While we have all grown attached to our individual gamerscores, that sense of discovery was lost when the Xbox One kept our achievements persistent.

The first step I’d like to see Microsoft take when they release the upcoming “ Scarlett” line of console is to completely bring everyone back to square one. The difference now is that as fun as the odd achievement is, I’ve also been unlocking them for almost 15 years, and the satisfaction of earning another 1,000 points just isn’t there anymore. The most generic achievements rewarded players for completing the story, but if you enjoyed the game enough to stick around after the credits, it was something truly special when developers included inventive and unique experiences tied to achievements. You can see this in examples like Mirror’s Edge’s “Test of Faith” – which tasked players with playing the game without using guns – or driving a car to the top of the tallest building for “Roads? What Roads?” in Crackdown 3. Developers could implement them to incredible effect by reframing a game in a new way. With Microsoft reportedly readying a new line of consoles focused on streaming, and Google’s Stadia platform making big inroads into that market, I think it’s time to go back to the drawing board and either do away with the achievements system all together or, hopefully, introduce features that make playing games on Xbox feel vital again.Īside from the sense of community and rivalry the achievement system established among players, they often offered an entirely new perspective on a how to play a game. Achievements let us stand out in our own way, and they served as a showcase for our tastes and interests. Maybe their gamerscore was higher, but they didn’t launch that gnome into space in Half-Life 2 or beat Halo 3 on Legendary. The console was designed to connect to the internet, so your friends could compare their games to yours and see how they stacked up. When we first began unlocking achievements on the Xbox 360 in 2005, they offered a completely new way for you to look at a game: Now there would be a permanent record of your in-game accomplishments to show off.

I am alive achievements