It’s about the purpose of the site in the mind of that user, maybe? So like, I wouldn’t like it on Sitepoint, where I’m looking for specific things that I want to read. But maybe I’d like it on Mashable, where I’m just skimming through articles anyway? I’m not really sure. But then, is it improving the bounce rate if it’s most attractive to users who are already invested somewhat?
That’s food for thought. The bounce rate is people not viewing more than one page. That means that to be successful at that goal, your gamification must be so prominent when they hit the home page that they are immediately engaged by it - and does that not perhaps overshadow your actual content?
I guess that thought might lead me to believe that gamification is better suited to engaging users you already have, as opposed to attracting the “bouncing” ones. But I’m definitely not an expert in this area.