In an interview with Official Xbox Magazine, Gearbox head man Randy Pitchford said that achievements in Xbox games can boost sales by up to 40,000 units! Wh-wha-what?
"You can probably affect your sales by something like 10 and 40 thousand units," Pitchford said. "If you're talking about a triple-A game selling between 1 and 2.5 million units. You're talking tens of thousands of units of impact there."
Seriously, 40,000 people in the world are so into video games that they buy titles just for the achievements! Wow! So what are these Achievement Whores looking for? According to Pitchford, it's all about the speed they can acquire points, and catering to the achievement-addicted and trophy-obsessed can equal money.
"The Achievement hunter, who's going to make purchase decisions around the Achievements per minute to ratio - he's probably buying ten to twenty titles a year, or at least playing that many," Pitchford said. "So he's a very frequent customer, and you want to be in that pile. That's just business."
It seems to me that Pitchford's number is way too high. I could see a few people out there caring so much about their points that they'd buy a game just for that. To me, the achievement points and trophies are a nice little addition to gaming -- I get a tiny thrill every time I get an achievement -- but to buy a game just for the totally meaningless points you earn while playing it? Ridiculous! But maybe I'm wrong. How important are achievements to you?
Here's Attack of the Show's take on Achievement Whores:
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kwfang
I guess acheivment/trophies improve sales i have a ps3 i like the trophies they keep me busy to unlock them
kapassikey
i think its a great idea. i to would sometimes play games i don't normally play for the achievements. i think it makes games that are not that good sell more and makes other games last longer than they would normally. its a win for all! now if only i can get more avatar clothes for achievements or cash some of my points in for stuff. maybe get free microsoft points for each 1,000 points or something
BryanHelp
I hate a lot of things, and achievements are no exception... "Look at my UBER achievements score, it's 27,000 I am so boss." Then you notice he has 1000G on Barbies Pony Ride to get it... =/ Now you just look like a fool in my book.
bolo73
I can see people wanting to get there score as high as possible. To do so means beating as many games as possible. If it helps sales of the games. Which helps stores then power to them.
erosennin987
i knw 2 of my achievementwhore friends will DEFINETLY kill themselfs but its sad 2 say he wont play his new PSP or DS games bc theres no achievements... i'd like a restart the score.
KnuxSonic
Wow, I do think achievements have ruined me a bit since I sometimes don't play games on PC because there are no achievements, but I can't picture myself scouting out upcoming games for a "quick fix."
In the end, it's just a number that could so easily be wiped out overnight. I kind of want to see it happen, just to see how many people off themselves...
Galloway
just rent them dame? or buy them if ther cheap another reason to buy a game is just for that
akosiya
I myself like to collect game achievements but i wont get a game for the achievements, its the other way around
otromismo
Achievements are simply nifty garnishes to decorate a player's sense of performance like an honorary emblem to add to their coat of arms. Since some aspects of competitiveness are required to be paraded like a lion's mane, so too will players lean towards getting a game that will reflect their prowess in the gaming jungle. And achievements should be just that. Cosmetic definitions that show what hurdles you've leapt.
Boghound
I can admit to having "trophy whore'd" and played games I otherwise wouldn't have.... It only feels dirty the first time.
kenerhai
I love achievements, and I find myself playing games I wouldn't otherwise play because of them. But, that being said, I'll borrow games from friends or rent them, but I'm not gonna spend my hard earned cash just for them.
GreedyMcNasty
I do, I love to hear that Gip Gap sound. Achievements equals me playing the game more and getting my money's worth. I am still struggling everyday at street fighter 4 those achievements are HARDCORE. Anyone that has a 1000g on that game is the man. I do agree that there are some achievements that have made me take games back same day. I don't want a 1000g on cars and hello kitty island. Another thing I don't agree with is online achievements. There are some peeps like my pop that will not get online to save his life. So they get to do half the achievements, if game companies keep up the redonk-u-less achievements I might stop caring. But for now it is something to practice everyday. Ok back to street fighter 4.
Sector1286
achievements are the only reason i still bother playing games. i actually get awarded for my doings :)
RichterNYR35
the only trophy/achievements that I hate are the ones like Far Cry 2 (unlock Field Manuals for all weapons) that take a year of playing 8 hours a day of online deathmatch to get them. While smaller sized trophies/achievements online ones are good, I hate the ones that reward you for not having a life.
RichterNYR35
the only trophy/achievements that I hate are the ones like Far Cry 2 (unlock Field Manuals for all weapons) that take a year of playing 8 hours a day of online deathmatch to get them. While smaller sized trophies/achievements online ones are good, I hate the ones that reward you for not having a life.
DreamingDarklyRobin
How many copies did Avatar sell, again?
gamersince1995
LAME!
IXIELCHINGONIXI
i think people like achievements because it gives them a sense of entitlement or fulfillment.
Blue_Vortex
no, I don't think they help sales at all. The only thing achievements do is extend the amount of time you spend playing a game.
Skiccors
I have to say, I love me my achievement's, but I have never bought a game based on the type of achievement's it has or anything like that..
just being able to replay it over and over again is good enough for me :)
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