Poll: Achievements corrupting gaming?

[Serioli]

At the moment I don't mind too much but I can see them grating on me.

As mentioned before, sometimes they break the flow of an exciting or emotional moment.

For some companies (especially lately on steam indie games), they have become a SELLING POINT. I would rather a game has achievements for actually doing something rather than 'SPARKLYGAME has 5,000 achievements for you to unlock' (99% of which you will unlock just by being present)

 

[blindmind]

At the moment I don't mind too much but I can see them grating on me.

As mentioned before, sometimes they break the flow of an exciting or emotional moment.

For some companies (especially lately on steam indie games), they have become a SELLING POINT. I would rather a game has achievements for actually doing something rather than 'SPARKLYGAME has 5,000 achievements for you to unlock' (99% of which you will unlock just by being present)

Achievements have always been a selling point, in one way or another. I heard somewhere that having achievements in a game increases sales by around 33%.

 

[blindmind]

Achievements should be like Secret Bosses. You do them when you have nothing else to do, but don't remind me every 50 battles that I've won 50 more battles.

Secret boss battles were sweet. And yeah, I wish achievements were less trivial and more creative. There are some good ones, such as carrying the gnome to the rocket ship in Half Life 2: Episode 2. It seems kind of tedious, but it adds a pretty interesting challenge to the game. I often find myself wanting to replay that game to experience that challenge.

 

[EBass]

Don't really care. On the one hand the slightly annoy me as even though I don't care I feel that compulsive twinge to get them, which is annoying to ignore.

However I will say that when you see "20 new achivements" on the marketing blurb of DLC you know somethings wrong.

 

[DividedUnity]

No they arent. If anything trophies on ps3 give me an incentive to play through a game several times when i normally wouldnt.

Blame DRM and dlc for corrupting gaming

 

[TheFacelessOne]

I'm not an achievement whore or addict. I play games because they're fudging interesting.

I could care less about the achievements. But yes, I do get peeved when I do an achievement's requirements and don't get it - who wouldn't? You worked for something and then don't get rewarded.

 

[Darkrain11]

I like to really work at achievements when they represent that you did something awesome or crazy like beat the game on super hardcore death mode or get a combo of 500. I hate those throw away achievements like play the tutorial or beat level 5.

 

[Vigormortis]

"Showing people online" doesn't appeal to me quite as much as it would some others because I don't play games in the hopes that someone will pat me on the back for sitting around with a piece of plastic in my hand. They don't absolutely torture me, but they do pop around with their cute little sound at inconvenient times and thus manage to break any flow or immersion that might have existed at the time.

*dramatic, heart-wrenching death scene of one of the central characters* BLIP "YOU'VE COMPLETED CHAPTER 12! 15 POINTS!"

Exactly! I couldn't be in more agreement with this guy. Nothing destroys my enjoyment and immersion in a game quite as much as that God damn "bleep" sound as that stupid message pops up. I see no reason why there isn't a feature that would allow you to disable that pop-up without disabling other notices.

That said, I honestly do feel that achievements have ruined many games and have "corrupted" gamers in general. I know far too many gamers that play a game simply to get it's achievements. Then, having beaten the game or, more likely, having unlocked around half of the achievements, turn around and sell the game never bothering to experience it in full. This is why so many garbage, ill-designed games are selling as well as or even better than the few true, top tier quality titles. Achievements are an excuse for many developers to skimp on content by just adding these pointless challenges.

That said, there are a few exceptions. Every once in a while a game designer throws a few achievements in their game that are witty, quirky, and unique. (besides the usual kill X bad guys with weapon Y. play for X hours. complete chapter. etc.) Valve seems to have fun with their achievements in the Orange Box and L4D. As did Real Time Worlds in Crackdown.

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

I see achievements as more of a challenge to play the game for all that it worth. Most of the time today i not only complete the main story quest, but also go after all side quests and hidden objects. I'm a bit of a completionist now thanks to the achievement system but i don't mind it.