this topic of discussion is not original. However, I am split. I can't decide if I should take it seriously or not, to get achievements. I cant stop thinking about if the next xbox will also have achievements and if getting achievements on 360 would all have been for nothing!?

Achievements are already meaningless...you don't need to wait for the next Xbox for that.

Just like you can transfer your gamercard from the original to 360 consoles, I'd imagine you could transfer achievements. Obviously Microsoft is leaning heavily on achievements because it sells games. Take achievements how you want as long as you don't bitch about them like everybody else.

I don't take much stock in trophies or achievements.

I'm sure Microsoft has some idea of what they'll do

achievements are genius for Microsoft. If it wasn't for achievements, Avatar would have sold approximately 12 copies.

I love achievements, but I'm not a whore for them. I like them for what they are and even though I don't go out of my way for them, I still love the sound and to compare the achievements I have to the ones my friends have. They are a work of genius if you are to base ingenuity on market success.

Personally, I dig achievements...but not in all the games on 360.  I don't really like the "continue to progress through the game and unlock everything" like in Fight Night Round 3 and such...although I'm game for getting them and adding to my gamerscore.  It also means that, if you want a high gamerscore, you've gotta try games out that you may never have played before, and I've been surprised to find that a few of the games I would've never tried ended up being games that I genuinely liked.

Achievements were fine until people started using them as leverage at how good you were at a game. I've killed people in Gears of War fair and quare just to have them tell me I cheated because since they had better gamerscore, I couldn't possibly win.

I like the concept quite a bit, so much I pray it is standard next gen for all consoles. It doesn't really hurt anyone either, its not like you have to get them for anything. I have a few friends that don't even care about them, they just play games like they did last gen as if nothing is different.

I think its definitely a complete success story when you talk about achievements.  Achievements make certain players play games they have no business playing, for the sole purpose of gaining those meaningless points.  They promote playing the game for more than just it's story.  They might be meaningless to some of us, but to others they are the holy grail. (see xbox360achievements.org)

Also, I heard rumors about maybe games having avatar clothes or something for the NXE.  If I could remember where I read that I'd link a source, but I can't.  I bring it up because it would be close to what achievements are, even maybe now having some sort of reward for those points. 

"I think its definitely a complete success story when you talk about achievements.  Achievements make certain players play games they have no business playing, for the sole purpose of gaining those meaningless points.  They promote playing the game for more than just it's story.  They might be meaningless to some of us, but to others they are the holy grail. (see xbox360achievements.org)

Also, I heard rumors about maybe games having avatar clothes or something for the NXE.  If I could remember where I read that I'd link a source, but I can't.  I bring it up because it would be close to what achievements are, even maybe now having some sort of reward for those points. "

I think achievements are ingenious. They allow me to show off challenges that I've completed, and give me ideas for squeezing replay value out of a game with original activities when I'm bored. I don't whore them, but I sure do appreciate them.

I like them.

Acheivements are good as long as they're public in some way.

 "Or they can make someone play a game that shouldn't be played, like Avatar. There's the double-sided coin. Some people might put up with bad design for achievements, having no fun. That's when achievements become work. That's when achievements become bad.

Personally, I'm all for them, but I wish there were less gamerwhores out there."

I don't really worry about getting them.

Achievements are genius. Even if you don't care about the competitive aspect, they at least inform you of what games people play and to what extent. I love achievements.

The only achievement I've ever been proud of getting was the Gnome achievement in Half-Life 2 Episode 2. I don't normally look at a game's achievements and go "alright, I'm going to break every crate in the game so that I can get this," I just play through the game first and then I go through again to get achievements. The thing about that style of playing is that I get all giddy when I hear the sound of an achievement completed and I don't know what it's for. It makes them that much more fun for me. In conclusion, Achievements=genius.

Achievements were a smart idea and it definitely helps give you bragging rights in some cases, but I don't like the idea of playing a game with simple achievements just to jack your score up.  You really shouldn't play games just to get achievements... you should play games to have fun and if you get some achievements in the process, well that's just a bonus.

I love them.  They get me to play games in ways that I normally wouldn't, and they've added some extra replayability to games that usually would've been sold after I was done with the campaign.

I would say both. They are in a sense a waste of time, but they are so genius. It makes me play games like I never would have before. 

"The only achievement I've ever been proud of getting was the Gnome achievement in Half-Life 2 Episode 2. I don't normally look at a game's achievements and go "alright, I'm going to break every crate in the game so that I can get this," I just play through the game first and then I go through again to get achievements. The thing about that style of playing is that I get all giddy when I hear the sound of an achievement completed and I don't know what it's for. It makes them that much more fun for me. In conclusion, Achievements=genius."

They are both a waste of time, but ingenious.  Achievements are fun to obtain and show to others what you've done in games.  Especially, if it's something many people don't have, or hard to acquire.  

I like achievements for my own personal reasons. There are lots of pointless, easy ones, but there are some great ones out there. And had it not been for achievements, I would've probably skipped out on some fun stuff due to my laziness. Also with the whole gamercard stuff, it pretty much keeps track of the games I've played, and the achievements helps me remember the fun I had around/doing that particular achievement.

Genius.

How many purchases has Microsoft been able to push to their console because of achievements?  Many of us own multiplatform games, but achievements are constantly luring us to the 360 versions.  Combine them with the success of Live and you have a winning formula.

Cool concept, but the execution hasn't been so solid. They're a nice extra incentive to get you to play a game in new ways and such and to try new modes, but a lot of achievements are just stupid and a waste of time.

I think a bit of both.  Having people play on higher difficulties isn't such a good idea.  Having them play with only a single weapon or get X number of kills/points in a campign is fine.  And multiplayer achievements are just horrible.

utter genious.  Now that all my shopping is done and it's a straight shot of nothing to do until christmas, there's nothing on my mind but getting to the 50,000 mark (at 46,475 right now)

Maybe a bit of both...

BOTH!!!!!!

Achievements are very much a system that gives back what you put in. I'm not terribly interested in playing through a game again that I don't want to or pulling my hair out over achievements that are much too difficult or daunting but at the same time I enjoy unlocking achievements that, while difficult, aren't an arduous task to preform. It would, based on some scores I've seen, that some people are much more resilient that myself when it comes to unlocking every last achievement.

Complete genius on Microsoft's part. Even though I don't care much about them, most people do.  Sales follow.

The smartest thing that Microsoft has ever done.

I think achievements are a really good idea.  I've played some games much longer than I normally than I would have because of them.  There are always gonna be people that don't care about them, but generally they seem to be a success.  It would be crazy if Microsoft didn't give you a way to transfer your achievements over to their next console. 

"Out_On_Bail said:

"I think its definitely a complete success story when you talk about achievements.  Achievements make certain players play games they have no business playing, for the sole purpose of gaining those meaningless points.  They promote playing the game for more than just it's story.  They might be meaningless to some of us, but to others they are the holy grail. (see xbox360achievements.org)

Also, I heard rumors about maybe games having avatar clothes or something for the NXE.  If I could remember where I read that I'd link a source, but I can't.  I bring it up because it would be close to what achievements are, even maybe now having some sort of reward for those points. "

Or they can make someone play a game that shouldn't be played, like Avatar. There's the double-sided coin. Some people might put up with bad design for achievements, having no fun. That's when achievements become work. That's when achievements become bad.

Personally, I'm all for them, but I wish there were less gamerwhores out there.

"

Achievements are pretty much business genius. You could make the shittiest game ever, but if the achievements are easy to get, then it will sell a whole lot more. And for the rest of us who aren't insane, achievements can be fun to try and get. It's when you get to the point where you're buying shitty games, or spending afternoons getting a difficult achievement that you've crossed into retard territory.

They've pretty much saved gaming for me.

An ingenious waste of time. Microsoft knows the way consumers opperate, they know what makes us tick. And they have delivered it.

Waste of time for me, just pointless.

Well, they make terrible games with easy achievements somewhat enjoyable.

Depends on how you're looking at it, someone's score can be quite meaningless thanks to the varying level of ease when it comes to getting points in different games. But some of the achievements themselves are great. Example being the Mile High Club on Call of Duty 4, that's a damn hard achievement to get and... well... I felt like I achieved something when I did it :P

What MS need to do now is have achievements linked to avatar clothing and such so we can actually show off.

I don't really care about achievements in games. I'll get one and be like "cool" but I won't go out of my way.

Then again, I don't have a LIVE subscription so it don't matter anyhow.

I think they're awesome.

I don't think that they're a good scale of your skill, they're more a scale of how whorish you are...  But I still think they're a good idea, because they give me some reason to replay a game, and sets some interesting goals when done right.

Achievements/trophies are just challenges to have fun with, collect, and show off.  Something to keep after you've completed a game.

waste

Well, there's more than one game I've played through twice for achievements, so yeah, genus, mission accomplished Microsoft.