MS: Achievements boost sales


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MS: Achievements boost sales

Tuesday 19-May-2009 9:02 AM Good achievements drive game sales

Microsoft's Stephen Toulouse reckons that good wholesome gaming achievements actually can, and do, drive game sales.

"It's been statistically shown that games that have achievements and implement them well sell better," Toulouse stated in the Major's podcast.

We're all for good achievements but we're not sure we'd buy a game knowing that it's got good achievements in it? What about you?

Source: http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=215267

I posted this more as a discussion topic, what do you guys reckon?

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I really don't understand the obsession with achievements, why do people care so much about a meaningless number? I enjoy achievements that are going to be fun and extend the life of a game, but I would never bother attempting to get boring ones.

They probably do boost sales though, I know loads of people who have bought crappy games (King Kong, Amped, Fifa; RTWC, NBA2k6) purely to get the 1000/1000 gamerscore.

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I don't know about everyone else, but I don't care about achievements.

I buy games for the game itself not some e-penis enhancement...

I know some people go rather excessive over collecting them and I don't understand why, but then I never really played well with others :p

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Achievements are best when they are put in to add extra challenges to games. Things that you would not normally do by just playing though the campaign and moving on to the next game. It adds value for money.

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Achievements are best when they are put in to add extra challenges to games. Things that you would not normally do by just playing though the campaign and moving on to the next game. It adds value for money.

Yeah there are things I would have never bothered with had it not been for achievements. Like in bad company theres a achievement for hitting a helicopter with the airstrike tool and I managed to do it in the last mission.(Because thats all I had left lol) Yeah some people take it pretty far by buying or renting every game I just like getting everything from games I like.

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When I'm buying a game I don't think "Oh, I can get the achivements on this easy!", but I do try and get them all to add replayability. I've only got all the achievements on a few games, though. I prefer games with more realistic achievements, like Bioshock.

I think they're fun to try and get, personally. To each his own.

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I enjoyed the Half-Life 2 Episode 2 achievements. They were challenging but fun. The gnome one was difficult especially the driving scenes.

But I really haven't strived for any achievements after that game (my first 360 game).

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crackdown has had some of the best achievments in any game ive played

speaking of, where the heck is crackdown 2

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I play a game first and foremost because of the game itself. I don't even look at the achievements for a game I've played until I've beaten it at least once. Then, if I enjoyed it I may go back and try to get some/all of the achievements. But I definitely have not, and most likely will not ever play a game based solely on its achievements. That's just stupid.

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I like to get the achievements on halo the most, just so I can keep up with my friends although I know it doesn't really matter.

Even so, I am trying to get 50exp in the Social Big Team Battle to get an achiement, even though it is just ****ing me off cos' every other player in the big battles is the kind of person who will betray you, mess around, quit, throw grenades at a warthog if he can see you're going to get to the drivers seat first, kill you when you are about the capture the flag so they can get the point. IT'S A TEAM GAME! Honestly the other day I had to carry an enemy flag across a map dodging bullets from 8 enemies and 7 friendlies! ;)

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There is definitely something to achievements, MS really nailed that one. You know you've done something right when the competition follows your example (Sony) and I have no doubt that trophies probably help some sales in respect just like the 360.

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Achievements are best when they are put in to add extra challenges to games. Things that you would not normally do by just playing though the campaign and moving on to the next game. It adds value for money.
Yeah there are things I would have never bothered with had it not been for achievements. Yeah some people take it pretty far by buying or renting every game I just like getting everything from games I like.
There is definitely something to achievements, MS really nailed that one. You know you've done something right when the competition follows your example (Sony) and I have no doubt that trophies probably help some sales in respect just like the 360.

QFT.

Nothing else to say really.

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When I'm buying a game I don't think "Oh, I can get the achivements on this easy!", but I do try and get them all to add replayability. I've only got all the achievements on a few games, though. I prefer games with more realistic achievements, like Bioshock.

I think they're fun to try and get, personally. To each his own.

exactly this.

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I love Achievements. Normally, I'd play a game like COD:WaW once. I'd finish it and never play it again. With Achievements, it actually helps me get my money's worth because I actually want to go back and finish it on harder difficulties.

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I don't personally buy games for the sole purpose of adding to my gamerscore tally, but it's obvious a large number of people do.

However, I do agree that they certainly extend the life of a game and add to the enjoyment.

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man, that means that there are more obsessive compulsive disordered people in this world than i realize??

You just hit the nail on the head.

Many companies exploits our obsessions, lacks and disorders to make profit.

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I hate to say it but ... it's true. If there's a game that is out on the PS3 and XBOX, I will get the XBOX just for the live component and the acheivements lol.

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man, that means that there are more obsessive compulsive disordered people in this world than i realize??

No... it just gives you more goals in the game and therefore more replay value, you don't have to be obsessive compulsive to enjoy achievements. Weather you are trying to get the "achievement unlocked" to show up on the screen or just trying to finish the game and get to the "game over" screen, it's all the same really. Ultimately you are just jumping through hoops for the sake of seeing certain pixels on the screen, neither action is profitable, all that matters is that it is fun. Most people enjoy the process more than the end result.

It's not just xbox/PS3 either, Steam has achievements now, so does World of Warcraft and probably all future Blizzard games, there will be more in a year or two. Achievements are here to stay.

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I hate to say it but ... it's true. If there's a game that is out on the PS3 and XBOX, I will get the XBOX just for the live component and the acheivements lol.

That is true, the achievements are definitely a weighing factor when it comes to multi-platform titles. I don't really care for Trophies.

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There is definitely something to achievements, MS really nailed that one. You know you've done something right when the competition follows your example (Sony) and I have no doubt that trophies probably help some sales in respect just like the 360.

Valve as well.

I like achievements but only when it's fun ones. I play through the game as I normally do and enjoy it. Achievements add another level of replayability and fun depending what they are. Some devs get it right others don't.

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i am guessing achievements are a way to make a game social, without making it multiplayer

but they occupy only a niche in the gameplay, they are strictly 'extra' and they dont contribute to the game, i mean like no game is designed around achievements ...i think why it drives sales is because people see other people playing the game and doing these achievements, and they feel that its more relevant to them in the real world that they are able to match the people who they just saw doing the achievement, as opposed to a challenge set within the game world... the only thing cooler would be to have a console equivalent of Fraps capturing the the moment of achievement so you could upload it to youtube

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