Issues with Gamification

As I continue to read I am encountering many issues with Gamification. The evidence is strong, as reported in an article by Edutopia, "There's evidence that strong narratives will motivate kids to solve hard puzzles, said Jan Plass, co-director of the Games for Learning Institute. In one study, he said, a child pursued one problem for 45 minutes -- and this was a problem that the girl wasn't particularly interested in to begin with. Is that music to anyone's ears" (Edutopia, 2010)? But the counter-arguments and issues of the reality of this new endeavor go something like this:
1. How do you go about creating a strong narrative for learning?
2. How do you create the "gaming environment?"
3. How do you create engaging graphics and environments that model realistic events and issues?
4. What about access to the technology?
5. What about skills for using the technology?
6. What about demonstrating learning through assessment (ie where is the assessment on a game? They win, they beat the simulation, they demonstrate their learning by completing the problem?)

And finally, what about the time required to create such a game, or locate a game that can meet the needs of your students?

It is always good to consider the devils advocate when standing on the precipice of a new venture.

Edutopia (2010, June 01). Beyond Blowing Up Enemies: The Future of Games for Learning. Edutopia, Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/games-for-change-festival