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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? 😉

What Trophies Are You Most Proud Of?

Trophies and Achievements are one of this generation's most significant new features, and one that will likely endure for quite a while.

Some don't care at all but others are definite Trophy fiends. And it's no secret that a great many Trophies are extremely difficult to obtain; they may take a huge amount of time, or a huge amount of skill…or, more often than not, both.

So of all the games you've played over the past five years, which Trophies/Achievements do you most treasure? Which are the ones that made you go, "Damn, I can't believe I actually got it!" Personally, I've never gotten into the whole Trophy craze, primarily because I have a small pet peeve when it comes to such forms of bite-size instant gratification. There's just something about these Trophies that makes me feel a little too much like a subject in a Pavlov experiment…

But even so, when it comes to games that really grab me, I have to admit I've glanced at the Trophy lists, just to see what I might have to do to obtain that always-elusive Platinum. See, I don't have any (although I would if there were Plats awarded only for single-player accomplishments), and I keep wondering if I'll ever get one. Maybe I'll get the one for Journey ; it doesn't seem too tough. Or, if I decide to put in enough time, the Platinum for FFXIII-2. But I doubt it. Still, I know I have a few pretty cool Trophies; what are yours?

In short, which ones do you brag about?