It's undeniable that Microsoft's introduction of Achievements into gaming, with the advent of the Xbox 360, has had an impact on the way games are played.
But has this impact been a positive or negative one?
Achievements give us a goal, but can sometimes make us overlook the importance of the journey.
I think their influence has been largely positive, however it has led to some gamers placing a bit too much emphasis on their points accumulation. Not all points are created equal as some take far more work than others.
They do encourage people to look further into a game and it can be nice to feel rewarded by doing a task. But I don't tend to notice unlocked achievements much on 360 as the popup got annoying so I turned it off.
I think their influence has been largely positive, however it has led to some gamers placing a bit too much emphasis on their points accumulation. Not all points are created equal as some take far more work than others.
They do encourage people to look further into a game and it can be nice to feel rewarded by doing a task. But I don't tend to notice unlocked achievements much on 360 as the popup got annoying so I turned it off.