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The Best Achievements

Like them or not, achievements have become a staple of modern gaming, giving players goals to strive for and a measuring stick with which they can compare themselves to random strangers on the internet. Eurogamer discusses why they've become so popular, and takes a look at some of the most entertaining examples. Quoting: "... we mock Achievement points because they spell out in large numbers what is so pathetic about video games. But we also celebrate them, because, when used in funny, creative or interesting ways, they also spell out what is so compelling and wonderful about video games. Because for every Achievement in which you have to do nothing more than play through a tutorial there's another that subverts convention, rewarding you for skipping it instead. For every fetch quest that has you collecting dogtags for the millionth time, there's another that makes you fight the baddy with your arms tied behind your back. And for every Achievement you earn in jest for pressing the start button, there's another that only rewards the single best player in the world."

5 of 107 comments (clear)

  1. Re:What Can I Say? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Certainly not original but ingenious to add an additional level of addiction.

    That's where selling games and selling crack in front of schools meet.

    That's why when people say that "videogames are art" I laugh at them.

  2. Microsoft's Ripoff Of Sony's Skill Points by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Brilliant? No.

    A ripoff? Yes.

    http://guidesarchive.ign.com/guides/14725/skill.html

    Sony and Insomniac Games invented the Skill Point(aka Acheivement) system all the way back in 1998. They've been a staple of Sony/Playstation games ever since all the way up to their current incarnation, Trophies.

    What is mind boggling about Microsoft's ripoff of Sony's Skill Point system was that Microsoft utterly failed to grasp the entire point. Skill Points were something extra above and beyond the game that if you put in the effort you were rewarded with unlockables, cheats, new skins, and so on.

    Microsoft copied the mechanics of Skill Points, but then idiotically just made them give you a completely pointless 'gamerscore' that means nothing other than silly 'my gamerscore number is higher than yours' e-penish waving.

    1. Re:Microsoft's Ripoff Of Sony's Skill Points by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

      That has always been the problem with Microsoft and the Xbox.

      They have no real gamers working for them or people with big dreams and grand ideas. Instead they seem only capable of stealing ideas from Nintendo and Sony and coming out with crappy versions of their own.

      Microsoft stole Nintendo's Mii avatars and came out with their own much ridiculed Microsoft version.

      Microsoft implemented a poorly thought out version of Spyro the Dragon skill point system and renamed it 'achievements'

      Microsoft is now about to unveil their own imitation Wii-mote.

      Just like Microsoft's Zune is nothing more than a crappy iPod ripoff.

  3. Re:What Can I Say? by CheshireFerk-o · · Score: -1, Troll

    this is the price, when you pay m$ to get into the stupid lobby with their stupid kids with their stupid achievements. I was completely unaware of this system having never used a m$360 and it sounds like perfect food for the idiots who pay m$ to play online.

  4. Re:Why Couldn't Microsoft Grasp Such A Basic Conce by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Awww, poor liddle Xbot!

    Xbot faggots always start crying every time their shitty copies of existing game concepts gets laughed at. Go fuck yourself loser. You're nothing but a shitstain on the shoe of the gaming world.