Achievements

now i dont know about you guys but i LOVE the achievements that you get from xbox games. it may not have any real purpose but to show you how good you are at a game. i like to see the little box that pops up saying plus 10 or so gamer score. it gives it that feeling that instead of just completing the game also take the side quest to give you the FULL game that you paid for. i like the idea of achievements that xbox does and i do believe that the PS3 does something similar to that i wish that the Wii did something like that. what do you guys think about it?

I totally know what you mean Jody! I love the achievements, and i love racking up points! it gives me a whole nother reason to go back and play the game, and do weird things I never would have done otherwise! And besides, it keeps the game interesting...and of course, you want to have more points than your friends! Which reminds me...you're ahead of me right now...I need to get some more points...

But yeah, I'm not sure if the PS3 has something similar...i know about the trophies, but i don't think it works the same way...but the Wii really does need something like that. it may seem small, but it really does make things even more interesting on the 360.

yes i think that i may have just one or two more than u but who is counting

but back on topic i think its amazing that some ppl that i see that is on live have soooo many achievements that they have to get a 2nd gamertag no joke!

really??? Is there a limit to how many achievements you can have?!

to be honest im not sure but there are a few that i have seen that has 90000+ score then another that has 10000

Example
StarRoadWarrior 98575
StarRoadWarrior2 11095

sigh.. you guys are making me want an x-box >_>

i strongly say that you should and get halo, and mk vs dc

It's a nice addition, and makes the online modes for 360 even stronger than Wii's version...it's cool to compete for points, and gives you a cool way to show off, you know? Plus it makes your profile a little better...Wii is certainly behind in that department, and it was a great idea on Microsoft's part.

The PS3 does have something similar to the XBOX's acheivements. They're called trophies. And trust me, I know what you guys mean though, this feature brings a lot more to the game itself. Comparing with other friends online motivates you to do even more with these points! Like most of you said, the Wii is lagging behind on this. Luckly, the PS3 and XBOX aren't so far apart from each other.

Well, constantly Nintendo has stated that it has "no real competition" as it does not consider itself in the same marketing realm as the PS3 and the 360(although it obviously is). As ridiculous as their excuse may sound, it is their justification for not having to worry about features like profile points and the like. In fact, given their logic, this is their excuse for not having profiles at all. Of course, in the end it may just sound like an excuse for their shortcomings...

Of course, the PS3 had to have something akin to profile points, as they are more blatantly competitive with Microsoft in this regard.

(yeah, I'm reviving this etc)

The one thing that annoys me about games is when they give you achievements for something that's impossible not to do. It's understandable to give achievements for defeating certain levels or bosses as a reward but when they're so liberally handed out it seems redundant. Like for example, in assassin's creed 2 you get 60G for just starting the game and watching the opening cutscenes! I'm pretty sure all games do it, at least in some it's only a very small amount (I think it's only 5G in Mass Effect 2).

Just thought I'd mention this in case anyone else has noticed this trend.

You do have a point, although I don't know if it really bothers me all that much. That is of course, if it's not some outrageously large amount. 60G for just starting Assassin's Creed? That's a bit ridiculous...same with watching the instruction vids in ME2, even though I don't think you got more than 15G for that. What I hate are achievements which aren't necessarily difficult, but just require you to replay the game completely...sometimes many times over. If you guys played Fallout 3, you'd know you get completely separate achievements for playing the game with Good, Neutral, and Evil Karma, and quite frankly, the game is sooo huge I don't feel like playing it that many times over. Same with ME1, which gives you achievements for completing the majority of the game with each squad member, which would require you to replay the game at least 3 separate times. I don't mind a good challenge, but that's just annoying to me.

I didn't think about about that, but now that you mention it. I understand what you're talking about in Mass Effect in particular, you get achievements for being fully Paragon and fully Renegade as well, encouraging play-throughs. It's really just a cheap method of getting more replay value into a game because the developers know that there's the bit of completionism in everyone that pushes us into doing for these achievements.

The other thing about achievements is that they are essentially worth nothing. When I first heard about them and gamerscores etc I thought that you could use it for something. If, say, you could use your gamerscore as microsoft points and buy DLC, extras, and games on demand then people would try so much harder to get them wouldn't they?

Well, that's just it. Achievements are about replay value, and value to a game as a whole when they really don't mean a thing. You'd expect them to count for something...nothing big, but a little reward, like maybe outfits for your avatar, or certain awards on your profile.

But people love achievements, they love being rewarded for doing certain things in games and they love having a big score next to their name for everyone to see. It is also nice to get a bit of credit for all of the things you've done in the games you're played. I'll admit, the more I got used to achievements, the more I was irked by the fact that the Wii has none at all. Kind of drives me a bit crazy, actually...and for no real reason! lol