I was struck in your piece by the accuracy of the statement that ramification is useful for"getting workers to use the skills they have to do things outside of their role".
Our work at Spigit is all about getting people to go above and beyond their day jobs to create innovation. Innovation is often a thankless job, certainly one that is rarely assigned as part of the core set of responsibilities.
When we started on our journey 5 years ago, we used many of the techniques you describe in your piece, though at the time, we didn't know to call it Gamification. What we discovered, though, was when you add these mechanisms to systems, you really can get people to do things they wouldn't have done otherwise.
The only other point I'd make is that, sometimes, leaders just aren't ready to have their people play games at work, whether or not they're supposed to help them get their work done. We've resorted to dropping the word "game" and using "pshycological" instead.
When we say we use "psychological dynamics" to motivate employees, everyone is comfortable. Attitudes will change with time, I guess.
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