There is a long history of developers putting unlockables and secrets in their games to reward the most dedicated and duteous players for their efforts. Everything from finding the Minus World in Super Mario Bros., unearthing the Konami Code, to snagging the best piece of gear in your favorite RPG. Being rewarded for our skills and determination have long been an exemplary way to keep us engaged in the gameplay loop and asking for more. When Microsoft kicked off the 7th Generation of consoles with the Xbox 360, they also introduced us to an innocuous feature called achievements. Little did they know just how influential this system of micro-rewards would become.
Whenever we are rewarded for accomplishing something, be it receiving a trophy for winning in a tournament, finding a rare trading card in a booster pack, or a child simply being given a treat for good behavior, the brain releases the neurotransmitter; Dopamine. We feel good. We enjoy the system of Successful Action = Reward. Video Games are wholly designed with this system in mind. Victory jingles for completing a stage, the little chimes that ring in our ears when we earn extra life, and all the pomp and circumstance that comes with opening a chest containing rare loot all serve to trigger that dose of dopamine. It keeps us engaged. It drives us to earn more.
Microsoft was keen enough to take this idea and sprinkle a little seasoning on it with their Achievements system. The concept was simple: Put a set of requirements in place that when met, would trigger a brief sfx and animation signaling that the task had accomplished. Not only this, but each achievement would be tracked by the player’s profile and tallied; Creating a sort of digital journal of your gaming exploits. Achievements became a fun little talking point among friends and communities, wherein people would compare their favorite and most difficult achievements with one another. In no time at all though, they grew into an extra layer of enjoyment for players. Often, achievements would task players with performing a difficult action or exploring a locale they normally wouldn’t, thus enriching their gaming experience.
The system was so successful that the titular Steam PC platform adopted it in 2007. Even Sony, Microsoft’s direct competitor in the console space saw the value and potential for engagement in the concept and introduced their own version, Trophies, in the 2nd-3rd Quarter of 2008. I am 100% a fan of the idea and will champion their inclusion in video games for as long as they exist. Aside from potentially spoiling a moment in a game’s campaign (a misstep that falls squarely on the developer), they do not detract my enjoyment from a game and only serve to add to my experience.
This brings me to a point of contention I have with Nintendo and their confusing dismissal of any sort of Achievement or Trophy system. While the system was implemented and adopted by nearly all platforms throughout the years, there has yet to be any type of universal ‘point’ system attached to our Nintendo profiles. Sure, there are some in-game achievement trackers in select titles like Bayonetta, Resident Evil: Revelations, and Mario Odyssey. However, these can only be viewed and explored within those games. There is no way to track or share them with a community or friends outside of videos, posts, and/or screenshots.
It seems like such an inconsequential omission, but over time I found myself enjoying games on Nintendo platforms far less than any other platforms, save for their BIG 1st party IPs. I wondered why, then I realized it was simply because games on every platform were rewarding me more and often for playing them. I wasn’t getting the same amount of dopamine injection per game, and subconsciously I was reacting to it. Am I saying that games on Nintendo platforms inherently have less value because of this? Definitely not. Simply that the exclusion of an achievement system has affected me personally.
I won’t be shelving my Switch any time soon, but it still stands that I will continue to dedicate my attention to PC and consoles more often, and I’m fine with that. It’s interesting just how much simple concepts can influence our thinking and behavior, even our lifestyles. How about you? Are you addicted to achievements/trophies? Don’t care for them? Would you want Nintendo to add a Profile based reward system of their own? Let me know in the comments!