what is the purpose of achievements?

[QUOTE="XenogearsMaster"]

There's really no good reason for havingAchievements. They're useless.

-RPGamer-

To whom? You, by the sounds of it yes. I and many others I know would whole heartedly disagree with you.

Again much like "satisfaction", the concept of "use" is relative to the person.

Give me a GOOD reason.

[QUOTE="-RPGamer-"][QUOTE="XenogearsMaster"]

There's really no good reason for havingAchievements. They're useless.

XenogearsMaster

To whom? You, by the sounds of it yes. I and many others I know would whole heartedly disagree with you.

Again much like "satisfaction", the concept of "use" is relative to the person.

Give me a GOOD reason.

Fun.

[QUOTE="XenogearsMaster"]

Give me a GOOD reason.

sexy_chimp

Fun.

but you can have FUN exploring a game WITHOUT achievements

[QUOTE="sexy_chimp"][QUOTE="XenogearsMaster"]

Give me a GOOD reason.

sparkypants

Fun.

but you can have FUN exploring a game WITHOUT achievements

Of course you can, but they're a convenient checklist that people apparently find value in.

[QUOTE="sexy_chimp"][QUOTE="XenogearsMaster"]

Give me a GOOD reason.

sparkypants

Fun.

but you can have FUN exploring a game WITHOUT achievements

But achievements add more fun.

Im not trying to pass on my views on games as law, Im just trying to get an understanding on what the purpose of achievements are. Arcades arent a good comparison,because the main goal of an arcade game WAS(this is back when IMO arcade games were fun) to get the highest score, that or fighter games which is where you beat the crap out of a friend(my favorite :) ).

But to get back to your question, no they are not wrong...my only question is why do you need achievents to tell you to explore your game, I do it by myself...as a gamer Iv learned to expieremt alittle more things like I wounder if I can take both guys out in one shot(like someone mentioned) or I like RPGs, I like to see how much of the world I can explore or for me my achievement, if you will would be getting each player to the highest lv possible...I dont need achievemts for this which is why I ask what is the purpose other then to say I have the bigger "virtualpenis"?

sparkypants

To understand the purpose of something when you've already begun passing judgement is hard to do. First off, as I said I don't recall a time in my days of going to an arcade that I really cared to score the highest score, I simply played to beat it and that was all. What you mean to say I believe is that "the main goal for you was to get the highest score", which is fine but may not hold true for others.

Like I said in my other response these achievements give me a sense of conclusion.I already am a completionist, so exploring games is something I do normally. However, achievements give me a reason beyond just doing it. I would much rather have a solid goal and a pseudo-goal I create for myself. You said it yourself "I don't need [them]", that's fine but to understand something you need to open up more to the concept of subjectivity. "I" doesn't include "me" when it comes from you. See?

they are fun, encourage replay, and are just bragging points between friends. They have no monetary value, and are an excellent function in terms of sales for multiplat games, despite having no value.

But truthfully, they only add to a game, and you can ignore them if you choose, and since when is adding to a game bad?

rocktimusprime

Yeah

I compare it to COD4 and their system of ranking up. What does getting a level 10 prestige give me? NOTHING which pissed me off but I LOVED leveling up and its like a goal to some extent and more of an insentive to play.

I DO find myself trying to get more points sometimes. Like with the OB Episode 2 and carrying the dumb gnome around the ENTIRE game just to get like what 40 pts. lol

[QUOTE="-RPGamer-"][QUOTE="XenogearsMaster"]

There's really no good reason for havingAchievements. They're useless.

XenogearsMaster

To whom? You, by the sounds of it yes. I and many others I know would whole heartedly disagree with you.

Again much like "satisfaction", the concept of "use" is relative to the person.

Give me a GOOD reason.

Quality (ie "good", "average", "bad") is ironically another concept thats subjective. I've said my thoughts if you care so much please go back and read them I see no need to retype what I've already stated.

Whether you think they're "good" or not matters very little to me. :)

[QUOTE="XenogearsMaster"][QUOTE="-RPGamer-"][QUOTE="XenogearsMaster"]

There's really no good reason for havingAchievements. They're useless.

-RPGamer-

To whom? You, by the sounds of it yes. I and many others I know would whole heartedly disagree with you.

Again much like "satisfaction", the concept of "use" is relative to the person.

Give me a GOOD reason.

Quality (ie "good", "average", "bad") is ironically another concept thats subjective. I've said my thoughts if you care so much please go back and read them I see no need to retype what I've already stated.

Whether you think they're "good" or not matters very little to me. :)

Yeah, overall, Achievements are pretty useless.

Yeah, overall, Achievements are pretty useless.

XenogearsMaster

*Redundantly* Again, to you that's probably true. :)

[QUOTE="-RPGamer-"][QUOTE="sparkypants"]

to some exstent yes, but at the same time though achivements are only a side thing and really aren't the main focus of the game, while the main focus of an arcade game (going back to my example of galaga) is to shoot as many alien bugs as possible and rack up the high score

sparkypants

I see a trend here. You pass your own views on why games are played off like thats what everyone thinks. You stated before thats the point of arcade/online games. To be honest I don't agree with you, I play arcade/online games to have fun with friends (I rarely play random people I get no enjoyment from that). I also don't play to be the best in MP games, I don't want to invest the time. And when I beat an arcade game I don't even care what the score list is, I usually walk away b/c I'm too lazy to enter my initials.

The main focus is relative to the gamer, as I said before. You say it's not, but I know some gamers who focus a great deal on the achievements. Are you saying that they are wrong?

Im not trying to pass on my views on games as law, Im just trying to get an understanding on what the purpose of achievements are. Arcades arent a good comparison,because the main goal of an arcade game WAS(this is back when IMO arcade games were fun) to get the highest score, that or fighter games which is where you beat the crap out of a friend(my favorite :) ).

But to get back to your question, no they are not wrong...my only question is why do you need achievents to tell you to explore your game, I do it by myself...as a gamer Iv learned to expieremt alittle more things like I wounder if I can take both guys out in one shot(like someone mentioned) or I like RPGs, I like to see how much of the world I can explore or for me my achievement, if you will would be getting each player to the highest lv possible...I dont need achievemts for this which is why I ask what is the purpose other then to say I have the bigger "virtualpenis"?

And you're entitled to your opinion. That's fine and dandy. You don't find a use for achievements.

Are we supposed to convince you or sway you from your opinion? No. You asked a question. It's been answered several times in this thread. Whether you buy it or not is immaterial.

Fact of the matter is... so many other people do understand and find achievements useful and in many cases, a factor in deciding which multiplatform game to get.

Achievements give the Lems something to talk about while their 360s are shipped away due to yet another attack of the red rings of death.

ok so I have come to the conclusion that really all in all achievements are well...useless, unless:

1. you have the need to have the game tell you to explore and have fun outside the story(instead of doing this on your own)

2.you have the need to show off how much of a better gamer you are compared to the other joes online

3. or this is just a way for Microsoft to make it "acceptable" to charge for online...

call me closed minded or whatever I just dont get it....oh well

ok so I have come to the conclusion that really all in all achievements are well...useless, unless:

1. you have the need to have the game tell you to explore and have fun outside the story(instead of doing this on your own)

2.you have the need to show off how much of a better gamer you are compared to the other joes online

3. or this is just a way for Microsoft to make it "acceptable" to charge for online...

call me closed minded or whatever I just dont get it....oh well

sparkypants

4. You find it convenient to have a checklist of things the devs put into the game

5. You enjoy sharing your accomplishments with people on your friends list, using achievements as a game-centric social networking tool

6. Getting help on a level you're stuck on from a friend you saw has the achievement

7. Enjoy the immediate gratification of doing something cool in a game, and like to have the proof if only for yourself.

8. Like to be challenged by some of the achievements the devs have thought up

Achievements are like Pokemon, you must have them all.

ok so I have come to the conclusion that really all in all achievements are well...useless, unless:

1. you have the need to have the game tell you to explore and have fun outside the story(instead of doing this on your own)

2.you have the need to show off how much of a better gamer you are compared to the other joes online

3. or this is just a way for Microsoft to make it "acceptable" to charge for online...

call me closed minded or whatever I just dont get it....oh well

sparkypants

With your misinterpretation and lack of understanding subjectivity... I will indeed take you up on your last statement. I'm just glad you said it for me. :)

are pretty useless.XenogearsMaster

I always hear from PS360 users that they get multiplats on the 360 because of achievements, but what do achievements do? Do they have a purpose, like discounts on downloads or something or are they just a false sense of satisfaction?sparkypants

do you remember when games had high score tables.... its that kinda thing

Its an E-p3nis.

Pointless.

ok so I have come to the conclusion that really all in all achievements are well...useless, unless:

1. you have the need to have the game tell you to explore and have fun outside the story(instead of doing this on your own)

2.you have the need to show off how much of a better gamer you are compared to the other joes online

3. or this is just a way for Microsoft to make it "acceptable" to charge for online...

call me closed minded or whatever I just dont get it....oh well

sparkypants

http://www.360voice.com/challenges

and yet none of those are good enough for you and you continue to hold your opinion above all others no matter what the actual facts of the matter are.

Had we all known this was a religious argument we wouldn't have bothered answering you.

ahcievements turn otherwise fun games into pointless ep33n waving contests for 13 year olds

meh

what is the purpose of achievements?sparkypants

[QUOTE="sparkypants"]what is the purpose of achievements?l-_-l

I think its one of those reasons why people say the $50 is worth it.

It adds replay value,

Its really an old concept from PC games that would have you find every diskette, cherry bundle, CD, or hidden item in a level, or even older in old console games that gave you points.

Its simply a target to play towards, no different then trying to beat a high score.

I don't care about achievements, I have like 26 or so games but I only play the games that I like... if I find a game boring, I never finish it, I never know the achievements of the games, I just play it... if I earn one, I think "oh, lets see what this achievement is about" and then I continue playing.

A lot of people says it gives replayability to the games, for me, I think is like you are working... I mean, I play because I want to have fun, killing 10,000 players online is like working, passing a game without shooting is like working, I mean I can't see my self having fun doing pointless stuff... for what? show off? accomplishment? I play games for fun, if the game is fun, thats cool Im going to play it, and finish it... but if the game isn't fun, achievements wont make it fun...

As for the online achievements... I hate them! I hate playing online with people trying to get achievements... ugh

there prupose is to show how little of a social life you have. the more you have the less of a social life you have. that is how my freinds on live describe them.

there prupose is to show how little of a social life you have. the more you have the less of a social life you have. that is how my freinds on live describe them.

frankeyser

Says the person with a 9000+ gamerscore...

Wow, plenty of reasons have been given as to why achievements can be fun, and still some apparently illiterate posters say that they are 'pointless e-penis-waving devices'.Verge_6

Heres the thing, I havent found a reason as to why achievement have any use OUTSIDE things I can do on my own I can still have FUN doing the SAME tasks on my own and still feel that same sense of ACCOMPLISHMENT. Also if I wanted to see HOW MY FRIENDS ARE DOING or IF I NEEDED HELP I could just go to his house(I dont need to see his points) so really I dont see why they are a big deal or factor as to why you need them, if you were rewarded lets say with like MS points or whatever to buy things off LIVE that then would be a diffrent story....

The more the nerdier...ehehehe...

[QUOTE="web966"][QUOTE="CrazyCarter"]

your friend is a nerd.

CrazyCarter

Says the one posting on a video game forum. :roll:

hey smarta$$, could you possibly understand the fact that there are times when people just need to pass time and will do almost anything to stay amused.

Still doesn't change the fact that posting on forums (one dedicated to video games, no less) is considered quite nerdy.

I always hear from PS360 users that they get multiplats on the 360 because of achievements, but what do achievements do? Do they have a purpose, like discounts on downloads or something or are they just a false sense of satisfaction?sparkypants

Xbox does currently have a reward program, PS3 does not.

They add more replay value so I don't mind them at all.