Dubbed gamification, the practice involves using game mechanics to get people to spend more time on certain products, be it a website or a piece of software. Driven by the surprise popularity of social games on Facebook and applications such as FourSquare, some businesses are experimenting with gamification to capture the attention of consumers.
—Alex Pham, "Businesses are using game mechanics online to rev up sales," Los Angeles Times, February 28, 2011

"I think 2011 very much will be the year of gamification," said Gabe Zichermann, author of "Game-Based Marketing," using the somewhat clunky moniker that has become an umbrella term for the new incentive programs.
—Casey Newton, "Online game-based marketing can be big business," The San Francisco Chronicle, February 1, 2011

gamification takes lessons from the gaming community and applies them to loyalty programs.
—Patricia Odell, "When Building Loyalty: Think Like a Gamer," Chief Marketer, April 1, 2010