I Really Don't Care About Trophies...I Must Be Really Weird
According to recent feedback one developer received, most - or many - gamers put a premium on Trophies (and Achievements, presumably).
Findings like that always confuse me, because I for one couldn't possibly care less about Trophies. Maybe it's the grudge I have against the increasing necessity for instant gratification and the pining for visible rewards for every little accomplishment. That could be it. It could also be that for some bizarre reason, Trophy collecting just doesn't appeal to my admittedly meticulous nature. By all rights, it should. I'm the quintessential completionist when it comes to complicated stuff like RPGs.
But at this point, I'm almost annoyed when a Trophy pops up. It's like the game has to say, "Hey, good job chief, you deserve a gold star!" whenever I do anything. I didn't need that kind of constant positive reinforcement in school and I don't need it now. Again, though, I can see the appeal; I understand the mania some have for grabbing as many Trophies as humanly possible. I get it. It makes total sense. In this way, I see both sides of the issue, even if I can't imagine killing myself to get a particularly difficult Trophy, just to have it in what I deem to be a meaningless digital collection of sparkly objects.
I'm also not sure Trophies and Achievements are great indicators of ability; the more difficult ones just seem to center on time. In other words, those with no lives seem to have the most Trophies/Achievements (no offense to those with big reward collections). So maybe it's just because I don't have that kind of time anymore, but I doubt it...I really just think it's because they don't enhance the gaming experience for me at all. And because it seems most don't agree, I must be weird. Oh well. So what else is new? ;)
Tags: trophies, ps3 trophies, trophy collection, achievements
6/11/2012 9:11:22 PM Ben Dutka
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Comments (70 posts)
Neo_Aeon666
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 10:19:51 PM
When I was younger I played and shared games with my friends. We competed, showed each other our save files and challenged each other.
Now that I grew older and that well... Not many of my friends live close to my place and have a life (well I do too). I prefer games that have a trophy system. I play games for what they are but being able to show my buddies what I have achieved motivates me even more. I am the type who likes to compare what I do with what other people do. I like to play a game when I have an opponent even if it is a single player game. It has now become really important to me to have trophies :D
I also feel like it is the *creator's challenge* and completing it all means you truly conquered their game.
Last edited by Neo_Aeon666 on 6/11/2012 10:21:32 PM
LimitedVertigo
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 10:24:08 PM
Now I'm wondering if that is my friends reasoning...I doubt it since he is terrible at games. He owns more strategy guides then anyone I know. I think Ben needs to write an editorial on strategy guides.
Neo_Aeon666
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 10:31:07 PM
Sol
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 4:47:15 AM
Sol
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 4:52:26 AM
Temjin001
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 10:11:56 AM
Sol
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 1:38:03 PM
Temjin001
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 4:31:16 PM
sounds to me you're more skilled though than I.
I'm a little over halfway through the game on Master Ninja. I beat the stupid insane armidillo boss and I'm at the subway part of the next level. sigh, maybe some day I'll come back to it to finish it off, but I like my sanity and hair.
I determined, like Halo, NG's are best played on Mentor or Heroic but the hardest difficulities are just more pain than what it's worth, for me.
duomaxwell007
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 9:37:11 PM
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in otherword if i was stuck or needed hint/tips on a game Id ask the guy with the platinum before I asked the guy who didnt have it.. and I bet that guy with platinum would be a lot more knowledgeable about the game than the other guy.
LimitedVertigo
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 9:59:34 PM
Neo_Aeon666
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 10:23:47 PM
LimitedVertigo
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 10:25:00 PM
Neo_Aeon666
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 10:26:41 PM
LimitedVertigo
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 10:29:31 PM
WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 11:39:25 PM
LimitedVertigo
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 11:47:01 PM
duomaxwell007
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 9:31:42 AM
or beating MGS2 on extreme.. i literally lost to RAY 261 times before I beat him.. lets see a casual/average gamer pull that off... or better yet he wouldnt have to pull it off.. Id be surprised just to see him go HALF that long before giving up and finding something else/easier to do lol.. and i felt accomplished when doing it (not to mention a huge wave of relief) because I had to work for it.. a supposed to needing no skill what so ever and it being so easy that it was practically given to me... and then solidus fight wa no better because I had no rations and like 5% of my health so I basically had to preform flawlessly to beat him (get hit once and it was over).. with primitive PS2 controls no less took a few tries (not nearly as much as RAY) but I got that done too.
now I can do both those without even trying... which to me says.. if i sucked before I definitely dont anymore... and the trophies is what forced me to challenge myself (actually play on extreme because if it werent for difficulty related trophies i would never play a game on a mode harder than its default difficulty) and actually step my game up.. so yeah that sounds to me like how a trophy shows/proves skill.
Jalex
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 9:38:25 PM
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I don't know, I guess it's just something to do when I'm bored. And even without Trophies, I still gathered all 100 Gold Skulltulas and beat 'Guns of the Patriots' in under five hours on The Boss Extreme and meeting all other conditions to get the Big Boss Emblem.
Last edited by Jalex on 6/11/2012 9:39:38 PM
Riku994
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 9:53:25 PM
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LimitedVertigo
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 10:00:48 PM
Riku994
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 10:28:10 PM
LimitedVertigo
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 10:30:18 PM
Ludicrous_Liam
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 2:28:18 AM
bentl78
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 9:53:51 PM
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CH1N00K
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 9:54:58 PM
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Actually now that I think about it, most of the platinums I have gotten are in games that have no online play at all...
LimitedVertigo
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 10:03:08 PM
fatelementality
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 10:06:45 PM
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Squirrelicus
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 8:44:42 AM
BikerSaint
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 10:07:56 PM
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And with all the games that I've got, I've only got 1 game that I've ever gotten the whole full 100% trophies in, was "inFamous: Festival of Blood".
And damnit, just my luck, there isn't even a plat for it, so still no 1st plat for me.
But anyway, some of the trophies listed in games do make me want to play on further past the end, just to see if I can get a few more than I normally would get, like I've been doing nightly with the extra challenges & such in RDR & Undead nightmare.
Last edited by BikerSaint on 6/11/2012 10:10:51 PM
DazeOfWar
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 10:18:10 PM
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I still like to earn trophies on the PS3 but I don't push myself to get them all. I'll get what I can or feel like getting at the time. It's pretty funny though cause I'd say my average is around 40% complete. I think I have around 16 plats too.
Rogueagent01
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 10:22:05 PM
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Sure some games take the trophies a little too serious by either making them to hard(C&C RA3) or just to easy(first Uncharted). But most games have a decent balance between the trophies, the only ones I am against are online trophies as no company can guarantee their servers will be running indefinitely so I am against them(unless it is an online only game).
I seem to go in and out of trophy mode on occasion. I'll go for a few months not caring about trophies at all, and then out of nowhere I'll start looking at certain games and think "I can get the platinum in that, I am going to work on that". Many games that I would have never bothered going back to have brought me back because of the trophies.
And to those that complain about how they disturb the feel of the game, turn your notifications off and then you don't have to worry about it.
Dreno
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 10:50:14 PM
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That being said, there are only a few times I actually try to get the trophies.
One bring when I ask at most 5 away from a platinum trophy, an resample would be the assassins creed games.I think I need 3 for ac2 and maybe 4 for brotherhood.
And the other being anything call of duty. The only reason for this is, yeah I play the sp campaign, and I play online, but to actually get the trophies, especially on veteran yes does give me a sense of accomplishment, but its also to say I slaughtered that game and did every thing there was to do on it.thus giving me nw more reason to play it. And letting me move on to other games.
akmdpc
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 10:55:44 PM
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The majority of games I play are single player with a little bit of coop. I have absolutely no interest in mp and will completely avoid it and forgo the plat (Bioshock 2, AC: Brotherhood).
There was an article here a few months ago about having 2 platinums for single and multiplayer. I couldn't agree more. Either that or do what Naughty Dog did with Uncharted and make it a one match trophy.
My trophy hunting has evolved over the years and I've definitely whored a few games. It's refreshing when I play games with no trophies (just finished Resistance) or on my 360 (where I don't care) and just play to play. Overall, trophies add to my experience and I'm glad they're there.
Last edited by akmdpc on 6/11/2012 10:57:51 PM
WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 11:38:13 PM
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I actually think trophies would have been better in the old days of NES when you only had one good game per year (if that). These days there are so many good games I can't really stop on a single one for so long.
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 6/11/2012 11:47:35 PM
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 12:08:08 AM
LimitedVertigo
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 12:11:05 AM
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 12:34:55 AM
LimitedVertigo
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 12:48:35 AM
ZenChichiri
Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 11:51:37 PM
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The only thing that bothers me is when developers feel that putting in trophies negates their reason for throwing in cool unlockables. In the past we worked hard to unlock stuff while now it seems we work hard for trophies. I don't think they should be mutually exclusive.
Miggy
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 10:22:38 AM
Geobaldi
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 12:07:08 AM
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Ludicrous_Liam
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 2:33:10 AM
Geobaldi
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 2:49:45 AM
Ludicrous_Liam
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 4:50:00 AM
Geobaldi
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 5:41:10 AM
BikerSaint
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 1:41:37 PM
I believe we had a earlier discussion about deleting trophies before, but I don't quite remember the outcome, other than I still haven't been able to delete any from either my old 60 Phat or my slim.
So I'm guessing it has to be done externally, like D/Ling it to a computer or External HD first, so you can even find & open that trophy file you're talking about, am I right???
FYI, as a collector, I need to buy even the games I figure I'll never play. But I still sample each & every one of them just on the off-chance that I might be surprised by liking one of them, plus I've also played some demos that also gave up a trophy or two, but I deleted the game cause I didn't really like it much.
So now I've got tons of games that show only zero to 2 trophy's & it pisses my off cause I keep thinking that my trophy list makes me look like I'm a sorry-a$$ed game quitter, when I'm really not.
Gordo
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 1:45:23 AM
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Trophys are probably for those gamers with loads of spare time who can put a lot of effort into their gaming.
For me with wife, kids and job gaming time is scarce. I would rather spend my precious time gaming than trying to collect some trophies. A bit too much like a chore sometimes.
I like trophies on my Vita however. I still probably won't plat any of them though! Nice to have mindyou.
Lawless SXE
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 2:11:45 AM
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Lord carlos
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 3:00:17 AM
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Working on platinum NO.21,just need to beat the challenge of olympus in GOW3.
Having just gotten the platinum in Shadow of the collosus & experiencing the worst type of eyeball scratching frustration that is collosus no.3 in hard time attack,i can say the feeling of finally getting the last stab in and hearing the last two trophies pop made it all worthwhile.
Ludicrous_Liam
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 2:26:10 PM
JohnnyGold
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 4:34:46 AM
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i think that your psn level is a really quick way to see what kind of gamer you are. when someone starts working at the company i work for, if they have a playstation and we friend each other, i can tell that night their gaming preferences and amount of time they spend playing. any chick in the world is going to say "i play video games, theyre so cool, i guess that makes me a nerd right guise?! lol, yolo!"
but my wife is a level 8, so she obviously plays video games.
another thing, they provide a history of MY gaming achievements. maybe its because i got a degree in history, but i love a few times a year having one too many gin and tonics, looking through my trophies, and being like "oohhhh yeah, when i was living there and working at that job, i was playing resistance 2!"
thirdly, it gives you an idea for how to replay a game that you might not have thought of. deus ex human revolution is a great example of that. i just beat it last week, but ill probably fire it up again in a year or 2 and try to beat the game without killing anyone.
so all in all, for me, theyre great. and ill admit it, i loved farmville, and its the same kind of feeling... that horse and stick reward system. im wired for it.
thats why it REALLLLLLLY frustrates me when a game like, deus ex 1 gets released as a ps2 classic with no trophies... or oblivion gets a rerelease with no trophies. im just waiting for the day when sony adds trophies to ps1 classics. maybe on the ps5?
Amnesiac
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 5:21:13 AM
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I always hoped that depending on how many points/trophies you've earned you would get some content for free or at a lower cost.
For example (LA Noire) where you're required to play the additional DLC in order to successfully get a platinum trophy.
Wouldn't have been nice after completing every challenge the game designers put forth there would be some reward system involved instead of a bunch of numbers that make some people feel superior to other people?
Last edited by Amnesiac on 6/12/2012 5:22:34 AM
ulsterscot
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 6:09:55 AM
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___________
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 6:50:36 AM
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ive never ever bought or not bought a game because of trophies!
and never will!
in other words the colour of the font of the disk art has more influence on my purchasing decision than trophy support!
only good trophies have is getting you to do things you normally would not do.
helps change the way you play games too, like the multiple games that have trophies for killing x enemies with x weapon or x method.
sorta comes in handy to change your experience with the game because it changes how you play, but as for not buying a game because it does not have trophies, well thats just ridiculous!
every time i hear people pleading for a MGS4 trophy patch a little panda dies!
or any game for that matter!
devs have far more important things to do than go back to a 1,2,3,4,5,6 year old game and patch in something as pointless and insignificant as trophies!
Last edited by ___________ on 6/12/2012 6:53:53 AM
CanadianGuy420
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 7:30:39 AM
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sometimes i play my old PS2 games like GTA and people are all. oh how can you play that old stuff there are no trophies! just stupid.
i even know people who won't play a game unless it has trophies. thats not a gamer as far as i'm concerned.
Squirrelicus
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 8:54:16 AM
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Some trophies there's a complete unbalance on difficulty. BF3 is a prime example, I'm two bronze trophies short of platinum and they're near impossible. Yet some games give you a Bronze or Silver just for putting the game in. Then there's online trophies which I'm completely against, look at The Fight:Lights Out. No one plays online.
Ultimadream
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 2:07:40 PM
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I have to admit though, I have now gotten to the point where I don't care for them, I already have over 1'500 trophies and I'm double the level on anyone on my friends list, so the competition element has died for me. I will complete a few of my favorite games 100% out of principle but other than that I rarely bother anymore..
Ludicrous_Liam
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 2:30:55 PM
harchibald1
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 @ 4:19:15 PM
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its weird real cause im trying to remember what motivated me to complete games before trophys, i personally now wouldn't bye a game without trophys.

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LimitedVertigo
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Monday, June 11, 2012 @ 9:32:32 PM
My friend was complaining about his lack of interest playing older games he had never finished because they didn't have achievements (big xbox fan) and I was dumbfounded by his reasoning.
Games should be about the story and the gameplay, not some random line of text that proves you acquired an item or did something in a certain amount of time.