When we speak about gamification we could look back up to the late 70's -80's, but the explosion of social networking over the past decade set the true foundation for gamification by creating easy ways to build networks of relationships.
Several researchers consider gamification closely related to earlier work on adapting game-design elements and techniques to non-game contexts, so, although the term was first mentioned in 2002 by the British computer programmer and inventor Nick Pelling, it didn't gain popularity until 2010, in a more specific sense referring to incorporation of social/reward aspects of games into software. Herger, Mario (May. 21, 2012)
Gamification really came into its own thanks to the phenomenal success of social games like "FarmVille," the Zynga game that has attracted millions of users who help each other build their virtual farms. Developers across the Web began studying the underlying behaviors for those playing "FarmVille" and wondering how to apply that dynamic to increase the engagement with their own websites and services. Jane McGonigal Read (2011)
The gamification movement has gained such currency that it needed to have its first Conference, called The Gamification Summit. One of the organizers, Gabe Zichermann, who wrote a gamification blog, said he's already looking down the road at ways game thinking will revolutionize larger areas of our lives such as our workplaces, the education system, and the health care system. Zichermann, Gabe; Cunningham, Christopher (August 2011)
Herger, Mario (May. 21, 2012). "Gamification Facts & Figures". Enterprise-Gamification.com. Jane McGonigal Read (2011). Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change The World. Penguin Press. p. 122. ISBN978-1-59420-285-8. Zichermann, Gabe; Cunningham, Christopher (August 2011). "Introduction". Gamification by Design: Implementing Game Mechanics in Web and Mobile Apps(1st ed.). Sebastopol, California: O'Reilly Media. p. xiv.ISBN1449315399. Retrieved 2012-12-10.