No offense to anthony or nikolai, if you're reading this thread, cause this doesn't include you, but I find that Kombo in general has a disgustingly large bias towards Sony. And, reading this article earlier today, kinda just reinforced that. It in fact, bothered me, enough that I'm going to post it, and add in my own comments, as if it somehow should make me feel better.
Dumbass at Kombo wrote:
In the current console generation, there are few things better than hearing that lovely sound effect and seeing the "Achievement Unlocked" popup when playing through an Xbox 360 title. Whether it be simply getting through a mission or taking down the last boss on the toughest difficulty, gamers everywhere feel a strange sense of pride and accomplishment when they earn and Achievement and see those points go into their Gamerscore. It's pure evil genius, and the envy of the other console manufacturers who are kicking themselves and saying, "Why didn't we come up with that?" At least, that was the reaction until now. With Sony releasing the Trophy system in the latest firmware update, they've managed to sweep the rug out from under Microsoft, and in one quick movement, sidestep the biggest thing that kept them from truly competing with the Xbox.
First off, let's examine the phenomenon that is Achievements. They are simple, worthless things, a few points tossed off here and there for completing challenges in games. Really, they should be barely noticeable, something that shows you how thoroughly you've completed a game while also giving you suggestions for other things that are yet to be uncovered. At least, that's how they were supposed to work.
What drove Achievements from private gauge of completion to digital penis length contest was the fact that Microsoft chose to display your Gamerscore right there on your Xbox Live profile beneath your username. Now, not only does everyone else know exactly how hard you play, but what games you tackled to get your score. Oh sure, you may have a Gamerscore of 15,000, but if you got there with games the likes of Avatar and Cars then you likely won't gain much respect. So in a sense, it's not just about quantity; quality also plays a role.
In case he didn't notice, Sony put in the same feature with trophies on the PS3, but this is minor, so continue...
Dumbass at Kombo wrote:
Of course, quantity is still the driving force, and there are a number of folks out there who will play the most awful games or endure the most insane challenges just to round out that perfect 1000/1000 points. Some of the crazier Achievements include lugging a garden gnome around with you for the entirety of Half-Life 2: Episode 2, or about half of the tasks set before you in Guitar Hero III. The "Achievement farmers" (or "whores" if you prefer the more coarse term) run the gamut from teenagers with a superiority complex, to industry insiders who feel compelled to seek out every last challenge. Dan Hsu, who until recently served as editor-in-chief of EGM, was a renowned Achievement hunter, playing any game he could get his hands on until he bled out every single point. If the lure of Achievements were so powerful that they affected the head of a major gaming publication, who could possibly have the power to resist their siren's call?
Sony looked out over this scene and knew they were in trouble. With console exclusives fast becoming a thing of the past, owners of both the Xbox 360 and the PS3 had to carefully weigh their choices when it came to buying a new game. Granted, a fair number likely went with brand loyalty, choosing either Sony or Microsoft based on an affinity for one particular company, but for most the issue was a little muddier. When a gamer looked at two titles side by side and saw no real noticeable differences (identical graphics, similar control schemes, same sound) they were left with just one option, "I'll get the 360 version, because that way I can get Achievements."
I myself am guilty of this exact sin, abandoning console franchises simply because there was no incentive to play them on the PS3 beyond old affinities. I played both Devil May Cry 4 and Grand Theft Auto IV on the Xbox 360 explicitly because of the Achievements. Deep down, I felt bad; I had abandoned two PlayStation franchises that had given me hours upon hours of entertainment for the cheap thrill of adding a few hundred points to my Gamerscore. I was, in the truest sense, an Achievement whore.
He was doing pretty well, until the following...
Dumbass at Kombo wrote:
But now, all that is changing, as Sony has implemented Trophies with the latest firmware update. The new rewards are tiered, so that each game has bronze, silver and gold awards, with a platinum trophy being awarded to those who hunt down all the others. Furthermore, these trophies feed into a leveling system, much like one would see in an RPG, and as trophies are earned players "level up" to a higher and higher status. Now, points are no longer randomly assigned, but rather gamers can show what they've got in a much more visual manner. If you see someone with 100 bronze trophies, but no silver or gold, you'll know that person is a low-level player, and isn't interested in the challenge of seeking out the tougher awards. However, if you run across a high-level user with a ton of platinum trophies, you will realize you're in the presence of a power gamer, someone you definitely want on your side in Resistance 2. In one simple and ingenious move, Sony has set the bar even higher than Microsoft, and the true competition has begun.
I have so many problems with the rest of this article, but I figure to keep my thoughts focused, and make sure I touch on every point, I will break it up by paragraph.
First, good for Sony, no more random points. Instead, we get a random trophy. Big difference. The bulk of the 360's achievements fall in the 25, 50, or 100 pts categories, how is this any different from saying, bronze = 25, silver = 50, gold = 100. Same shit, different way of showing it. Yes, there is some more randomness with the 360, but it's just not really a valid point, cause it's limited and ultimately makes no difference.
Second, if you are concerned about "the digital penis" effect, how can you not be concerned about Levels. Not only can any person compare you on a purely # of trophies aspect, they can compare against you GOLD vs GOLD, SILVER vs SILVER, BRONZE vs BRONZE, and on top of that they add a levelling up feature. There wasn't enough fodder already? Don't get me wrong, I like the trophy setup, but if you're gonna bitch about comparisons of users on XBL, let's not ignore the potential for far worse on the PS3.
Third, I agree on the point that, the Trophy system is a bit more flexible in terms of describing a users habits at a glance, and will be a bonus for online matchmaking, especially if the use it automatically somehow, to match you against people of similar skill/experience levels (maybe even on a game by game basis). That point is well stated, a rare occurence in this second half.
Fourth, I don't agree the bar has been set any higher than MS. I'd say at best, you have to consider this who situation in Microsoft's favour still. Achievement are established in every game, and every game has to have an online mode. If you are talking strictly from the standpoint of 360 and PS3 owners who have had both for a considerable amount of time. Anyone who has been purchasing games as, an achievement whore, and has likely, amassed a relatively large gamerscore, is likely to continue buying 360 titles, because, why would they wanna start from scratch. In terms of new owners though, it certainly levels the playing field.
Dumbass at Kombo wrote:
Now, the playing field is even, and those using Achievements to determine their purchases will likely do so no longer. Sure, until Sony gets all previous releases updated with Trophy support it's likely Microsoft will have an advantage in that market, but new releases from this point forward will now be essentially identical in every way. I actually believe this works in Sony's favor, particularly for games that require multiplayer accomplishments to get your points.
Completely disagree, see fourth point of last block I wrote. In terms of new players, who got the PS3 first, or whatever tho, than the PS3
might have a slight upper hand at best in multiplayer. Depends on if anyone uses the system the way I outlined above.
Dumbass at Kombo wrote:
Let's be honest, Xbox Live is an exceptionally annoying place, populated mainly with foul-mouthed teenagers and super-irritating griefers. We've all been in that Halo or Call of Duty match where some whiny kid runs around begging us to let him kill us in some particularly exotic way so he can get his Achievement. Now, with the largely mute PSN, gamers are free to play the games as they were intended, without being constantly harassed to line up against the wall so someone can pick off three people with a Spartan laser.
Some may claim that those same annoying brats from Xbox Live will simply migrate over to PSN, but I find that doubtful. The attitude of Xbox Live is one of arrogance and general "ass-hattery," while PSN just doesn't seem to get that vibe. This may be due largely to the fact that the PS3 tends to appeal to older gamers, and because shooters and sports games (the bread and butter of hormone charged, frothing-at-the-mouth punks), tend to fare better on the 360 anyway. Finally, the PSN is largely mute, as not many of games support voice chat, and of those that do very few people actually participate. You'd be surprised how much more fun some of the games are that way. Not having to listen to someone question your sexuality or ethnicity every five seconds makes for a much more pleasant gaming experience. If you don't believe me, just play Call of Duty 4 on each system for a while and see which becomes more insufferable first. I'm sure folks populating the console in the white case will grate on your nerves much worse than those in the black one.
If he honestly believes that PSN will not end up like XBL once more people get headsets, and play online than he is even stupider than I thought. It's not like people say, I'm looking to play FPS online, and act like a total dickbag, so I need to get a 360. It doesn't work that way, you are gonna find whiny kids and just arrogant pieces of shit on any online server that you use. Hell, I've personally run into plenty of asshats playing Warhawk online already.
Two, using the fact that Sony decided not to include a headset standard with any of the skus (so many don't have one), and the fact that many games don't even support voice chat, as a reason to say PSN is better for playing online is completely retarded, and is completely manipulating the situation to help your argument. MS offered up the headset, to entice gamers to want to play online, and it was a good strategy. In time more and more people will get headset on PSN, and it'll emerge as the same breeding ground for "foul-mouthed teenageers and super-irritating griefers" that XBL has been labelled as. I would bet my house on it.
Three, making the argument that PS3 is a more grown up system, with an older core audience, is bogus. If anything, I'd actually say the opposite is true. The Xbox has always been snubbed as a geared to adults system, while the sony platforms have been considered more wide audience. I know far more teenagers (many young), who owned PS2s than adults.
Last point, if you don't like the pricks, and idiots on XBL, mute them. It's that fucking simple.
Dumbass at Kombo wrote:
So with a more robust and in-depth awards system, as well as an online population that hasn't seemed to forget its collective Ritalin dosage, Sony is all primed to steal away from Microsoft the very thing that makes its games more appealing than the otherwise identical PlayStation versions. It's a move that's long overdue on Sony's part, and one likely to pay big dividends in the future. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but in Sony's case, it's simply the best way to undermine the competition.
It's not much, if any, more robust, and it's population are likely just as big asshats, you just can't fucking hear them...
In closing, Brad Hilderbrand, FUCK YOU AND FUCK YOUR MOTHER