Contents


Preface

Since the second half of 2010, gamification has been gaining much attention and is being implemented in several sectors to support user engagement as well as provide benefits such as increased user activity, social interaction, and more. While a standard definition of gamification does not yet exist, the official meaning is the use of game elements in non-game contexts to provide a set of benefits to users as well as organizations adopting these types of elements. Indeed, it is true that gamified applications aim to increase users' motivation and awareness towards the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), and the quality and quantity of the given activities' output. In addition, gamification is based on motivational and behavioral factors. As the aim of gamification is to engage users, developers of gamified services often consider users' needs, various characteristics, interests, and preferences. The introduction of these factors in applications is a challenge because developers must combine psychological principles with software requirements.

Thus, gamification by itself is a complicated concept for software engineers to deal with since it demands a lot of effort to understand and elicit the appropriate requirements that will combine the functionality of the system with the gamified elements and the non-functional requirements (security, privacy, trust, etc.) derived from this combination. This book provides novel contributions and research efforts related to gamification by shedding light on the technical aspects of gamification in various fields. The book consists of six chapters that provide readers, including both experienced and young researchers, the opportunity to engage with this modern and interesting field and identify modern trends and future research opportunities. Chapter authors present their works in a clear and accessible way so that readers are able to understand the meaning of these

I would like to thank all authors for their contributions and the editorial team at IntechOpen for their valuable support during the preparation and publication of

> **Christos Kalloniatis** Associate Professor,

University of the Aegean, Mytilene, Lesvos Island, Greece

Department of Cultural Technology and Communication,

contributions in relation to the book's objectives.

this book.
