So achievements were introduced with the X-box 360 and have since moved to PCs via Microsoft's Live service. Now, even Valve has gotten into the act by putting them into it's latest releases.
On a sidenote, Live might be the stupidest, most insulting product in the history of gaming. Anyone associated with it on Microsoft's end and anyong who is dumb enough to subscribe should be euthanized to protect the human species.
Anyway, achievements are like "gold stars" for gamers. They exist in every(?) game for the 360. Basically, you get a pat of the back when you fulfill some unnecessary goal while playing a game. For example: In Portal, I got a "Friendly Fire" achievement for killing a turret with a turret.
That's an easy one, some are much harder.
The "benefits" to achievements are many:
1. They show you different ways to play.
2. To gain them, you pretty much have to explore most of a game's world and do everything within.
3. It's another goal for goal oriented gamers.
4. They are "badges of honor" that other gamers can see to tell what games you've been playing, how good you are, etc.
The negative is the argument that they're essentially tacked on to create "unnecessary" gameplay, and thus, extend the life of a game for someone artificially. Kind of a weak argument, but I've seen it debated.
So do you like them or hate them? Have you played a game longer or in a different way to earn some achievements?
Achievements
When I first encountered them, that's exactly what I thought they did. Maybe that's the next step in their evolution?
For those who are unfamiliar with them, achievements are a very hot thing.
I guess I'd compare them to being the leader on a Counter Strike scoreboard (just an example). It doesn't win you anything except pride and accolades.
Ditto for the achievements.
For those who are unfamiliar with them, achievements are a very hot thing.
I guess I'd compare them to being the leader on a Counter Strike scoreboard (just an example). It doesn't win you anything except pride and accolades.
Ditto for the achievements.
"Happy slaves are the worst enemies of freedom." - Marie Von Ebner
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
One of my buddies says you earn points thru achievements & those points let you download various game demos or full versions (of ancient arcade shit ported to the 360).
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Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
I like the media download aspects of Live. Haven't done anything on the gaming side to have an opinion.Leisher wrote:On a sidenote, Live might be the stupidest, most insulting product in the history of gaming. Anyone associated with it on Microsoft's end and anyong who is dumb enough to subscribe should be euthanized to protect the human species.
The negative is the argument that they're essentially tacked on to create "unnecessary" gameplay, and thus, extend the life of a game for someone artificially. Kind of a weak argument, but I've seen it debated.
I agree it's weak. I've never extended my game play on account of achievements. I usually even forget that they're there. Every so often I'll be at the dash board and pop in and look to see which games I have the most for. That sort of thing.
"... and then I was forced to walk the Trail of Tears." - Elizabeth Warren