Autodesk Americas has been honored by industry analyst firm Gartner and 1to1 Media for making the Autodesk 3ds Max software trial into a game, which allows users to compete in a more engaging learning experience. A gold winner for CRM Integrated Marketing, Autodesk was selected for this award due to its customer-centric approach to improving business performance.

This new form of customer experience started with Autodesk 3ds Max, in which powerful game mechanics were built into the software trial. Autodesk knew many users of 3ds Max looked to social media for additional help with the software, so tying the game closely to social media channels such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook was important. Utilizing Badgeville’s Behavior Engine administration console, Autodesk identified and configured desired user behaviors into various gamification elements.

Autodesk designed a series of missions within the game that walk users through various activities within Autodesk 3ds Max and allow them to interact with the software and improve their skills.  Players are rewarded with points and achievement badges for completing missions or specific behaviors. Users can also share their achievements on Facebook and Twitter to earn additional points. Autodesk wanted to curate the best content created for YouTube and allow trial users to share their progress and success with peers. A Leaderboard shows trial users how they rank against their peers, and ultimately who won the game. The majority of the game takes place on the Autodesk community site AREA, where 3ds Max users congregate to share work and participate in forums.

Due to the success of the gamification of the 3ds Max software trial, Autodesk has expanded its gamification approach to other products. To further explore the company’s software gamification, click here.