The X-factor

This Article I am going to post and discuss was written in the March issue of GI, by Andy Riener the Executive Editor for Game Informer Magazine. Where he posted an interesting question. Are Xbox 360's Achievements the secret to winning the console war? Here is the article...

The landscape of gaming is changing.  The perception of gamers being unmotivated, basement-dwelling introverts really doesn't stick any more.  That's not to say that the couch will no longer be a gamer's best friend, but the consoles of today are delivering experiences that push these once-titled armchair sloths to be social, competitive, and even physical.  It's a different era.  It's a time where we get our daily exercise from games that utilize motion-based technology.  It's a time where we make new friends within a game's online community.  And believe it or not, it's a time where a set of numbers could win the console war.

Like a ninja in the brush, Xbox 360's Achievement Points are quickly and ever so quietly having a great effect over where the consumer dollar goes in this next-gen battle.  In a nutshell, Achievement Points are marks of excellence that gamers can earn by completing specific tasks in the games they play.  For example, in the game Call of Duty 3, players can earn 100 Achievement Points for completing a level without firing a shot.  In Rainbow Six Vegas you can earn 60 Achievement Points for completing all of the Terrorist Hunt missions in co-op play.  As Gears of War's producer Cliffy B puts it, Achievements are "nerd cred."

At first glance, these points would appear to have no value.  You can't cash them in.  They don't affect the games you play.  They would appear to exist simply to measure the size of each gamer's ego.  True enough, part of the allure surrounding Achievemnets has to do with puffing your chest up and showing the gaming community how skilled you are.  I've spent many hours looking through the points that other players have racked up.  Just by looking at the points, I can separate hardcore gamers from casual, see what genres specific players prefer, and break down skill levels.  For instance, one player may have only earned 200-plus points in Gears of War, which is mostly dedicated to completing the game on the casual difficulty.  On the other hand, you may find someone who has close to 1,000 points, and has snagged the highly coveted points for killing 10,000 players online.

The key words that need to be expressed are "highly coveted."  When someone on your friend list achieves such a feat, you wnt to earn it as well.  It's very similar to wanting to beat the high score in an arcade game, or more currently, to obtain the rare items in a game like World of Warcraft.  I have many friends who have spent weeks of their life questioning in WoW for a new sword that, oddly enough, isn't nearly as powerful as their current weapon.  They want it simply because it's rare.  Gaming today is very much about status, and how you measure up against other players.

To some people, Achievement Points may seem like a bunch of meaningless numbers, but to the people that truly understand what they are, and what value they actually have, they've become a game in themselves.  Players are logging extra time into games just to raise their Gamerscore.  A game that someone might have beaten and shelved in a day could conceivably be played for weeks depending on how diverse and difficult its Achievements are to earn.  Achievement Points are not just there for status, they add longevity to games.

So how exactly could all of this affect the console battle?   One key area is software sales.  Multi-system, releases like Madden and Grand Theft Auto hold more weight on Xbox 360 simply because the Achievement Points add value to them.  You get more out of these games in Xbox 360 from the challenges and sense of accomplishment that these Points add.   Rushing for 200 yards in a game on PlayStation 3 does nothing for you.  If you do this on Xbox 360, you raise your Gamerscore by 100.  If a game is identical on both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, there's no reason why gamers who own both systems shouldn't choose it for Xbox 360.  It's just common senese that you want more bang for your buck.

Questing to unlcok new Achievements is an addiction.  I spent over five hours in Rainbow Six Vegas just to add the "kill 10 players in online matches without dying" mark to my profile.  I've also found myself compelled to earn the Achievement in Dig Dug for cleaning out all of the dirt on a level.  Achievements definitely change the way you play your games.

They are also playing a large role in whether or not people invest in other consoles.  Would you beleive that people would rather play Open Season on Xbox 360 than The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess on Wii simply because Open Season gets them points?  It's happening more than you would think.  Gamers are going out and purchasing games that they normally wouldn't even think of touching.

Achievements have become a large part of what next-gen gaming is all about.  Sony and Nintendo need to implement similar systems to make their consoles attractive to the entire gaming nation.  There's a chance that Achievements could be a fad that eventually disppears, but as someone who finds himself hopelessly addicted to these digits, and finds himself competing with friends for the most points, I only see them having a larger role in the future of games.  What would happen if Microsoft eventually decided to reward players for milestones with free arcade games for coupons for in-store purchases?

Our instinct to show off our skills is a powerful one, and Achievements perfectly play to this.  Sony and Nintendo would be wise to learn from Microsoft's innovations or risk losing he console war.

I will post my thoughts in the comment section. Hope to hear what you guys think also.