The SCVNGR update comes just weeks after the company released a sophisticated rewards program where businesses (for example, The Boston Globe and the Minnesota Vikings) can create challenges and define the rewards for points earned at their venue. The new version opens up the challenge creation process to all users of the app.
The idea behind user-generated challenges is to allow game players to define the game for themselves. SCVNGR players could already select from a few seeded challenges such as snapping a photo or completing a social checkin; now they can easily create their own via the mobile app.
SCVNGR also updated the application with intelligent friend suggestions based on a user's Facebook and Twitter connections as well as prior social checkin behavior. Photo captions and improved nearby place suggestions were added in this update as well.
Given that SCVNGR is incapable of creating the perfect challenge for every venue, handing challenge creation over to patrons -- who can better concoct challenges that capture the essence of a restaurant, bar, stadium or any other locale -- is a smart strategy that should help motivate engagement.
