Comments on: The Anatomy Of The Achievement http://checkyourhud.com/the-anatomy-of-the-achievement/ No one knows where a ninja goes... Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:34:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Eric http://checkyourhud.com/the-anatomy-of-the-achievement/comment-page-1/#comment-20143 Eric Thu, 02 Apr 2009 22:41:58 +0000 http://checkyourhud.com/?p=1678#comment-20143 The best example of the "you played the game" achievements I have seen so far is in the Half-Life 2 series. That's because you don't usually get the achievement just when the level ends-- you usually get it right after the big climactic battle or arduous gauntlet that is the set piece of the level. When you've finally destroyed that last strider or repelled that last wave of ant lions or gotten the car across the bridge, and you can finally take a deep breath and let the adrenaline wind down, that little "ding! you rock!" feels hard-earned. Conversely, there's Tomb Raider Underworld (which I enjoyed), which gives you the achievement for completing a level in the blank moment between one level's ending cut scene and the loading screen for the next. It makes those achievements seem cursory and tacked on, even though they serve the same exact purpose as HL2's. The best example of the “you played the game” achievements I have seen so far is in the Half-Life 2 series. That’s because you don’t usually get the achievement just when the level ends– you usually get it right after the big climactic battle or arduous gauntlet that is the set piece of the level. When you’ve finally destroyed that last strider or repelled that last wave of ant lions or gotten the car across the bridge, and you can finally take a deep breath and let the adrenaline wind down, that little “ding! you rock!” feels hard-earned.

Conversely, there’s Tomb Raider Underworld (which I enjoyed), which gives you the achievement for completing a level in the blank moment between one level’s ending cut scene and the loading screen for the next. It makes those achievements seem cursory and tacked on, even though they serve the same exact purpose as HL2’s.

]]> By: Nick http://checkyourhud.com/the-anatomy-of-the-achievement/comment-page-1/#comment-5998 Nick Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:59:15 +0000 http://checkyourhud.com/?p=1678#comment-5998 Good read. I understand trophies (I don't go 360 because...well....its microsoft), and if i was in my earlier years I might like them but I don't really look at them. I actually quit playing a game that I was playing 4-5 hours a day because they added achievements...Team Fortress 2. Great game until them effed it up. Good read.
I understand trophies (I don’t go 360 because…well….its microsoft), and if i was in my earlier years I might like them but I don’t really look at them. I actually quit playing a game that I was playing 4-5 hours a day because they added achievements…Team Fortress 2. Great game until them effed it up.

]]> By: 桐生尤里 http://checkyourhud.com/the-anatomy-of-the-achievement/comment-page-1/#comment-5832 桐生尤里 Sat, 03 Jan 2009 11:04:35 +0000 http://checkyourhud.com/?p=1678#comment-5832 My problem with achievements is that they really don't reward you with anything, back in the good ol' day, you beat a game in under 3 hours, you'd get a Rocket Launcher, beat a mode in Onimusha and you'd get a kick ass panda suit (that thing WAS AWESOME!) In GTA Vice City, get 100% and you have a bunch of guys following you around, plus a t-shirt, plus the chopper spawns closer, plus unlimited ammo, plus no reloading, basically it made all the effort worthwhile. But today, not many games do that, what's up with Devil May Cry 4 unlockables? All you get are some artwork, and your generic DMC unlockables, man, DMC3SE had like making of videos, plus lots of cool costumes, and yeah Virgil. My problem with achievements is that they really don’t reward you with anything, back in the good ol’ day, you beat a game in under 3 hours, you’d get a Rocket Launcher, beat a mode in Onimusha and you’d get a kick ass panda suit (that thing WAS AWESOME!)

In GTA Vice City, get 100% and you have a bunch of guys following you around, plus a t-shirt, plus the chopper spawns closer, plus unlimited ammo, plus no reloading, basically it made all the effort worthwhile.

But today, not many games do that, what’s up with Devil May Cry 4 unlockables? All you get are some artwork, and your generic DMC unlockables, man, DMC3SE had like making of videos, plus lots of cool costumes, and yeah Virgil.

]]> By: Iain http://checkyourhud.com/the-anatomy-of-the-achievement/comment-page-1/#comment-5555 Iain Wed, 31 Dec 2008 22:45:11 +0000 http://checkyourhud.com/?p=1678#comment-5555 No, I don't consider myself a very competitive gamer. But that doesn't mean that I don't try to beat my buddies when we play against eachother. I just think that linking Achievements (and for that matter: the fact that you can look up their requirements) to Gamescore isn't the best way to go (because it «motivates» grinding). An individual Highscore/Performance Report per game would be better in my opinion. No, I don’t consider myself a very competitive gamer. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t try to beat my buddies when we play against eachother.
I just think that linking Achievements (and for that matter: the fact that you can look up their requirements) to Gamescore isn’t the best way to go (because it «motivates» grinding). An individual Highscore/Performance Report per game would be better in my opinion.

]]> By: Scrybe http://checkyourhud.com/the-anatomy-of-the-achievement/comment-page-1/#comment-5550 Scrybe Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:28:18 +0000 http://checkyourhud.com/?p=1678#comment-5550 I consider myself a casual gamer as opposed to competitive so I haven't really cared much about the gamerscore....until I checked it recently and it was way higher than I ever thought it would be. I have to admit...I evil chuckled with glee and beemed with pride. I also get a kick out of reviewing my achievements from time to time. I have admit that I get sad when I go a long time without a significant achievement. Right now I'm planning on starting GOW 2 on the hardest level to see what I can do. Also plan on bustin' open Crackdown to see what I can drum up.....yes...addictive.....yes indeed. I consider myself a casual gamer as opposed to competitive so I haven’t really cared much about the gamerscore….until I checked it recently and it was way higher than I ever thought it would be. I have to admit…I evil chuckled with glee and beemed with pride. I also get a kick out of reviewing my achievements from time to time. I have admit that I get sad when I go a long time without a significant achievement. Right now I’m planning on starting GOW 2 on the hardest level to see what I can do. Also plan on bustin’ open Crackdown to see what I can drum up…..yes…addictive…..yes indeed.

]]> By: Svenn http://checkyourhud.com/the-anatomy-of-the-achievement/comment-page-1/#comment-5540 Svenn Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:07:10 +0000 http://checkyourhud.com/?p=1678#comment-5540 Well, as I mentioned in the article, Gamerscore is the equivalent of high scores in old arcade games. When you played something like Pacman, you played to beat the high score. The dynamics aren't quite the same, but it's the same idea. It plays to the competitive nature of a lot of gamers. If you aren't a competitive gamer, then the score probably doesn't mean a lot to you. Plus, some of us really just like to see numbers go up. It's sad how easily addicted I can get to just increasing numbers. :) Well, as I mentioned in the article, Gamerscore is the equivalent of high scores in old arcade games. When you played something like Pacman, you played to beat the high score. The dynamics aren’t quite the same, but it’s the same idea. It plays to the competitive nature of a lot of gamers. If you aren’t a competitive gamer, then the score probably doesn’t mean a lot to you.

Plus, some of us really just like to see numbers go up. It’s sad how easily addicted I can get to just increasing numbers. :)

]]> By: Iain http://checkyourhud.com/the-anatomy-of-the-achievement/comment-page-1/#comment-5509 Iain Wed, 31 Dec 2008 08:42:29 +0000 http://checkyourhud.com/?p=1678#comment-5509 Nice article. I personally love Achievements, but hate that they're tied to the Gamescore (on the 360 anyway). In most cases it just motivates to look up what the Achievement is and then grind your way to obtaining it. To me gaming should be about having fun - and grinding certainly doesn't fall in that category. But perhaps it has to do with my apathic stance on Gamescore... because seriously, what does it really matter? Nice article. I personally love Achievements, but hate that they’re tied to the Gamescore (on the 360 anyway). In most cases it just motivates to look up what the Achievement is and then grind your way to obtaining it. To me gaming should be about having fun - and grinding certainly doesn’t fall in that category.
But perhaps it has to do with my apathic stance on Gamescore… because seriously, what does it really matter?

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