作者：Sharleen Sy

虚拟礼物可代表一种积极而强大的社交行为，它们可用于传情达意。赠礼行为是一种互惠表现，这种体验的价值越高，用户就越有可能向其投入更多时间、精力或金钱。

虚拟礼物的稀缺性或时效性可以创造一种紧迫感，促使用户尽快采取行动。

虚拟礼物还是一种水准、价格或价值的体现。

礼物总能让受礼者感到快乐，它的范畴还包括邀请、感谢、赞美、体贴、好意等行为，它是一种促使用户拓展社交圈的有效方式，也是任何游戏机制设计师不可忽视的重要环节。

下图是Facebook游戏的一些虚拟礼品示例：

以Facebook的一款成功应用iHeart以例，我们可以看出整个产品都有可能围绕赠礼机制而设计。这款简单的游戏仅依靠用户赠送和接受“真心”，就迅速聚集了2900万MAU。它提供了170多种不同的心型，支持用户根据形象化的“每分钟”心率评估自己的状态。

谷歌推广Gmail时也采用了一种赠礼策略，他们对1000名行业领袖发出邀请，并允许他们邀请亲友参与该产品测试。每隔一段时间，谷歌就会向这些Gmail用户发出更多邀请，让他们帮助推广产品。他们所制造的这种稀缺性还推高了二手市场中Gamil邀请机会的价格，这种“邀请”在eBay上的售价甚至高达150美元。

我们在许多游戏机制中所见到的礼物，都可以体现一种人格特征及其激励因素。

虚拟礼品是一种互动体验，因此应重视针对送礼者和受礼者的体验而设计赠礼机制。从包装纸和个性化设置等小细节，均可看出虚拟礼物究竟会沦为低档次的广告，还是上升为真正的礼物。设计师应从方便、快速挑选等角度出发，设计优质的赠礼用户体验。

以下是一些有趣的赠礼功能设置选项：

·追踪用户需赠送礼物的对象，提醒用户常向对方赠礼，尤其是那些有可能被用户忽略的对象。

·推出一系列仅作为赠品的特殊虚拟商品。

·设计个性化的礼物，或通过独特的包装增强用户体验。

·根据文化背景设计礼物，一些大众礼物价值更高。例如，许多用户都喜欢在情人节或生日时收到礼物和祝福。

·社区中的任何社交互动行为，都蕴含潜在的赠礼机会，设计师应在这一点上多做文章。

许多文化都有赠送礼物的相关礼节，所以创造虚拟礼品时，还应该牢记不同文化间的差异和禁忌。以下是设计师需知的一些国家和地区的文化习俗：

中国

·中国人很重视礼物的象征意义，对颜色和数字很有讲究。例如，在中国春节，大家都要用红包送岁钱，其中的钞票额度只能是偶数。

·红色是吉祥色，粉红和黄色代表幸福，8是最吉利的数字。

·黑色、白色和蓝色，以及数字“4”，一般与死亡或葬礼有关。钟表、手帕和草鞋也在此列。

·男人不可头戴绿色的帽子，因为“绿帽子”是指妻子出轨的男人。

·刀和剪刀等利器通常含有与某人“一刀两断”的意思。

·送人的东西最好要有包装。应该根据实际情况挑选合适的包装纸，黑色和白色包装纸是大忌。

·不能送钟表。因为“送钟”的谐音就是“送终”。

·手帕通常会让人联想到在葬礼上抹眼泪的场景。

·不可以4为单位送礼，除非是成双成对的东西。

·白菊花在中国和韩国都只用于葬礼场合。

越南

·不可将毛巾作为赠礼，因为毛巾在当地代表不祥之物，意味着受礼者将来会遭遇贫困。

日本

·送礼方式与礼物本身同样重要。如果是亲自送礼，那就得记住在双手奉上礼物的同时，向对方鞠一躬。

·送礼也是一种艺术，它代表友谊、尊重和感激。送礼很讲究礼仪，必须将礼物装在礼盒，或者用优质包装纸进行装饰，并以恭敬的态度将礼物赠予对方。其象征意义正是送礼行为的意义所在。

·象征意义在日本极为重要，成双成对的礼物代表幸运，但以4或者9为单位的礼物则代表不幸。

·数字“4”在日本同样表示死亡。

·红色与葬礼联系紧密，所以不可赠送粉红色的笔，也不可以用红笔填写礼物卡片。

·送书是不合时宜的举动。

·刀子、剪刀都有“断绝往来”的含义。

拉美文化

·拉美文化很重视个性化的礼物。

·礼物的象征意义也同样会影响人们挑选礼品和包装纸的决定。不可采用黑色或紫色的包装纸，因为这两种颜色仅用于复活节。

·与死亡或葬礼有关的东西包括手帕、黄花、红花或白花。

·与其他国家和地区一样，刀子和剪刀等利器也暗藏“断绝往来”的意思。

巴西文化

·巴西人从来不送紫色花朵，因为这种花常用于葬礼场合。

墨西哥文化

·墨西哥人不以手帕作为赠礼，因为这表示好友之间有可能反目成仇。

穆斯林文化

·古兰经禁止穆斯林饮酒。

·穆斯林排斥与猪肉、猪皮有关的东西。

·不可赠送个人衣物。

·狗在当地被视为腌脏之物，所以任何与狗有关的物品，即使是带有小狗图案的东西都不能作为赠礼。

·指南针是理想的备选礼物，因为它可帮助受礼者找到圣城麦加的方向。

·要用右手或者双手奉上礼物，不可单独用左手送礼，因为左手也被视为不洁净之物。

·刀子等利器也意味着关系决裂。

·带有人体特征，尤其是裸体或半裸女性胴体的雕像、图画或照片也是有伤风化的礼物。

犹太文化

·东正教犹太人不可食用猪肉和贝类动物。

印度教文化

·牛在印度教文化中是神灵的化身，最好不要赠送任何与动物有关的礼物。

·多数印度教徒不喝酒。

·使用右手或双手奉上礼物。

·除了牛奶和黄油，鱼类和其他与动物有关的产品都会犯忌，所以不要从这类产品中挑选皮革或食品作为赠礼。

印度

·不要赠送印度人只在葬礼上使用的赤素馨花。

·最好用绿色、红色或黄色等幸运色包装礼物。

·不要选择与动物及其皮革有关的礼物。

·不可用黑白纸包装礼物，这两种颜色都有不祥之兆。

·不要向印度穆斯林赠送与狗及其图案有关的礼物。

乌克兰

乌克兰人不会向年轻夫妇赠送钟和表，因为这两种物品意味着受礼者未来将遭遇夫妻感情破裂。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

The Power of Virtual Gifts in a Gamified World

Sharleen Sy

Question:  If you had the choice between a real rose and a virtual rose, which would you choose?

Before answering, let’s take that virtual rose, and present it in some context.  Perhaps the virtual gift is an invitation, hinting at fun and social entertainment with friends.  Now make that virtual rose persistent, so the flower is available at every visit to your site.  Display the rose in a public environment, where others see the gift from a friend.  And lastly, add functionality to the rose, perhaps the rose completes a collection, unlocks new content, or provides new status within the community.

Virtual Gifts are experiences that can be used as positive and powerful social exchanges.  They make a message stand out.  Gift-giving involves an expectation of reciprocity, and the more valued the experience, the more resources in time, effort, or money people are willing to invest.

Rarity (scarcity) increases a virtual gift’s value, and time-limited offers create urgency.

A virtual gift can also represent status in level, price, or value.

Gifts can refer to anything that makes the receiver happier, and may be creatively interpreted to  include invitations, thank you’s, compliments, thoughtfulness, and kindness.  It is an effective and encouraging way to get the user to involve their social graph, and should be one of the first game mechanics a designer considers for their gamified site.

Examples from Facebook:

Entire products can be completely based on the gifting mechanic, as in the case of Facebook’s successful iHeart app.  This simple game quickly amassed over 29 Million Monthly Active Users just by giving and receiving hearts.  With over 170 different hearts to choose from, users gauge their status through an animated “beats per minute” heart rate.

Google implemented a gifting strategy for Gmail, inviting 1,000 industry thought leaders, and allowing them to invite their friends and family members as beta testers.  At regular intervals, Google offered more invitations for these Gmail users to distribute.  They also created a scarcity that caused the aftermarket price of Gmail invitations to skyrocket, some selling on eBay for as much as US$150.

(Source: Wikipedia History of Gmail)

Gifts, as we have seen in most game mechanics, can be presented from the perspective of personality types and motivaions:

Because virtual gifts are experiences, the actual implementation and design of the user experience for both giving and receiving are very important.  Small details such as wrapping paper and personalization transforms the virtual good from advertising to gift.  Design the UX for convenience, offering a fast, easy way to select friends.

Some interesting options for gift-giving features:

-  Keep track of who the user has sent gifts to, and remind users to send gifts often, especially to those who may have been overlooked.

- Offer a special group of items that may only be received as gifts.

- Personalizing gifts and wrapping paper as an added experience or upgrade.

- Depending on the cultural background, public gifts may be more valued. For example, how many Valentines or birthday wishes have you received?

- Be aware that any social interaction within your community is a potential for gifting, and should be studied.

Many cultures put strong emphasis in gift-giving.  When building virtual gifts, it may be useful to note some cultural differences.

The following list is compiled from various online sources:

International Gift – Giving

Chinese:

- Symbolism is important, with colors and numbers having special meaning. For instance, at Chinese New Year, Money may be given in a red envelope; it must be an even amount, using an even number of “new” bills.

- Red is a lucky color; pink and yellow represent happiness; and the number 8 is the luckiest number.

- The colors black, white and blue and the #4, or four of anything, are negatively associated with death or funerals. Also included in this category are clocks, handkerchiefs, and straw sandals.

- Another example of the importance of color is if a man wears a green hat it indicates his wife has been unfaithful to him.

- Sharp objects like knives or scissors represent a ‘severing of a friendship or relationship

- Always wrap the gifts you give. The paper should be appropriate to the occasion. Never use a combination of white and black paper.

- Avoid clocks.  In many Chinese dialects, the phrase “give clock” sounds the same as “see off into death”

- Handkerchiefs are associated with crying and funerals.

- Avoid packaging Items in sets of 4 unless it is a set of two pairs.

- Avoid using white chrysanthemum because it is a funeral flower in Korea and in China.

Vietnamese:

- Avoid giving towels as gifts because they symbolize bad luck and might bring the receiver hardships in the future.

Japanese:

- The act of giving itself is as important as the gift.  If gifting with avatars, both hands are utilized for giving and this should be accompanied by a bow.

- Gift giving is an art form, representing friendship, respect, and gratitude. The ceremony is important; the gift is always in a gift box, or beautifully wrapped in

quality paper, and given with great respect. The symbolism is what’s important.

- In Japan symbolism is important. A gift with a pair of items is considered lucky, but sets of four or nine are unlucky.

- The number 4 also means death;

- The color red is associated with funerals, so don’t give a pen with red ink, and don’t write out a card using red.

- Books aren’t appropriate

- Sharp objects like knives, scissors, and letter openers symbolize ‘severing a relationship’.

Latin Culture:

- Personalized gifts are highly valued in Latin culture.

- Symbolism in this culture will also influence the choices you make for gifts and wrapping paper.  Black or purple paper isn’t used because it’s used during Holy Week.

- Items associated with death or funerals that wouldn’t be used include handkerchiefs, and yellow, red or white flowers.

- As in other cultures, sharp objects such as knives or scissors should never be given, since they represent a ‘severing of a relationship’.

Brazilian Culture:

- People in Brazil don’t give purple flowers as gifts because it is unlucky.

Mexican Culture:

- People in Mexico don’t give a handkerchief as a present because it might turn friends into enemies.

Muslim Culture:

- The Koran forbids alcohol.

- Also forbidden are products that come from scavengers. For example, both pork and pigskin items are not allowed.

- Do not give personal clothing items.

- Dogs are considered unclean, so any dog item, even something with a picture of a dog would not be given

- An ideal gift is a compass so he can find the direction in which Mecca lies.

- Always give gifts with the right hand, or both hands. The left hand is never used alone to hand someone a gift, as it’s considered unclean.

- Knives because they have a sharp edge – severing relationships- are not appropriate.

- Artwork that consisted of sculptures, drawings or photos showing the human body, especially a nude or partially nude female body, is not acceptable as a gift.

Jewish Culture:

- Orthodox Jews are not allowed to eat pork and shellfish.

Hindu Culture:

- The cow is sacred in the Hindu culture. It is safer not to give anything related to animals at all.

- Most Hindus also do not drink alcohol.

- Once again, use your right hand or both hand to offer the gift.

- Fish and all animal products except milk or butter are shunned. Therefore, you would never select any leather or food product from these categories.

India

-  Do not give frangipani flowers, which are for funerals

-  Wrap Gifts in colors that are considered auspicious such as green, red, or yellow.

- Avoid gifts that appear to be leather or made from other animals

- Avoid gifts wrapped in black or white paper, colors that are considered inauspicious

- Avoid Images or figures of dogs to Muslims. These are considered unclean.

Ukraine:

- People in Ukraine avoid giving a clock or a watch as a gift to young couples because it might cause the breakup of their relationships in the future.（source:stratsynergy）