Part comedy competition, part performance and part informational, this Great Gamification Debate [1]will settle, once and for all, three burning questions: What is gamification? What is it good for? And why does it matter? The Big Event will take place at The Hive, which is located at #210 – 128 West Hastings Street in Vancouver, on the evening of February 2nd.
Enter The Debaters:
[2]Michael Fergusson [2] (@fergusson [3]) – Michael has been a fighter pilot, a terraforming engineer, and a zombie hunter, and that was just this morning! He learned to touch type by hunting sharks, and has travelled the entire 
[4]Oregon Trail without getting scurvy. He also believes that playing is one of the most meaningful and productive things we can do. Michael is the innovator, business poet and mastermind behind Ayogo Games, Inc. [4], a company that was recently named Hottest Digital Media Company in Canada of 2010 by a jury at NEXTMedia for the work they did creating mobile and social games that improve people’s health in meaningful, measurable ways.
[5]Steve Bocska [5] (@pugpharm [6]) – Steve is the founding president of Pug Pharm Productions [7], a company offering a cutting-edge online technology solution that simultaneously delivers Gamification, Item Collection Gameplay; 
[7]and Social Matchmaking features. Steve has 10 years of direct experience in the video game industry, having worked for Disney Interactive, Black Box (E.A.), and Radical Entertainment. In 2006, he became the founding President and CEO of Hothead Games, winner of the Canadian New Media Association’s award for “Most Promising New Company of 2007.”
And The Moderator:
[8] Joe Nickolls [9] (@nickolls [10]) – Joe is an Executive Producer at Microsoft/Big Park [11]. Joe is a former EA
[11] Sports Producer, a former Radical Entertainment guy, Radio Guy, a Record Industry Marketing guy for Polygram Records of Canada, and last year’s Vancouver TEDx host. Known for his wit and humour, there are some people who refer to him as the Bill Murray of Games.
The Debate Format
- Each debater will be pre-informed of the points of debate.
- Neither debater will know which side of the point they will have to defend.
- Each debater will get 2 minutes to defend their side and 1 minute for rebuttals.
- The loudest audience cheers will decide the winner of each point.
- At the end of five rounds a winner will be declared.
- The debate will wrap up with a 10-15 minute Q&A, where the audience will have a chance to challenge the debaters with their gamification questions.
This event is free to attend, but space is limited so pre-registration [1] is required.