"Earlier this week, Gartner Research released a study with the headline 'Gartner predicts that by 2014, 80 percent of current gamified applications will fail to meet business objectives primarily because of poor design.' "
Gamification combines the interactive elements and reward systems of electronic games with business objectives to produce not only greater interactivity, but better business results.
If you'd like to know more about the subject, message me on Twitter @MikeEllsworth.
Via Mike Ellsworth
Gamification, like any other tactic, can fail but I agree with Mike and believe when it does fail it says more about how it was executed than the value of applying game theory and gamification to marketing and the web. Games are sticky and gamfication, the creatio of an ongoing game, makes a website STICKY.
Don't forget to read my Gamification: Winning Hearts, Minds and Loyalty Online whitepaper