Is Achievements/Trophies the greatest thing to happen to games this gen?

[Mr Khan]

maverick40 said:

Mr Khan said:

Luigi is a character you can use, and as such enhances the gameplay experience. A trophy is ???

Now before i get too far into my rant, i must point out that my only problem with them is you get jack shit for doing them (and they are not a goal in and of themselves. That is a categorically invalid argument). If, say, Microsoft were to sell things, trivial things, for Gamerscore (not that you would lose GS for buying stuff, just lose the ability to use that amount of GS to buy stuff in the future), that would be a separate matter. What burns me is that people just accept them for what they are, rather than demand what they should be. Rewards in video games should have some underlying substance to them, however trivial, like the fat penguin in Super Mario 64.

You said it yourself in the final sentence. Trophies and unlocks are just trivial things that give longevity to a game. Some people take pride in their trophy score and see it as a great achievement. Gamers don't deserve to get things for their gamerscore, it is just a personal accomplishment like unlocking characters in a mario game. The difference is though, a gamer can display his trophy and achievement count on the internet and compete with friends. To say they are stupid is foolish. A lot of people love unlocking trophies just as much as nintendo gamers love unlocking in game stuff. Once nintendo gets their own reward system ala trophies, we will see how the nintendo fans change their tune.

It comes down to more foundational differences in gaming philosophy. Games should incentivize their rewards internally, and not rely on strictly social components to create rewards out of nothing (pure MMOs notwithstanding here, but even there the rewards often have some use in the game itself). I cannot speak for the Nintendo community, but I at least will retain consistency towards my ideology. I won't be shooting for any Nintendo-rewards system unless they get smart about it and give me something i can use: accessories for my Mii or what have you, but i don't buy in to the notion of elongating my e-penis, and that seems to be the root of opposition to them in others i have spoken with who share my views on the matter.