I think I've developed an unhealthy obsession with achievements on my Xbox 360.

'Blip-Bleep'

That little noise, I'm hearing it even when I'm not playing. Thanks Microsoft for making already addictive games, even more addictive. But the thing is, even if I've exhausted a game, there's still the achievements and the gamerpoints associated with them to think about. It draws me back to play again...to find that something, to hit that such and such or to collect all the whatevers. The system works and can add a seemingly endless replay value to a game, even if you'd be happy never to turn on a game again, you feel compelled, drawn back into the fray once again to get those points.

It doesn't stop there however, the achievement noise is EXACTLY the same as the 'Your friend has just logged in' noise. So even though you think you've jumped the unjumpable or found some really really really secret area...you haven't. It was just the guy on your friends list you met a year ago on Halo that didn't annoy the hell out of you as much as the rest of the online population...that you never talk or game with.

Achievements are a status symbol too.

I've seen people with seemingly ridiculous scores. 20,000...40,000, I've even seen one player with 80,000. That's INSANE. How is this accomplished?! Do these people have no life? I mean, I play a couple of hours a night and I've only got past 5000.

What if the above picture were true and you could attain achievements in real life?

'Washed the dishes' - (female) 25G (male) 20,000G

'Passed maths exam' 150G

'Passed cookery exam' - -100G

'Crashed car' - 5G

'Crashed car into guy robbing bank' - 250G

Hmmm...