Gamification, Branding & Strategy
In an era of shortened attention spans, how can game mechanics be leveraged to provide context, meaning and feedback to build brands, services and programs that audiences love? Playmatics is a pioneer in applying design thinking to the creation of applications, services and programs that are intended to engage communities in meaningful ways. Whether you’re talking about educational programs, organizations, brands or content portals — we apply a systematic approach to “gamifying” online and real-world experiences.
Our Work in Gamification and Branding
To see our entire portfolio, visit the works page.
AMC’s Award-Winning Breaking Bad: The Interrogation
Players assume the role of DEA Agent Hank Schrader. The indomitable Hank is investigating a fire that took place in a church. A shifty man named Hadley Berkitz, who volunteers at the church, knows something but he’s not talking. This game takes players inside Hank’s DEA interrogation room and asks players to try to get Hadley to say what he knows. The entire game is composed of complex dialogue trees and players must skillfully get Hank to put just the right amount of pressure on Hadley to get him to tell the truth.
Winner CableFAX Award Digital Program Award 2011. Nominated for SXSW Interactive Amusement category.
Platform(s): Web, iOS, Android
Partners: AMC Television
Playmatics Role:
Design, development and interactive narrative construction.
AMC’s Breaking Bad: The Cost of Doing Business
An official AMC Television game. The streets of Albuquerque are a dangerous place. Just ask Jesse Pinkman. He’s certainly run into his fair share of criminals since partnering with Walt, and he usually walks away from those encounters bruised and battered. Think you could help him do better? Here’s your chance to find out, playing as Jesse in this original Breaking Bad graphic novel game. Think you can make it past shady lawyers, drug-addled prostitutes and dangerous thugs without getting killed? Play Breaking Bad – The Cost of Doing Business and put your criminal wherewithal to the test.
Platform(s): Web, iOS, Android
Partners: AMC Television
Playmatics Role:
Design, development and interactive narrative construction.
Red Bull: Focus
A fun and lively puzzle game — unique — and featuring music by Pharrell Williams.
Platform(s): iOS, Android
Partners: Red Bull
Playmatics Role:
Design and development.
Sonoanatomy: Columbia University Medical
A medical educational game teaching residents in anesthesology how to use sonograms to deliver nerve blocks.
Platform(s): Web
Partners: Columbia University Medical
Playmatics Role:
Design and development.
AMC’s The Walking Dead: Dead Reckoning
When Rick wakes from a coma, he finds his wife Lori and his partner Shane gone and the police station basically abandoned. (Sure, former deputy Leon Bassett is still around but he’s a zombie now.) Where are Shane and Lori? How did Leon end up like that? Get to the root of the matter with this interactive teaser of The Walking Dead: Dead Reckoning, AMC’s online game which lets you play the role of Shane Walsh during civilization’s final days. Who’s a threat? Who needs to be saved? Who must be sacrificed for the greater good?
Platform(s): Web, iOS, Android
Partners: AMC Television
Playmatics Role:
Design, development and interactive narrative construction.
SMOSH Gamification
LEGO On Patrol
LEGO City is busy. The police are looking for thieves, the fire brigade is on the move, the ambulance is off on rescue, the cargo train is fully loaded, Play On Patrol for some platform-hopping good fun.
Platform(s): Web
Partners: LEGO
Playmatics Role:
Design and development.
Play On Patrol now. Please note that you will need to activate Flash on your browser.
Kingsoft, Beijing, China
Brand strategy, digital media and game design for several battle card titles released in China.
Partner(s): Kingsoft
Playmatics Role:
Brand strategy, digital media and game design.
USAID Field Work
A mission to Indonesia to explore the use of mobile games to help teach people about disaster risk reduction techniques
Platform(s): Field work
Partners: USAID
Playmatics Role:
Field Work
Disney’s Kingdom Keepers: Race to Save the Magic
Kingdom Keepers: Race to Save the Magic is a brand new type of gaming experience that expands on the Kingdom Keepers brand in thrilling directions – exciting fans in the run-up to the next book launch and recruiting a whole new generation of young adults to enter the electrifying world of Kingdom Keepers. The game combines the following elements from several successful gaming genres: alternate reality games, “choose your own adventure” books, hidden object games, spot-the-difference games.
Platform(s): Web
Partners: Disney Publishing
Playmatics Role:
Concept, design, game development, script writing + working with on-site video production.
Landor Associates
Playmatics Role:
Brand and digital media strategy.
