“Success Unlocked” is a phrase that players are already familiar with. The first video game challenges go back to the 80s when some game magazines gave players a score to beat in their games. Then, players would take a picture of their score and send it to a game or magazine company, which would send the player a special badge or special prize for their success. In the ’90s and early 2000s, success was often seen in some form or fashion of sports, whether in the sport itself or from outsiders.
Microsoft did not start out successful, but it developed itself. When Microsoft introduced the Gamerscore system in 2005, it changed everything. Basically, many of the Xbox games would have content baked in, and if a player opened one it would contribute to their Gamerscore. The Gamerscore would be tracked for all the games a player had, and would allow players to compare their scores among themselves. After that, Sony quickly jumped on the bandwagon. When several other studios followed, success became all the rage. It was a new concept, and it added some unique challenges to the games. However, they have delivered next to nothing in terms of actual game content, and to be honest, they have long outstayed their welcome.
For a while, there were some cool, challenging, funny, and exciting achievements to collect in games. Soon, they became boring, boring, and boring. A number of fans began to see them as just something to check off the list or be ignored altogether. Because of the latter, the players who like themselves have grown up hating these achievements. On the development side, many game developers were forced to use it in their games.
The problem with success is that they give a false reward to the player. By doing a controversial or mandatory role in the game, the player gets the equivalent of a pat on the back. Achievements do not affect the game at all. Microsoft briefly experimented with rewarding players with avatar cosmetics for some successful completions, but it never stopped. All it effectively does is give the player digital bragging rights. They may have been features of the seventh generation of consoles, but they continued until the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X | S. Instead of repeating and improving on their applications, Sony and Microsoft have kept the achievements and trophies the same since they were introduced.
Another big problem with development is that most games already have a reward system as part of the game, and they offer meaningful and powerful rewards. RPGs like Final Fantasy have loot and level-up systems, which allow players to dungeon crawl and fight monsters. Online shooters like Call of Duty and Overwatch have killstreak benefits or ultimate abilities that players can use. Some games even have side challenges, rewards, and high scores for players who want some challenge or competition while playing. Most games have different rewards that developers can give to players for completing different goals. All these systems provide real rewards that the player can use in the game.
Achievements and trophies were a cool addition to the Xbox 360 and PS3 when they were first introduced. However, their lack of meaningful impact on the games made them quickly forgotten. Now they feel like something that is included with the new releases because they are expected and not because they actually add anything to the system. They are uninspired and boring, but companies still insist on including them.
Recently, Nintendo and Microsoft have created reward programs that give players real, tangible rewards for completing certain games. Sony is relaunching its loyalty program. These programs offer specific rewards for players to use such as coupons, discounts, or small sales items. It’s a small step in the right direction, and it may completely replace success one day. In the end, though, the best achievements are what the players get from the game itself, and nothing will ever die about that.
