KJCKorea
Journal Central

A television real variety show, <Running Man> on SBS, is enjoying a big popularity among children domestically and internationally. School children are not only regularly watching the show but mimicking performances of the celebrities on the show during their own playground games. We assume that the popularity of the show among younger viewers is closely associated with computer games. Referring to 'Gamification', we suggest that the television show import and appropriate logics from computer games and take advantage of 'Gamic Realism'. Television becomes closely to move toward computer games and to utilize their logics. Thus viewers tend to regard television watching as game playing and to feel like to have Gamic Realism. We tentatively conclude that television gamifies the show and asks the viewers to follow the show as if they are playing computer games. It follows that the show, <Running Man>, provides its viewers with Gamic Realism through Gamification. For the gamification, the show gives celebrities a certain type of character. All celebrities on the show are accumulating and constructing database on the basis of their past activities shown on other episodes, and their own real personality.

Gamification, Gamic Realism, <Running Man>, TV Real Variety Show