Meg
Well-known Member
Here's the looooong awaited, highly anticipated 
article I said I'd write like, three seconds ago.
The Almighty Trophy
Go for the Platinum!
So I was playing a nice relaxing, charming, peaceful game called Flower when all of a sudden DING!! Trophy. Um…cool? I’m kinda trying to enjoy the atmosphe- DING! Trophy. I mean really! For those of you that don’t know trophies are little icons that appear in the upper right corner of your TV accompanied by a cute ding whenever the game you’re playing decides you did something worth mentioning. The only problem is that every trophy- regardless of what its for- means the same thing. DING! You pushed buttons. DING! You pushed more buttons. Great. Now if you’re trying to get a trophy then DING! is the best sound in the world, but if not and you get one anyway its like, huh? Wha I do? And you all know ignoring it is not an option. No. You have to pause the game and look to see what the heck it’s for. Usually something stupid like defeated ten push over enemies. Wow, ten? I’M A GAMING GOD!
I remember popping in Final Fantasy XIII for the first time and after watching the opening cutscene getting a trophy that said I “took the first steps toward challenging an unjust fate.” I didn’t know turning the PS3 on and selecting New Game counted as “challenging an unjust fate.” What unjust fate am I challenging anyway? Having to live in the real world instead of the magical world of FINAL FANTASY? Not being able to play the game until that moment? And FFXIII is not the only game that does this. There are countless games that reward you for taking the plastic off the box. Assassin’s Creed 2 is another.
Trophies can be good because it allows you to get more out of a game you like, but its gotten ridiculous. Getting a trophy every three seconds for stupid things is not only silly, but it’s annoying. The other end of the spectrum isn’t much prettier. “Complete game on Ultra Hard Mode of Death with limited health and ammo and in one try.” Yeeeaaah no.
Whether or not trophies need to exist in all games is something I think everyone, especially Sony who made it mandatory last fall, need to ask. Take Flower for example. Its meant to be a sit down an enjoy the peaceful simplicity kind of game. Does it really need to have trophies? I say no. Trophies should be there to give bored teens something more to do after they finish the game. Not congratulate you for playing the game in the first place. And if you think about it, what difference do they make?
Long before trophies games had bonus unlockables, mini games, extra difficultly modes, things to collect. DMC’s Bloody Palace anyone? If a person wanted to keep playing the game there were more than enough things to do and find to keep them busy. So why the DING! atmosphere gone?
Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to go and continue my desperate struggle to platinum Final Fantasy XIII. 125 hours of my life gone and nowhere near. Darn you Treasure Hunter I shall conquer you and your grinding!
article I said I'd write like, three seconds ago. The Almighty Trophy
Go for the Platinum!
So I was playing a nice relaxing, charming, peaceful game called Flower when all of a sudden DING!! Trophy. Um…cool? I’m kinda trying to enjoy the atmosphe- DING! Trophy. I mean really! For those of you that don’t know trophies are little icons that appear in the upper right corner of your TV accompanied by a cute ding whenever the game you’re playing decides you did something worth mentioning. The only problem is that every trophy- regardless of what its for- means the same thing. DING! You pushed buttons. DING! You pushed more buttons. Great. Now if you’re trying to get a trophy then DING! is the best sound in the world, but if not and you get one anyway its like, huh? Wha I do? And you all know ignoring it is not an option. No. You have to pause the game and look to see what the heck it’s for. Usually something stupid like defeated ten push over enemies. Wow, ten? I’M A GAMING GOD!
I remember popping in Final Fantasy XIII for the first time and after watching the opening cutscene getting a trophy that said I “took the first steps toward challenging an unjust fate.” I didn’t know turning the PS3 on and selecting New Game counted as “challenging an unjust fate.” What unjust fate am I challenging anyway? Having to live in the real world instead of the magical world of FINAL FANTASY? Not being able to play the game until that moment? And FFXIII is not the only game that does this. There are countless games that reward you for taking the plastic off the box. Assassin’s Creed 2 is another.
Trophies can be good because it allows you to get more out of a game you like, but its gotten ridiculous. Getting a trophy every three seconds for stupid things is not only silly, but it’s annoying. The other end of the spectrum isn’t much prettier. “Complete game on Ultra Hard Mode of Death with limited health and ammo and in one try.” Yeeeaaah no.
Whether or not trophies need to exist in all games is something I think everyone, especially Sony who made it mandatory last fall, need to ask. Take Flower for example. Its meant to be a sit down an enjoy the peaceful simplicity kind of game. Does it really need to have trophies? I say no. Trophies should be there to give bored teens something more to do after they finish the game. Not congratulate you for playing the game in the first place. And if you think about it, what difference do they make?
Long before trophies games had bonus unlockables, mini games, extra difficultly modes, things to collect. DMC’s Bloody Palace anyone? If a person wanted to keep playing the game there were more than enough things to do and find to keep them busy. So why the DING! atmosphere gone?
Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to go and continue my desperate struggle to platinum Final Fantasy XIII. 125 hours of my life gone and nowhere near. Darn you Treasure Hunter I shall conquer you and your grinding!
