an expensive sports car or whatever then cool.

But that's just me.

[Cape_F0X]

I really want technology to make cars super safe and easier to use.

Example: if cars were connected, a display overly could show me that the car in front is signaling to turn even when the tail light is malfunctioning. My car could spot this and notify their car about the problem.

Would also like an overly function for blind corners and hills.

[Sev]

Intercar communication is quickly becoming a reality, but it'll most likely be consigned to self driving cars.

[Cape_F0X]

No fair! Kitt can't have all the cool stuff (Knight Rider reference, for the younger people).

[Raven Song]

One, my leaves would be permanently dead. I drive like a racecar driver in Monaco...

Two, this is annoying. Asthetically it is beautiful and I cannot fault the design, but the idea behind it, that people are so dumb that they cant handle a gauge that says "dude, drive like a human bean please" is stupid. We were tasked at my old company to come up with a way to successfully do market research on teenagers. and the answer was simple, make a game. we called it @teenresearch. It was just a fun concept but the thought that the only way you could successfully understand teens and young adults was by bribing them with a mobile app is also frustrating.

[Hargan]

I'm just gonna point out my car has a little ECO light. If you're driving economically, it lights up.

It works I get the same distance out of this car than my previous, with 10 less litres of petrol

[Leeward]

I think the concept is good, but the implementation is tacky and distracting. I would have done it so that the instrument panel glows a certain colour depending on the driver's efficiency (e.g. red for bad, yellow for meh, green for good). That would be a lot less intrusive.

[Badge]

And here I am the person who plays black and white 2 a lot, I would make it pretty and full of leaves and then I would see if I could turn it into a dead thorny bramble. That makes me afraid for the people that would be around me.

[Cape_F0X]

I think the concept is good, but the implementation is tacky and distracting. I would have done it so that the instrument panel glows a certain colour depending on the driver's efficiency (e.g. red for bad, yellow for meh, green for good). That would be a lot less intrusive.

If that's what you want, you should look at the GOFAR.

[Sev]

That's neat, but I don't understand the claim that it'll make you spend less time in traffic.

[Cape_F0X]

I believe the traffic claim has more to do with people noticing when is beter departure times based on their fuel consumption.

[Sev]

Unless you want to leave at 4 in the morning, you are going to be stuck in Traffic in LA. There's just no way around it.

[Adagio]

Because when you're parked in traffic, the gauge goes red, and you remember to turn off the engine until traffic starts moving again...

[Sev]

That would be a terrible idea in rapid stop go traffic.

It would prematurely wear the engine and increase fuel usage hugely.

Also, that doesn't help you avoid traffic.

[Rakuen Growlithe]

That would be a terrible idea in rapid stop go traffic.

It would prematurely wear the engine and increase fuel usage hugely.

Also, that doesn't help you avoid traffic.

Very common in Europe from what I've seen. Think it doesn't matter to modern engines. Old cars take a while to start up but with new ones you pretty much push a button and they are ready.

[Sev]

Yeah, but the startup process also causes an elevated level of wear and tear.

[Adagio]

That would be a terrible idea in rapid stop go traffic.

It would prematurely wear the engine and increase fuel usage hugely.

Also, that doesn't help you avoid traffic.

Very common in Europe from what I've seen. Think it doesn't matter to modern engines. Old cars take a while to start up but with new ones you pretty much push a button and they are ready.

In fact, the Mercedes my mom test driven did it automatically, when you stopped, the engine cut, when you pulled away, it started again...