Oprah's Thank You Game Launches Tonight During OWN's "Oprah's Lifeclass: the Tour" Mastering the Art of Gratitude, Monday, April 30 (8-10 pm ET/PST)
SAN FRANCISCO, April 30, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, SuperBetter Labs announced the launch of "Oprah's Thank You Game," the company's first title developed specifically for the Facebook platform (facebook.com/owntv). Co-designed in partnership with the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), the game was built with the goal of spreading the positive emotion of gratitude to half a billion people worldwide.
SuperBetter Labs' research into the science of gaming, social networks and the contagious nature of gratitude had showed that one properly articulated "thank you" can reach up to 258 people. From that insight, Chief Creative Officer Jane McGonigal and Director of Design Chelsea Howe worked with OWN to develop an interactive way of encouraging displays of gratitude via the social graph.
"Oprah's Thank You Game shows how just by playing a game, you can do real-world good. We're creating the biggest gratitude network in history. Our collective goal is to spread gratitude to half a billion people worldwide," said Jane McGonigal.
In this online social game, users are briefed on the emotional value and individual elements of formal gratitude. This includes how to find the true benefits in a good deed done; how to properly acknowledge these efforts; and, how to spot strengths in others when expressing thanks and praise. Players can then share their efforts on Oprah.com by clicking the "Thank You" button and watching how others around the world are participating in expressing gratitude through heat maps.
""This game is a great way to harness the power of social media to spread the message of gratitude to people all over the world," said Sheri Salata, president, OWN. "If we can focus on sharing our gratitude with our friends, family and online communities, imagine the shift in consciousness that is possible."
Sean Baenen, Vice Chair of SuperBetter Labs, added, "We had a vision for a social game that resulted in every single person in the United States and Canada feeling truly appreciated for something they've done. It was an ambitious project in the field of social media as agency for positive emotions, making Ms. Winfrey the perfect partner."
A daily challenge will post via OWN's Twitter and will be available on Oprah's Thank You Game Facebook app including, "Thank" someone who gave you an opportunity, someone who is having a hard day, someone who wouldn't expect it, or someone you've known a really long time. Players can share in the conversation on Twitter using @OWNTV or #ThankYouGame. Other elements include "What's New" blog posts and "Gratitude Secrets" where users can discover the 12 secrets of gratitude. Players also have the option to enter their email address for the chance to receive a personal thank you from Oprah Winfrey.
The online game launches in conjunction with "Oprah's Lifeclass: the Tour" Season 2 finale tonight, which discusses mastering the art of gratitude (Monday, April 30 from 8-10 p.m. ET/PST). Jane McGonigal and her sister Kelly McGonigal, a scientific advisor to SuperBetter Labs and OWN in developing Oprah's Thank You Game, are featured in the video introduction to the game.
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ABOUT SUPERBETTER LABS
SuperBetter Labs' mission is to design platforms that help people lead "epic lives." The concept of an epic life is centered on developing strong social relationships, positive emotion, confronting challenges, and creating a truer sense of purpose in the real world through the use of online game mechanics, gameful IT products and other tested methods of positive social interaction. Chief Creative Officer Jane McGonigal, creator of SuperBetter, the first product of SuperBetter Labs, also co-designed Oprah's Thank You Game for OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network). More information on SuperBetter Labs can be found on www.superbetterlabs.com, www.facebook.com/superbetterlabs, or on twitter @superbetterlabs.
ABOUT OWN: OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK
A joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Discovery Communications, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is a multi-platform media company designed to entertain, inform and inspire people to live their best lives. OWN debuted on January 1, 2011, in approximately 77 million homes on what was the Discovery Health Channel. The venture also includes the award-winning digital platform, Oprah.com. For more information, please visit www.oprah.com/own and www.press.discovery.com/us/own.
Contact:
Cathie Bennett Warner
415-420-1573
cathie@superbetter.com
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