The land of Achievements..such a silly place.




Once upon a time before the Xbox360 came into being there was a period of playing games for the sole reason of just playing them. Where there was no such thing as a gamescore and better still no such thing as achievements to worry about. A video game land barren of those things that just occupied itself with just playing a game with no need of someone leading them by the nose on how to enjoy their respective purchase or how to extend their time with it. Such a wondrous time of using your own sadistic tendencies to create enjoyment for yourself without having to be given a script to adhere to. Where the only reward system in play was the one you created for yourself. The Old School Gaming Age ... ahh, memories.

So back to the present, just what is up with that post title ? Did that title grab your attention by the balls? Did you feel compelled to see this magical reason that the 360 software has over the PS3? Were you maybe thinking how my console preference changed overnight because I saw the light..the light of achievements ? Chances are if you clicked on this post it was because of four reasons:

Number One:

You love your Xbox 360 and like to have your carrot waxed by other Xbox 360 Console owners by them telling you another reason it's better than the PS3 and hence justify your purchase as well as fellate your ego as an added bonus.

Number Two:

You love your PS3 and are already pouring gasoline in your flame throwers ready for the flame war that might begin. Your probably deciding which witty banter relating to RROD to use from your repertoire.

Number Three:

The inflammatory title itself. ( For owners of anything else ) The title begs for an argument to be had before even reading the piece. Whatever else I write in this here blog/post, it's that title that will fuel the online fisticuffs that may follow.

And finally the rare Number Four:

You may be a fan of my blogs. The rarest reason of all and quite the minority. These people are honest to goodness weird and have been known not to have good taste at all.

The blog title BTW, is a direct comment from a fellow Dtoider on one of Gameboi's recent Write Up. A good read that is smartly titled for getting extra attention from the usual Defenders of Truth, Justice and their Console Way.

This post is really about how Microsoft are Mad Merlinesque Magicians... geniuses even. The person/people at that epic business meeting long ago that introduced the Achievement Model into being, should be in an island somewhere G-ing off, chillin' with much loot and whores aplenty when he snaps his fingers, because if achievements never were, things might be looking different for Microsoft.



To dismiss the achievement phenomena is not the point here. For its reaches are far and wide. It's so embedded in our way of gaming life that there isn't at least one person who has blogged that hasn't used the Achievement Unlocked blurb on their posts. T-shirts have that tag emblazoned on their designs and don't be surprised to see Late Night Shows sprinkle a joke in their monologue about them as well.

I just never got them. I know I'm in the the minority here when I sincerely say Achievements haven't lulled me to join the masses way of thinking. Maybe it's because I could give a shit about a mythical number or gamerscore that doesn't amount to a hill of beans. Maybe it's because I could care less about being patted on the back for finishing the first level of something. Kind of like giving a retard a pat on the back for doing something mediocre or mundane. Then again it could also be the intrusive nature of the pop up itself. I don't know about you but I tend to try to get into the game. That illusion is shattered severely when I'm playing and shoot someone in the crotch and out comes the blurb Achievement Unlocked Ball buster or something even less witty.

As a matter of fact, deviating from my point for a minute, I tend to think this period of next-gen consoles while better technically, have introduced to the pipe works more ways to get you out of the games in general. And this is not 360 centric..this is also PS3. I'll be honest..while I love all my friends , I just don't need to know when you boot up your system and get online. Usually this act is also followed by a blurb or announcement: Shipero is online... when I'm playing a game like Condemned 2 in the dark, heart pounding being wary of a fuckin' doll..and then Shipero online shows up. Sorta like a slap in the face telling you Hey stupid..if you didn't already know it, your playing a game. Snap out of it!! What's next? Ads popping in while I'm playing? A little ticker on the bottom of my game telling me I Am Legend is on the Marketplace or PSN store ready to be downloaded should I choose it?

[End of mini Rant]

Back to my point, when I read Microsoft even had to adopt a cheating repellent program to highlight players for taking shortcuts to enhance their gamescore points, points mind you that are not as far as I know financially lucrative, that can't be traded in for something useful like oh I don't know..money , and you start seeing how silly they may seem. I actually find it a scary proposition that Microsoft can dip in your account that you paid for and can alter it to say you're a cheater to the world at large. Big Brother invading your privacy to chastise you for cheating. Over some mythical gamerscore that they themselves created. Crazy.



I guess reading the comment " You can't get Achievement points playing on a PS3... I'm definitely going for the Xbox360 version. Always." I realized how entrenched the concept of achievements are rooted to the underbelly of gaming now. I know..I know..Captain Obvious flies above. I just still don't get it. I can see choosing the better version if you own all the consoles, the one that's not bug filled, which to be honest generally tends to be the PS3 version because of shoddy devs, but to choose one over the other for achievements just doesn't come into play for me.

In my opinion the achievement model created for Microsoft is the reason why it has a better software attachment rate and ultimately one of the main reasons why, aside from the year head start, their console is continuing it's sales dominance over Sony. ( Might also be that elusive answer why their defective RROD rate isn't hurting them as it should ) The strategy that most pundits would divulge to Sony is : copy them. Make your own form of achievement in place. If you can beat them..join them. No big surprise that they have started doing just that with their Trophy system in place for when Home rolls out. As well as first party games incorporating these little virtual attaboys as seen in games like Uncharted and the new Ratchet & Clank.

Personally I think they should just make great games. If the games are good..people will come. The time to judge the purchase of a game on just whether it has achievements or not shouldn't be the deciding factor of a game. I know my opinion is in the minority here. But ask yourselves this question. When was the last time you saw a great first party Nintendo game with achievements? Here's another question for you as well. Do you think they will incorporate them into their games? I don't think so. The games speak for themselves, as they should.

In closing, every time I hear a comment about achievements being the sole reason over the PS3, I can't help but shake my head in puzzlement and additionally imagining said Microsoft executive that created the module in the first place, snapping his fingers for another whore in his private island. I don't know about you..but if any man deserves an excess of debauchery and merriment..it's him.