Do Gamerscores Matter?

13,925.  693, no platinum trophies.  5,906 XP – Level 29.  These numbers are meaningless out of context.  The fact is, they're pretty much meaningless in context as well.  Chances are, you already know what I'm talking about if you're reading this, but for the few that don't, the above numbers are gamer scores and achievement statistics.  Specifically my personal gamer statistics.  I had to look them up because I had absolutely no idea what they were and I didn't really care.  They are from Xbox Live, Playstation Network, and Steam respectively if you're wondering.  That's the point, however.   Why have people become obsessed with their personal statistics? Gamerscores and stats started almost at the same time as gaming with the advent of the high score.  The very first high score was in Sea Wolf, way back in 1976.  Most games of the early gaming era featured scoring systems of one kind or another, whether it be the number of points scored in a Pong game or the points from the number