Olympic Games: the gamification of human potential?

With the Paris 2024 Olympics underway and the world watching it’s finest athletes compete in 32 diverse sports, I’ve been reflecting on the game mechanics of the Olympics and how deeply rooted human’s love for games is.

The games within the Games

Each Olympic sport can be seen as a sophisticated game with its own set of rules, goals, and strategies. Athletes specialise in their disciplines, honing their skills over years and years, much like players mastering a video game. The game mechanics of these sports includes clear goals (fastest time, highest score), feedback systems (objects in other objects such as ball in a net, timers, judges’ scores), and rewards (medals, recognition), which are all key elements in gamification. We celebrate the winners of the games and respect this lifetime achievement (it’s not uncommon for former Olympic athletes give keynotes or go into business consulting).

Points, medals, and leaderboards: The Olympic scoring system uses classic gamification mechanics. For example, athletes earn points based on their performance, which translate into medals — gold, silver, and bronze. These medals act as tangible rewards, much like badges or achievements in a game. The medal tally, often displayed prominently during the Olympics Games, is basically a global leaderboard, fostering a sense of friendly competition among nations.

Teams and collaboration: While many Olympic events are individual sports, there is also a strong emphasis on teamwork and collaboration. Team sports like basketball, hockey, and relay races require coordinated efforts, strategic planning, and seamless execution — all hallmarks of cooperative gameplay. These team dynamics highlight the social aspect of gamification, where success is achieved through collective effort.

Our intrinsic love for games

Humans have an intrinsic love for games, something that is deeply rooted in our cultures and probably in our neurobiological make-up if you consider how important play is in animal species as well.

All human cultures exhibit forms of rituals, including games, dance, and other sports (something referred to as the ‘Universal People’ in anthropology). Games, dance and sports are similar in that they can be seen as an abstraction or simulation of reality. They all serve as vital cultural practices that promote social cohesion, cultural expression, and personal development. Each activity, while distinct in its form and execution, provides structured ways for individuals to engage in meaningful interactions, express collective values, and reinforce community bonds. They share common anthropological purposes such as promoting physical and mental well-being, facilitating education and socialisation, and preserving cultural traditions.

• Ritual: Rituals mark significant life events and reinforce social norms and cultural values through structured, symbolic acts.

• Dance: Dance serves as a form of cultural expression and social bonding, often playing a key role in rituals and communal celebrations.

• Sports: Sports foster physical fitness, teamwork, and community pride, while also serving as a platform for cultural expression and ritualistic elements.

• Games: Games enhance cognitive abilities, provide entertainment, and preserve cultural traditions, often being part of educational and socialising processes.

These activities are deeply embedded in the human psyche, serving as means of cultural-sense making, expression, and social bonding. By considering these activities together, we can see their interconnected roles in shaping and sustaining human societies across diverse cultures.

The ubiquity of games

The Olympic Games themselves have been held for thousands of years, beginning 776 BC in Olympia, Greece, and were originally part of a religious festival honoring Zeus. These early games included events such as running, wrestling, and chariot racing, laying the groundwork for the modern Olympic movement.

By framing sports as sophisticated games with clear rules, objectives, and rewards, the Olympics Games serve as a gamified experience to motivate athletes to achieve greatness. This reflects a broader human love for games.

Games are everywhere — in our education systems, workplaces, and daily interactions. The principles of gamification are applied to encourage desired behaviors, enhance learning, and improve engagement. The Olympic Games are a prime example of how structured competition and rewards can motivate individuals to reach extraordinary heights.

And as a proud Australian, let me finish by saying — Aussie, aussie, aussie, oi, oi, oi!