Bragging rights for hitting certain milestones in games is a concept that is likely older than anybody here. High score contests in gaming magazines, as well as associated with Twin Galaxies, have existed for decades, and the publisher Activision once upon a time would mail out sew-on patches if you beat certain high scores in their games.
I don't think I need to tell you that the Xbox 360 was the first platform to integrate such a system into the console's ecosystem itself. The concept was popular enough that Steam and Playstation would eventually lift it, and while I'm sure Nintendo has thought about it, they have chosen not to. Now, when you finish a game or do some other set of arbitrary things, you get points! Or you get trophies, which are worth points! They're tied to your profile, so you can keep on earning points across all the games you play.
Needless to say, for a certain subset of people who love seeing numbers go up, and whose brain releases dopamine when they do, this scheme is very compelling. And so, some publishers have definitely marketed their games to appeal to this crowd. The publisher ThiGames is especially notorious for this; having released hundreds of pieces of shovelware that can be 100% completed within a minute. Pay a couple bucks, watch a burger dance for a few seconds, and you get a platinum trophy. Nearly four thousand people have done this!
What is interesting is that numerous online subcultures have formed around achievements, including multiple sites that track them for you, and even offer challenges independent of the games themselves. For instance, True Achievements and their sister site True Trophies have monthly goals and challenges, as well as communities for working together to earn multiplayer achievements and lots of tips and tricks on how to get certain ones.
For me, personally, I can definitely say that I've had my approach to gaming changed by engaging with this system. It is a double-edged sword, because it does make me more likely to stick with games that I might have otherwise ditched early on, and it does give me an external motivation to actually finish what I start. On the other hand, I've certainly gone through phases where I do buy and play lots of lower-quality and cheaper games that can be completed within an afternoon or less. And sometimes, the fun runs out before the game is over. And while I haven't made too many burgers dance, there definitely are games I've completed that have not been the best use of my time.
Even though I'm coming off of a major wave of trying to accumulate as many trophies as I can, I still think it's a fun mechanic to engage with. I more or less think of it like a form of digital stamp collecting.
I don't think I need to tell you that the Xbox 360 was the first platform to integrate such a system into the console's ecosystem itself. The concept was popular enough that Steam and Playstation would eventually lift it, and while I'm sure Nintendo has thought about it, they have chosen not to. Now, when you finish a game or do some other set of arbitrary things, you get points! Or you get trophies, which are worth points! They're tied to your profile, so you can keep on earning points across all the games you play.
Needless to say, for a certain subset of people who love seeing numbers go up, and whose brain releases dopamine when they do, this scheme is very compelling. And so, some publishers have definitely marketed their games to appeal to this crowd. The publisher ThiGames is especially notorious for this; having released hundreds of pieces of shovelware that can be 100% completed within a minute. Pay a couple bucks, watch a burger dance for a few seconds, and you get a platinum trophy. Nearly four thousand people have done this!
What is interesting is that numerous online subcultures have formed around achievements, including multiple sites that track them for you, and even offer challenges independent of the games themselves. For instance, True Achievements and their sister site True Trophies have monthly goals and challenges, as well as communities for working together to earn multiplayer achievements and lots of tips and tricks on how to get certain ones.
For me, personally, I can definitely say that I've had my approach to gaming changed by engaging with this system. It is a double-edged sword, because it does make me more likely to stick with games that I might have otherwise ditched early on, and it does give me an external motivation to actually finish what I start. On the other hand, I've certainly gone through phases where I do buy and play lots of lower-quality and cheaper games that can be completed within an afternoon or less. And sometimes, the fun runs out before the game is over. And while I haven't made too many burgers dance, there definitely are games I've completed that have not been the best use of my time.
Even though I'm coming off of a major wave of trying to accumulate as many trophies as I can, I still think it's a fun mechanic to engage with. I more or less think of it like a form of digital stamp collecting.
