I could care less about achievements and trophies. They are just bragging rights and ways to extend gameplay for a specific title. I mean once an achievement unlocks for me. There isn't no value for me. I don't get anything in return but a "Nice I got a achievement that my other buddy doesn't have". It's more like a kiddie system then anything. I just play games to finish them and move on to the next. No need for achievements or trophies to be unlocked, reason being they have no value.

So Sony just came out with Trophies for no reason? In-game XMB too?

Slap yourself

That's out Jim Sterling!

twesterm I can not see your trophy card, how much platinums have you got?

lolz I agree. His article is a load of crap anyway. What does he mean by 'identifiying'? Its a subjective term. Is it the absence of a loading screen? Is it an easier way to view your achievements/trophies?

And of course whats wrong with having a three tiered trophy system?

The hunt for the platinum makes me keep playing a single game much much longer. It just means increased replayability.

I think they're both lame, do I win?

while the author is definitely overly harsh about the trophy system's shortcomings, he is definitely correct about how the whole PSN experience seems disconnected. However, Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was XBL, but when MS was building XBL, we didn't have anything to compare it to except Sony's anemic PS2 online system (I won't even comment on the GC's two games that could go online...).

It's a very frustrating thing for me as a gamer, but I definitely think Sony's efforts to catch up to XBL's lead in the online gaming sector will really pay off in the future. Unfortunately, I doubt that will happen in this gaming generation becasue they have waaaaay too much to do and the PS3 was never designed to do all of them.

I will say though, that anyone that thinks the XMB is archaic compared to the 360's interface seriously needs to rethink their lives. For a friend's list, yeah it sucks, but it blows every other interface out of the water for everything else as far as ease-of-use goes.

Personally I think trophies doing better job in showing the gaming skill. Achievement points show how much games you have played, and trophies show how much games you have played + how much games you have fully completed.

Even if you have got 1000 achievement points in some game (Fallout 3 for instance), it does not mean you have completed every difficult to get achievement, it may mean you bought yourself bunch of DLCs and got easiest achievements there.

yes they load slower and need to sync, but if we are looking at the small details between trophies and achievements, I think trophies are better in all other ways.

There is bronze, silver, gold which is much richer than achievements. You gain an overall score which levels you up much like an rpg. this is yet another great addition.

I know the OP was aware of this, but all you have to do is START with trophies. Once you are earning them, competing with your friends to earn them, comparing trophies... the "achievements" really become a thing of the past. (which they are)
There is much room for structural improvement to the PSN, (even though its really close to XBL as is), but that is a different argument. That does not change the fact that at their fundamental core concept; trophies, and achievements are extremely comparable, but trophies have added a richer level of integration to the formula
They are almost a direct rip off, but they are better in all of the ways that matter.

It is written.

I disagree with the entire article. My god, Steam's achievement system and Sony's show that you dont have to be a massive douche who thinks a few points matter to enjoy your game or expand the experience. If you want to aim for 100% complete you will collect and accomplish all trophies or achievements. Its all about fun not showing off.

Also I;m a level 6 when it comes to trophy collecting, 90% of my trophies are bronze. How useless are they if I accomplished that level with that many bronze trophies?