When the Xbox 360 first debuted in 2005, it felt like an evolution in how we consumed video games. Before, we started and finished every virtual adventure and would probably be complete perfectionists if we really felt like it. I'd made it through a handful of JRPGs in the past, and wasn't afraid to tackle action games like God of War on higher difficulties to earn special unlockable loads. But all of this was fueled by my own desire as a player.
During their childhood, achievements were very simple. It was clear that developers around the world were still trying to figure out the best way to use this new feature or how to blend it into the existing perfectionist mindset. I remember playing Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Video Game of the Movie and earning all 1,000 gamer points by beating the game once. Basically playing through it was all I had to do to earn every achievement, and it was a strategy implemented in various launch titles at the time.
Achievements and trophies have slowly evolved alongside the games that feature them, even though Nintendo later refused to implement a similar system for its own three console cycles, but part of me can't blame the company for keeping things pure rather than embracing this gameplay medium.
Xbox is making small but subtle changes to how achievements work
As the creator of Achievements, it's no surprise to see that Microsoft continues to develop the feature after all these years, it recently announced several modifications such as updated icons and animations, the ability to highlight 100 percent completed games within your profile, and hiding certain games from your account. If you just tried something and didn't make it to your list of achievements or maybe played some total garbage just for gamerpoints, you can now pretend they never existed.
One of my favorite things about Xbox One launch was being able to change the color of new achievements to reflect the beauty of my profile, along with the incredibly satisfying ding that comes from popping a rare compliment. The nature of earning achievements isn't subject to any major changes, but the presentation around it couldn't feel more modern. Most of these changes are all about presentation, and I doubt Microsoft will change much about achievements until an entirely new console arrives.
Xbox isn't my primary platform these days, but I won't lie that when I install the PC version of the Xbox app I check to see if it supports achievements. If not, who knows if I'll ever play it.
Achievements and trophies shouldn't rule your gaming life
Trophy and achievement hunting is a hobby in video games, and I was surprised to learn that people consider playing games for these digital awards to be different than keeping up with the latest triple-A bangers and indie darlings. It's common to go out of your way to play something in pursuit of platinum to build your overall collection, or to stick with a game far beyond the credits rolling to get that 100 percent completion.
PlayStation YouTuber Mystic does a great series in which he tries to win 30 Platinum Trophies across all PlayStation platforms, setting himself a bunch of fun rules that make the challenge even more enticing. Over the course of an hour, watching one man try to land platinum on a barbie reel is amazing to watch unfold, and shows how trophy hunting itself can benefit the games you play as long as you dictate how you approach the medium.
I'm not afraid to admit that sometimes I'll be drawn to PlayStation more than most platforms if it has trophies for me, while I'll be less tempted to replay things on Sony's console because I know that dopamine has been tapped. There's a fascinating psychology going on behind the scenes in our minds when we earn a trophy or achievement and it adds a sense of value to everything we do. This is why platinums are easy to earn on many first-party Sony titles — they want us to get everything from these games and perfectionist goals feel realistic for most gamers.
It's a shame that Sony removed PlayStation Stars because it was helping us save a lot of money on digital games, because its virtual showcase remains truly amazing and trophies make a lot of sense in the PlayStation ecosystem.
Do I wish these rewarding mechanics didn't exist? Of course not. Have they changed the way video games are played and appreciated in the modern landscape? Unfortunately so. But as they change and change with the generations, I'm trying to let my relationship with them mature in exactly the same way. I want them to complement my gaming experiences, not inadvertently dominate them and take away from the art I'm consuming.
Maybe we should go back to the days of King Kong…
- brand
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Sony
- Original release date
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November 17, 2006
- Original MSRP (USD)
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20 GB: $499.99; 60 GB: $599.99; Slim: $299; Super Slim: $270
- weight
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Start: 11 LBS; Slim: 7.1 LBS; Super Slim: 4.6 LBS
