Achievement Unlocked 0G- Posted to Blog

I have very complex feelings about something that is so potentially uninteresting as Achievements, or Trophies if you play PS3. Whoever came up with the idea of achievements is a genius. I get more out of games that have them, than games that don't. Not because achievements make a better game in anyway. But they add another layer to game play. But they're also a double edged sword for a couple reasons. Nothing can break the immersion of game play as much as a random ding in the middle of fighting baddies and an on-screen prompt for unlocking 10 G for completing the Face-Stomper Achievement. The idea tied up in achievements is the point system (gamer points I think they're called. Whatever) this is the dangerous part because it fans the flames of what has so often been a "Mine's bigger than your's" subculture. I've been getting into multiplayer games alot more in the last year or two, so I say this with a health dose of hypocrisy, but the competitive aspect of gaming has always been a big turn off for me. I would take a co-op game any day of the week over PVP. Co-op vs. PVP is a topic all it's own and deserves it's own post later, so for the sake of brevity I'll leave it at that.
     As I was saying, the gamer points further exacerbate the competitive aspect of gaming, which I don't care for.  And the achievements themselves can break some of the immersion of the game. When I get a new game the achievement list is often the first thing I look at, just to get an idea of what I'm "supposed" to be trying to do. A better option would be for me to sit down and play through the game and "worry" about the achievements for a subsequent play-through. But the thought of missing all those deliciously gratifying dings as I play compels me to look. But all that aside, the main reason I like achievements is that it allows me to play games an additional 2-3 more than I would have otherwise and still find something fun and interesting to do. Considering the fantastically high price of games today in conjunction with how frustratingly short the majority of games are I need the ability to play through the game multiple times just to get my moneys worth out of it.