Achievement unlocked. Nothing else. Nothing else?!

Is it just me or has the introduction of achievements caused a lack of unlockables? In GTA 3 you collected 100 packages and unlocked a huge arsenal of weapons. In GTA 4 you find 200(!) of these nasty pidgeons and what do you get? The famous 1 sec message "Achievement unlocked" and a chopper that can  far easier be stolen in the next police station. Different game same story: Assassin's Creed. Hundreds of flags to collect. Your reward: Nothing, nada, rien, nichts. Call of duty 4: The developers even added these Intels just for the achievements. As far as I know they don't even exist in the other versions. (You're free to correct me, if I'm wrong). I mean achievements are surely a fun invention but where's the reward  for me as a gamer? Where are the alternative costumes, the unlockable cheats and special weapons that prolong my gaming experience? I really hope that Unlockables will have their coming back.
Next time I tell you why Bill O'Reilly will never cut my mic, why car washes are absolutely useless in a sandbox action game and why Christian Bale and I are done professionally. See you soon.

Is it just me or has the introduction of achievements caused a lack of unlockables? In GTA 3 you collected 100 packages and unlocked a huge arsenal of weapons. In GTA 4 you find 200(!) of these nasty pidgeons and what do you get? The famous 1 sec message "Achievement unlocked" and a chopper that can  far easier be stolen in the next police station. Different game same story: Assassin's Creed. Hundreds of flags to collect. Your reward: Nothing, nada, rien, nichts. Call of duty 4: The developers even added these Intels just for the achievements. As far as I know they don't even exist in the other versions. (You're free to correct me, if I'm wrong). I mean achievements are surely a fun invention but where's the reward  for me as a gamer? Where are the alternative costumes, the unlockable cheats and special weapons that prolong my gaming experience? I really hope that Unlockables will have their coming back.
Next time I tell you why Bill O'Reilly will never cut my mic, why car washes are absolutely useless in a sandbox action game and why Christian Bale and I are done professionally. See you soon.

Intels are in PC version of COD4 without achievements and they unlock cheats to use ingame.

I might be wrong but I'm pretty sure that collecting intel in COD4 unlocks cheats for use in campaign mode.

Yeah, it totally sucks. We don't really get real rewards anymore for putting in that kind of effort. Instead we get achievements. Yippee...

Blame Legend of Zelda, Orcarina of time for this, The gold Skulltulas set the stage for packages in every other game

But seeing Achievement Unlocked pop up on the screen is so damn satisfying.

For something on that large of a scale, you're right - an achievement isn't worth it alone.  Achievements and unlockables are the best when they go hand in hand and when one is worth the other.  In Grand Theft Auto 4's case, something unique at the very least would have gone a long way towards this.

Personally, I fiend to hear that little blip of a sound that the "Achievement Unlocked" sound makes.  I actually hate when friends come online, because I feel like I got duped.  =  /

I think the DLC is what causes the lack of unlockables these days as opposed to achievements. Items you unlocked before are now sold for a premium and silly people buy them. (See Horse Armour)

I think that more games should incorporate a system in which, if you get a certain amount or certain achievement you will unlock certain items in game.

Less and less unlockables is a trend that started before achievements, we've been seeing it for a while now, just look at the last couple years worth of PS2/Xbox games, God of War, Shadow of the Colossus, Ninja Gaiden ... ok, so im drawing a blank only those three are coming to mind right now, but theres tons more im sure of it. We saw a drastic decline in unlockables/hidden package type things just before/as achievements were becoming popular, so i'd say you should probably thank achievements for being there otherwise you wouldn't even have that.

You totally got that Rubber Band Ball in Bully for getting all of the rubber bands, along side achievements. Hidden things aren't so hidden anymore, now that we have this internet thing, anyway.

I, too, miss unlockables and secrets and such but I still love achievements. Look at some of the harder ones to get like seriously 2.0 in GoW. It's extremely satisfying to just reach that milestone and hear the blip. Things like "opened the first door" 20G or "completed tutorial" 50G are stupid and need to be removed though.

I think that games should follow Mass Effect's lead for achievements, have an achievements that also gives you an in game reward like more damage.