It’s On Like Donkey Kong

Last year I linked to an article that explained how listening to videogame soundtracks could increase one’s productivity because they are designed to help you succeed and level-up. So I put the theory to test, and it worked. I was pumped, especially during my Call of Duty playlist. I eventually kicked the habit because of a noticeable increase in typos and an occasional, fleeting desire to smash my head through my office drywall. Should the gamification of life extend beyond background music? The New Yorker’s Nathan Heller takes a look at a new movement that seeks to turn life’s challenges into a game. Your coffee is a power-up. Your laundry is a challenge. And there is no way in hell that elderly lady with the tennis ball-heeled walker is getting to the last available subway seat ahead of you. It’s game on.