But without a number, how can I tell if I had fun!?
So last week we ran a crazy story. After eleven years straight, Ray “Stallone83” Cox let his prestigious “highest Gamerscore” world record slip through his fingers. His rival, Stephen “smrnov” Rowe was able to snatch the title from his grasp because Ray was too busy *ahem* consummating his marriage to his lovely new bride to keep up a champion’s pace.
The world is so strange sometimes. I just couldn’t believe what I was reading.
There are people out there who still care about their gamerscores?
Personally, I haven’t thought about my gamerscore, trophy collection, or Steam achievements in years. Yeah, sure, at the beginning of the Xbox 360’s life span I was just as into achievement hunting as anyone else. And it was fun. For awhile.
Then it became work. Focusing on achievements became a way of taking the joyous exploration and malleability of games and turning them into a tedious task list. A burden to slog through rather than enjoy. As the console’s life wore on, I cared less and less about whatever games I “S-ranked” or 100%ed.
By the time the platform started to mature, I lost all interest in whatever number was attached next to my gamertag. Sure, I’d hunt the occasional bragging-right achievement, or novelty challenge that seemed interesting, but only if it seemed like a neat or stupid idea. I’d never go out of my way to bother inflating my score. Avatar: The Burning Earth held no sway over me, and I sure as shit didn’t bat an eye when Sony pulled 1000 Top Rated, “the easiest way to earn a Platinum trophy,” last week.
If I had to point to a final nail in the coffin for my achievement hunting days, it would have to be the jump from the Xbox 360 to the PS4. I spent a lot of time in Microsoft’s ecosystem and while I may have lost the taste for tracking down new cheevos after awhile, I did take some measure of pride in the ones I had collected. But then Microsoft had to go ahead and shit the bed with the Xbox One’s wonky launch and force me to switch over to Sony and the PS4.
What, I’m supposed to start all over again from a blank slate? And besides, trophies? Really? What the hell is that all about? These are video games Sony, put a goddamn high-score board on them, it’s not hard.
So my question is, do any of you out there still care at all about your gamerscore or trophies? Do you still try to grind out every Platinum, milk every point out of every title you pick up? Do you ever buy, rent, or borrow a game just because it has some gimmie achievements you can bang out in a night or two? Or are you like me and can’t remember the last time you bothered to look up the requirements for any achievement?
Or, are you one of the real freaky deakies out there obsessing over your Ubi Club badge collection? I’d love to meet that person. It would be like shaking hands with a snow Yeti.
