The gamification of code development itself

WIRED has an interesting article regarding Microsoft’s inclusion of badges as rewards for developers in Visual Studio. As developers write code, an Achievements extension grants badges in much the same way a video game does. Badges are associated with certain accomplishments — both good and bad — and many of the good badges also come with points. The hope is that these virtual rewards will spark competition, and that competition will improve the quality of the work. Read more at WIRED.com.