Love them or hate them, there's no denying that achievement points have become a big feather in the Xbox 360's cap, as well as an extra selling point for its games. I won't deny that the allure of achievements and a little pat on the back for performing mundane tasks is enough to make me find more value in a 360 game, and it seems that the PlayStation 3 is well aware of the issue. Resistance: Fall of Man included Skill Points, and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune followed the trend of offering an achievement-based system with trophies, and now the Blu-ray version of Dark Sector is set to have its own brand, called "entitlements."
Amounting to 700 arbitrary points, these will provide PS3 fans with a mirror of the achievements in the 360 version and are a Dark Sector exclusive (i.e, other PS3 games won't use entitlements). Of course, with no universal gamerscore to add to, I wonder if this will be viewed as anything of value, or if there are some extra benefits to winning these entitlements. Just what do they entitle you to? It's a cool move to make the two versions seem equal, but in the race to award meaningless points, the 360 still has more meaningful meaningless.
Either way, whether you want to achieve or be entitled, you can hit the jump for the full list of awards available in Dark Sector.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
9:53 AM on 03.06.2008
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Yeah, entitlements, by definition are not earned. If you're entitled to something, you have to do nothing to get it. What a stupid name. They should've stuck with trophies.
I like unlocking stuff like in game content so I do what needs to be done. I do not play a game so I can get a higher gamer score as that totally defeats the purpose of playing the game. People go out to rent/buy pure shit games so they can get a higher score. Lame much?
@Jetamo, Insomniac has had skill points in the PS2 Ratchets as well.
Also, the "Next Gen" color filter in Uncharted is the best "entitlement" ever.
If Sony doesn't implement anything like that in the PS3, it's nice to see that game companies are including it.
This article= FAIL.
besides its not like ps3 gamers are asking for entitlements, achievements etc.
But then there are people who own both systems and just buy the PS3 versions to justify owning the system. XD
I suppose there's only one question left...
Is sony so bereft of pride and dignity that they are willing to outright copy microsoft's achievements and gamerscore?
What do you think, jim? will they cave?
But that's just me and my silly way of viewing gamerscore. I see this the same way as a man accepting no less than a well known sports car because it will make his cock seem larger. I think it's pathetic, and I honestly do believe there are thousands of people out there who laugh at those who make it such an important topic.
So screw gamerscore. It doesn't give me anything, and it only serves as a giant calculator that shows the sum of my achievement points.
I see the PS3 as "Achievements" done right... When I played Uncharted and Ratchet & Clank, I was happy to know there were "achievements". I like them because they give me a goal to do in the game, and not because they give me numbers. But moreso than that, I was very pleased that they actually unlocked something in the game. I was very pleased when I saw that I got behind the scenes footage, concept art, cinematic unlocks, cheats and additional skins for the characters. To me, that gives the "achievements" a greater purpose to actually exist.
If this was tied universally to some "gamerscore" to give me PSN cash or XBL points for this total, then I would accept it as something useful.
Until then, it's a fucking calculator with only addition as an option. If you want numbers, ask me to and i'll type some out for ya. If you want the number to mean something, maybe Microsoft needs to be contacted about it. I certainly wouldn't mind 100-150 Microsoft Points for every 1,000 Gamerscore. And we all know that getting all achievements is very difficult and requires a great many hours in a game, it will typically take two games to reach 1,000 points.
I have become content with it serving such a purpose, but when the PS3 started releasing games that did it to an extreme, I became excited. I am very hopeful that the trend continues. That extra space on the Blu Ray Disc is able to be filled with nifty little additions. Or perhaps that these "entitlements" can be tied to Home to give me a giant statue of Kratos for my Home. I am glad that there is a reward for goals again. I am glad there is an overall point. I only hope it continues before it falls back as a simple system to tell me my completion percentage.
Also as a side note. Didn't Sony say that the Trophy system would be doing roughly the game thing? But rather than giving gamerscore, it'd give you a virtual trophy instead? And didn't they also say that most games would be patched to support this feature? Wouldn't that truly be the "copy" of the achievement system overall and accepted by Sony?
I don't think going for achievements is pathetic at all. I mean, the purpose of playing games is to have fun. If having goals within the game to achieve adds to the fun, what's the problem? What's "pathetic" is Sony trying to jump in on the game late with things like "entitlements" or virtual trophies in Home.
I agree with you. But in this sense, I agree with many other dtoiders. In this example, Sony is "stealing" what was "stolen" by Microsoft.
I don't have a problem with people having goals. I mentioned that a few times that I even use that for the purpose m'self. I love the hell out of it for giving me a goal.
What I am saying is pathetic is when people merely do things so they can make their gamerscore e-peen larger. That's not a goal, that's padding your underwear.
So again, I love using achievements as a goal. I think it's wonderful. But to me, the numbers mean nothing and they never should have - as they serve absolutely no purpose whatsoever. They don't award me free items. They very very very rarely unlock anything in the game.
That latter point being one that a few Sony games have chimed in and tossed in bonus unlockables for these points. I consider that right, and if it took the developers a year to start doing so, then I say that's just fine and dandy, so long as the numbers actually serve a purpose and not an e-peen meter.
Level Completion (300 points) + Combat (200 points) + Multiplayer (200 points) = All things unlocked (700 pts).
Some people say the article fails because the PS1 had achievements and that MS copied Sony. I say it fails at a much lower level, 700 points? Really?
individual games have always awarded players for completing objectives, via new weapons, difficulty levels, etc etc etc.
'Insomniac has had skill points in the PS2 Ratchets as well.'
lol... i mean, what kind of stupid bullshit is this? games have, for decades awarded players for their performance in games...
the whole fucking point of achievements is that you get a universal gamerscore that combines all your 'successes' together.
lol... this is mental.
claiming that insomiac started achievement points is like claiming that al gore created the internet.
I LOVE YOU, that was pure brilliance, a spot of sunshine in my stormy day.
-Budz.
Nice one guys, you make me more and more proud every day.
On 360 it shows your "gamer score" what is the point if no one else can see it?
en·ti·tle·ment-
a right to benefits specified especially by law or contract.
Now thats convenience.