After many discussions over the introduction of achievements I thought it would be appropriate to discuss it in a more formal manner. I will refer to these accomplishments in game as achievements for the rest of the article but it is worth noting that the same can be said for PS3 Trophies, Steam achievements and other types of achievement like rewards.
Gaming from its origin was based on high scores. Each and every cabinet had it’s own leader-board and it was everybody's aim to be the best. Competition is in our blood, there has always been a way to show that you were the top player. So much so that in the mid 80’s there was a massive boom of what could be described as the origin of pro-gaming, many people flocking from all over America to beat each others scores and prove that they were the best. This competition was so hyped that it gained acknowledgement from all over the world, it was at this point that many people started to take note of achievement in gaming.
Fast forward a few decades and we are standing amongst the gaming wave of the 90’s, although the leader-board system of the 80’s had taken a side step many gamers still participated in competitive gaming. Consoles had now became a staple of the modern home, they may still be frowned upon and those who played them may have been judged but consoles were becoming more and more common.
Several years passed and online gaming was introduced. Everybody could now share their scores and discuss what they have accomplished online. Some games had their own leader-boards, like Bungie’s stat tracker on their website and other online games that monitored their players progress.
Now it is debatable who revolutionised the online achievement system but in my eyes it was Xbox 360. With the current generation of consoles there are many online profiles and each with their own slant on their personality. To make sure they stayed on top Microsoft had allowed their users to not only compare games in their collections but also provided a new and innovative way. With a base of 1000 gamerscore, that can be obtained through various different in game objectives and the players profile being updated accordingly.
Some people argue that these achievements ruin gaming in general. They even say it’s damaging to the experience of a game. People no longer just play a game they want to, but instead they are influenced by the achievements and become obsessed with the accumulation of score.
There are some cases where this is true. Some people endure a tremendous amount of dull game play for the sake of a few points and in some cases will seek out games with easy achievements to further their score. Although this is prevalent in many peoples cases, I blame the company for resorting to such cheap tactics. Some companies do a lot of research in to achievements and in some cases make them easily obtained for the sole reason of pulling in more consumers. It is this kind of achievement that is frowned upon. It’s the kind of games that enable the user to obtain most of the achievements from the start of the game, I’m sure you are all aware of Avatar which happens to be the most infamous gamerscore whore game. This is how many people judge the credibility of a gamer, if they happen to have the full 1000 in this game they can be frowned upon.
Other reasons gamerscore is judged as a bad thing is that it encourages a kind of hierarchy within the community. People are more than aware of their current score and have competitions amongst their friends. Through this it can alienate people from groups because they might not have a lot of point. Although this is not a major problem it can cause tension when people start to be judged because of a number on their card.
On the other hand you have those that argue that achievements enhance gameplay. These achievements can make players aware of certain tactics the might not use or alert them to secret areas in games.
In the case of achievements being used to enhance gameplay many developers use these achievements to direct their player. Sometimes this can be used to encourage a player to use certain items in game or seek out secret areas they might not have before. If done well many players will experience a lot more of the game than they may have seen without this level of guidance.
There is also the argument that achievements can be used as an affirmation for the player. If they succeed in game the success is recognised, not only do you have the satisfaction that you completed a difficult part of the game but you also get a shiny pin to put on your e-lapel.
One final argument is that it is our nature as gamers to seek competition. I have mentioned it before in this article, gaming as a whole is based on the foundation of achievement. It started with leader-boards and has evolved in to gamercards/online personas and so on. We are now able to view not only the people who play at our local arcade but everyone on our friends list. We can compare, share and view each others progress together. It’s a friendly type of competition that we can immerse ourself in and adds a layer of meta to all our gaming if we wish to indulge each other, if only for a little while.
I think achievements are a great idea. They innovate play and have brought a new level of competition to gaming. This kind of influence can allow a developer to flesh out their game to encourage players to experience parts that they may normally shy away from. I myself tend to indulge a little too often in the gamerscore race but it just so happens to be my vice. I hope they stick around for a long time and who knows maybe in the future we might be rewarded for our dedication to a certain game with more than just a pop-up on screen.
Gaming from its origin was based on high scores. Each and every cabinet had it’s own leader-board and it was everybody's aim to be the best. Competition is in our blood, there has always been a way to show that you were the top player. So much so that in the mid 80’s there was a massive boom of what could be described as the origin of pro-gaming, many people flocking from all over America to beat each others scores and prove that they were the best. This competition was so hyped that it gained acknowledgement from all over the world, it was at this point that many people started to take note of achievement in gaming.
Fast forward a few decades and we are standing amongst the gaming wave of the 90’s, although the leader-board system of the 80’s had taken a side step many gamers still participated in competitive gaming. Consoles had now became a staple of the modern home, they may still be frowned upon and those who played them may have been judged but consoles were becoming more and more common.
Several years passed and online gaming was introduced. Everybody could now share their scores and discuss what they have accomplished online. Some games had their own leader-boards, like Bungie’s stat tracker on their website and other online games that monitored their players progress.
Now it is debatable who revolutionised the online achievement system but in my eyes it was Xbox 360. With the current generation of consoles there are many online profiles and each with their own slant on their personality. To make sure they stayed on top Microsoft had allowed their users to not only compare games in their collections but also provided a new and innovative way. With a base of 1000 gamerscore, that can be obtained through various different in game objectives and the players profile being updated accordingly.
Some people argue that these achievements ruin gaming in general. They even say it’s damaging to the experience of a game. People no longer just play a game they want to, but instead they are influenced by the achievements and become obsessed with the accumulation of score.
There are some cases where this is true. Some people endure a tremendous amount of dull game play for the sake of a few points and in some cases will seek out games with easy achievements to further their score. Although this is prevalent in many peoples cases, I blame the company for resorting to such cheap tactics. Some companies do a lot of research in to achievements and in some cases make them easily obtained for the sole reason of pulling in more consumers. It is this kind of achievement that is frowned upon. It’s the kind of games that enable the user to obtain most of the achievements from the start of the game, I’m sure you are all aware of Avatar which happens to be the most infamous gamerscore whore game. This is how many people judge the credibility of a gamer, if they happen to have the full 1000 in this game they can be frowned upon.
Other reasons gamerscore is judged as a bad thing is that it encourages a kind of hierarchy within the community. People are more than aware of their current score and have competitions amongst their friends. Through this it can alienate people from groups because they might not have a lot of point. Although this is not a major problem it can cause tension when people start to be judged because of a number on their card.
On the other hand you have those that argue that achievements enhance gameplay. These achievements can make players aware of certain tactics the might not use or alert them to secret areas in games.
In the case of achievements being used to enhance gameplay many developers use these achievements to direct their player. Sometimes this can be used to encourage a player to use certain items in game or seek out secret areas they might not have before. If done well many players will experience a lot more of the game than they may have seen without this level of guidance.
There is also the argument that achievements can be used as an affirmation for the player. If they succeed in game the success is recognised, not only do you have the satisfaction that you completed a difficult part of the game but you also get a shiny pin to put on your e-lapel.
One final argument is that it is our nature as gamers to seek competition. I have mentioned it before in this article, gaming as a whole is based on the foundation of achievement. It started with leader-boards and has evolved in to gamercards/online personas and so on. We are now able to view not only the people who play at our local arcade but everyone on our friends list. We can compare, share and view each others progress together. It’s a friendly type of competition that we can immerse ourself in and adds a layer of meta to all our gaming if we wish to indulge each other, if only for a little while.
I think achievements are a great idea. They innovate play and have brought a new level of competition to gaming. This kind of influence can allow a developer to flesh out their game to encourage players to experience parts that they may normally shy away from. I myself tend to indulge a little too often in the gamerscore race but it just so happens to be my vice. I hope they stick around for a long time and who knows maybe in the future we might be rewarded for our dedication to a certain game with more than just a pop-up on screen.
Now normally I'm a read the article and silently judge type but I feel chipping my own two-cents in might do me a bit of good.
ReplyDeletePersonally I find Achievements a great way to get the player more invested in the game and they help bring something new to games some players have finished or gotten bored with, however, I do not like the competition and the judgement of a gamer on their score. I don't have a very large gamer score for a number of reasons, spanning from time to the difficulty in the achievement, and I feel that my opinions and abilities in some games are taken for granted because of it.
The moral of it all is achievements can be a good thing and the accompanying score can not always be the same.