Gamification Formats in English-Language Online Media

Today’s digital landscape is a rapidly changing environment that dictates new rules for media audience interaction. Engaging and retaining user attention through game mechanics or gamification is one of the trending vectors in modern journalism. This article examines various gamification formats implemented in English-language online media outlets such as The Sydney Morning Herald, The Times, Al Jazeera, The Washington Post, The Guardian, DailyMail.co.uk, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, The Telegraph, CNN, CNBC, National Public Radio (NPR), The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, HuffPost, The Bleacher Report, and Reddit. The selection of cases with gaming scenarios includes 31 media projects. Based on data analysis the authors develop the taxonomy consisting of eight gaming formats: classic games, point and reward games, leaderboard games, interactive stories, prediction games, social interaction games, personalization and customization, games with feedback and progress. The authors come to conclusion, that, despite the wide variety of gamification formats, English-language digital media show general preference for interactive texts and quizzes.