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JPGames interview with Yoshida-sanFollow

#27 Mar 18 2013 at 12:04 AM Rating: Good
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There is quite a bit of truth to that.
#28 Mar 18 2013 at 1:39 AM Rating: Good
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I have a honest question. I started gaming during a time when no such thing as trophies or gamer scores existed, so I *really* don't know.
Is there any kind of tangible benefit to accumulating trophies? Like, discounts in game stores or something? Free DLC? More successful
beta applications? Anything? Or is it *really* just an arbitrary number? Are these points categorized in any way, such as "reaction speed",
"accuracy" and "tedium tolerance", or could a headshot in a FPS reward the same as a cultural win in Civ V? Who sets the difficulty norms
that correspond to certain point numbers? Are there different levels or values for those achievements, or are all achievements worth the
same number of points? I am serious; I really don't know!
#29 Mar 18 2013 at 1:46 AM Rating: Excellent
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Rinsui wrote:
I have a honest question. I started gaming during a time when no such thing as trophies or gamer scores existed, so I *really* don't know.
Is there any kind of tangible benefit to accumulating trophies? Like, discounts in game stores or something? Free DLC? More successful
beta applications? Anything? Or is it *really* just an arbitrary number? Are these points categorized in any way, such as "reaction speed",
"accuracy" and "tedium tolerance", or could a headshot in a FPS reward the same as a cultural win in Civ V? Who sets the difficulty norms
that correspond to certain point numbers? Are there different levels or values for those achievements, or are all achievements worth the
same number of points? I am serious; I really don't know!



Haha, i agree with your questions! I have an xbox 360 and that one has a **** ton of achievements for every game i have. I always play the games and finish them without even looking once what achievements i got or not. Same with steam. It has achievements for every game but i never look at them. Every time i do something and the achievement unlock icon pops up i always have the same thought "oh look i won an achievement...moving on". The only time i seriously looked upon the achievements was for WoW but that one actually gave you in return. Like a cool title or a mount or something like that.
#30 Mar 18 2013 at 2:35 AM Rating: Good
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It really is just an arbitrary icon with a relatively arbitrary number of points. Some games give them to you for finishing the tutorial, others require you to work at them for 1000 hours. I never cared the least little bit about them.

Now equipment as trophies like those used in many MMOs are another matter altogether.
#31 Mar 18 2013 at 2:59 AM Rating: Good
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Aha, so it depends on the specific game. I remember getting loads of achievements in Shogun 2 Total War, but never got anything to show for it... so in most cases it's sort of a stopgap that reminds the new generation of players that they are "GRRRREATT!!!" before the credits roll. Or something similar.

Come to think of it, it would be pretty funny if there were achievements like "couch potato" or "super-size kid" for playing more than 4 hours on average per day for a year. ^.^/ Wins you a McDonalds voucher or something...
#32 Mar 18 2013 at 4:33 AM Rating: Good
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KaneKitty wrote:
Somewhere, in the back of every gamer's head, there's this magnificent fictional world in which everyone he meets pours exhaustively over the collection of digital trophies attached to his screen-name, counting the colours, tracing over the meaningless numerical score with their eyes, standing in awe of the sheer magnitude of the arbitrary digits.


I must have a giant trophy for the 120 days of my life spent playing FFXI. Yet for some reason when I think about the actual return on the time invested in that game, a giant virtual trophy doesn't seem to cut it. So in normal conversation I make sure to hold it over people. I tell them all about the time I spent in Vanadiel and my character and they look at me in awe and wonder. For some reason these conversations always end with, "Yep, you're so cool".

It is the thing that excites me most of all about Eorzea and XIV. This time I will have multiple giant trophies and an awesome virtual display case to show how many hours of time I have invested. Maybe now I can hand out business cards with my screen name and how much time I've invested.

Woke up in kind of an odd mood today
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"The next time you have the urge to stab me in the back have the guts to do it to my face." - Malcolm Reynolds
#33REDACTED, Posted: Mar 18 2013 at 5:04 AM, Rating: Sub-Default, (Expand Post) how does that work with the ladies?
#34 Mar 18 2013 at 7:46 AM Rating: Good
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Poubelle wrote:
kainsilv wrote:
So in normal conversation I make sure to hold it over people. I tell them all about the time I spent in Vanadiel and my character and they look at me in awe and wonder.


how does that work with the ladies?


Smiley: lol

Rinsui wrote:
Aha, so it depends on the specific game. I remember getting loads of achievements in Shogun 2 Total War, but never got anything to show for it... so in most cases it's sort of a stopgap that reminds the new generation of players that they are "GRRRREATT!!!" before the credits roll. Or something similar.

Come to think of it, it would be pretty funny if there were achievements like "couch potato" or "super-size kid" for playing more than 4 hours on average per day for a year. ^.^/ Wins you a McDonalds voucher or something...


Yep, it's really about the specific game. Games like Hannah Montana, were on some gamer's lists because it was an easy 4 hour platinum. Terminator Salvation gave you gold trophies for basically doing the things the games ask you to, and upon completion, a platinum. The only reason I haven't done it, was the waste of time, it's spending hours not having fun.

There are certain tasks however, that people are less inclined to do, but since there is that trophy/achievement system, people are more inclined to make it an objective. For example, I love the Kingdom Hearts series, particularly KH II Final Mix. It doesn't matter if I'm new, I just play it on the critical mode difficulty. It's what I do to personally challenge myself. That part of the gamer died when the award system came out, imo. After you beat a game, what reason do you have for playing the game again on a higher difficulty? Now, people may only replay it because the developer made a mandatory trophy. Like the recent God of War Ascension, I just start my play through on the highest difficulty required, so I don't have to play it over. In the end it was a 15 hour playtime platinum for 60 dollars. Hardly worth it in hindsight.

In the end, it's all about bragging rights. Some games require way more skill than others. Marvel vs Capcom 3 was one of the hardest platinum trophies for me. It required me to to learn it through a different controller. I'm a typical pad controller player, and I had to learn to play a fighting game on an arcade stick. In the end, after doing all the combos for the characters, I feel like I improved overall as a gamer. For people who play those games professionally, I'm sure it was easy. For me, it was a valuable learning experience. If the game didn't require me to do those for the platinum, I probably would have overlooked them.

Spoiler Text

Who wouldn't be proud after learning this!
#35 Mar 18 2013 at 8:01 AM Rating: Good
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Quote:
Who wouldn't be proud after learning this!

ノ Smiley: wink
#36 Mar 18 2013 at 8:09 AM Rating: Good
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lol put that hand down!
#37 Mar 18 2013 at 9:38 AM Rating: Decent
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Personally the out-of-game achievements always meant absolutely nothing to me. I don't really even recognize them as an official part of the game or necessary for 100% completion. Aside from the fact that they very rarely suggest that you've done everything in the game so much as you've done it many more times than you should have.... I guess I'm old school in thinking that if the developers really care about you doing something, they'll give you an in-game reward.

I always thought the idea of gamer points and trophies was utterly stupid. Of course, I'm also old enough to think that bragging about a video game, or even feeling any actual sense of accomplishment, is also--at least in most cases--utterly stupid.
#38 Mar 18 2013 at 9:49 AM Rating: Excellent
I'm actually with Kachi on this one, if they made the gamer score/trophy count actually worth something, like a discount on future games or something, I'd be all over it. The epeen value is not something I'm really concerned about. About the only useful function they serve is to tell me if I've completely finished a game or not, and as a father of 3 and working two jobs...

Screenshot
#39 Mar 18 2013 at 9:51 AM Rating: Decent
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Kachi wrote:
Personally the out-of-game achievements always meant absolutely nothing to me. I don't really even recognize them as an official part of the game or necessary for 100% completion. Aside from the fact that they very rarely suggest that you've done everything in the game so much as you've done it many more times than you should have.... I guess I'm old school in thinking that if the developers really care about you doing something, they'll give you an in-game reward.

I always thought the idea of gamer points and trophies was utterly stupid. Of course, I'm also old enough to think that bragging about a video game, or even feeling any actual sense of accomplishment, is also--at least in most cases--utterly stupid.


*shrugs

Some folks are completionists and I kind of like those achievements. Humans use all sorts of arbitrary things to measure ourselves against other humans - sports games, chess and other thinking games, weath, oddball collections of things - why are achievement points any less stupid than this other stuff? None of it makes a difference at all in the end, it's just something that like-minded individuals value and can compete against one another with.

Try not to be so judgmental. It's so innocuous.

#40 Mar 18 2013 at 10:12 AM Rating: Decent
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Thing is, I'm a completionist myself, and even I don't see any value in them. When I try to complete a game, it's because I want to feel that I have experienced all the game has to offer. I don't want to have missed a character interaction or event. But a trophy or achievement is none of that. You can actually experience all a game has to offer without respect to those artificial awards.

I don't consider it a particularly good quality (actually it's a very bad habit of compulsion), but it's my leisure time, so I treat it, as you put it, innocuously.

Having said that, sports and thinking games like chess have actual value. They can sharpen the mind and body. I have actually learned a great deal about resource management from such thinking games, and as someone who works in health promotion, I could talk quite a bit about the merits of sport (participation, not spectating). Collections may have uses as well... I collect some things (like Hanayama puzzles) because they're attractive and functional. They have aesthetic value to me. There's enough to be said about that sort of thing as well. Most video games are not like any of these things. At their best they require serious coordination of the thumbs, and more often they just require you to play the game even when it's boring--even though that's the exact opposite of the reason you bought it. Those that require sincere mental acuity are an exception, but appropriately, also have the least need of achivements/trophies. The victory in the face of challenge is the reward.

But wealth is a good enough example. People who simply try to see who can acquire more are, I'll recapitulate, utterly stupid. Of course, acquiring wealth can be used to many great ends. A pissing contest isn't one of them.
#41 Mar 18 2013 at 10:47 AM Rating: Good
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Well, I'll use chess as the most obvious example - two people are pitted against one another with a finite set of resources and a set of rules to govern the play. Why is that considered more mind-sharpening than say, a one on one PvP experience? Same premise, two people pitted against one another with a finite set of resources and a set of rules to govern the play, but one guy is considered refined and cultured, and the other one socially inept and laughable. Personally, I think that the gamers have an edge because they have to think on their feet and there are far more variables than in that chess game. Gamers are smart, and their accomplishments shouldn't be dismissed as garbage just because a handful of people think that their chosen pasttime has no value.

Aside from that, do you have any idea how many things in video games (and Final Fantasy games in particular) are borrowed from real-world history, legends, and mythology? A heck of a lot. You probably learned more than you think you did.
#42 Mar 18 2013 at 10:55 AM Rating: Good
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The trophy system has created some bad gaming habits, I agree. I wouldn't go as far to call myself a trophy *****. Started off collecting, but some games just make the trophies boring. If you have to play a game 5-10 times to get 1 trophy it's probably not fun. But for titles that matter to me, I will complete them 100%. I tend to enjoy games that test my reaction time, and ability to think through multiple outcomes to effectively overcome what ever they throw at me. For a Strategy RPG, If there was a trophy for winning a particularly difficult map in the fewest amount of moves, it'd go for it as a challenge. Types like winning without taking damage also drives me crazy, but in the end, I can't deny I had some fun.

Torrence wrote:
Well, I'll use chess as the most obvious example - two people are pitted against one another with a finite set of resources and a set of rules to govern the play. Why is that considered more mind-sharpening than say, a one on one PvP experience? Same premise, two people pitted against one another with a finite set of resources and a set of rules to govern the play, but one guy is considered refined and cultured, and the other one socially inept and laughable. Personally, I think that the gamers have an edge because they have to think on their feet and there are far more variables than in that chess game. Gamers are smart, and their accomplishments shouldn't be dismissed as garbage just because a handful of people think that their chosen pasttime has no value.

Aside from that, do you have any idea how many things in video games (and Final Fantasy games in particular) are borrowed from real-world history, legends, and mythology? A heck of a lot. You probably learned more than you think you did.


Very true. Fighting games are the best example of that, to my current knowledge. To the average player, it's just a series of attacks and getting the other person's HP bar to 0. I've been keeping track of the MLG for some years now, and I've come to appreciate some of the complex gameplay aspects, such as frame data. Each attack having a particular start up and recovery, and as a competitor, you have to know which moves are safe/unsafe in a particular situation. You have to factor all of this while on stage infront of thousands and millions watching you online. There is a very HUGE difference in watching a casual like myself fight and a professional gamer. I actually didn't know the difference was that large. The more enjoyable fights are usually down to the wire due to the high level play. One important thing to note is that there is a definite need for high intelligence, as some people are just naturally better than others over all. As in, they can pick up multiple games and are just naturally good at it. You always usually see them in the Top 8 or grand finals. There is some level of consistency over the past decade and a half. High level play in whatever entertainment you do sharpens the mind, but that's just my view on it. I can't say the same for casual play.



Edited, Mar 18th 2013 1:09pm by GDLYL
#43 Mar 18 2013 at 11:08 AM Rating: Decent
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Torrence wrote:
Well, I'll use chess as the most obvious example - two people are pitted against one another with a finite set of resources and a set of rules to govern the play. Why is that considered more mind-sharpening than say, a one on one PvP experience? Same premise, two people pitted against one another with a finite set of resources and a set of rules to govern the play, but one guy is considered refined and cultured, and the other one socially inept and laughable. Personally, I think that the gamers have an edge because they have to think on their feet and there are far more variables than in that chess game. Gamers are smart, and their accomplishments shouldn't be dismissed as garbage just because a handful of people think that their chosen pasttime has no value.

Aside from that, do you have any idea how many things in video games (and Final Fantasy games in particular) are borrowed from real-world history, legends, and mythology? A heck of a lot. You probably learned more than you think you did.


I think you're confusing the value of games with the value of trophy systems. The qualities you're describing that are present in many games contribute to mental acuity and other types of learning. However, trophy systems seldom enhance these outcomes in any meaningful or positive way.

i.e., games are certainly good. Trophies, meh.

Edited, Mar 18th 2013 10:09am by Kachi
#44 Mar 18 2013 at 11:12 AM Rating: Decent
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The thing is, it's not that black and white anymore. People may actually grow because of their need to collect trophies. While you or I may seek out the challenge on our own. The next guy may get the incentive from the trophy, and in the end, he improved in someway, however slight.
#45 Mar 18 2013 at 11:18 AM Rating: Excellent
Or you could be a knuckle-dragging baboon like me and maybe not always know what all you can actually do.

Started playing Blue Dragon this weekend, had no idea there was an achievement for getting that stupid door shut without allowing any robots through in the air ship thing right at the beginning. Now I'm going to have to start over Smiley: bah
#46 Mar 18 2013 at 11:36 AM Rating: Decent
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Do you remember the last game you completed to perfection Wint? I just started playing my systems again, so I'm probably behind by over 80 games. You mentioned your busy lifestyle, so just curious.
#47 Mar 18 2013 at 11:40 AM Rating: Good
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Wint wrote:
Or you could be a knuckle-dragging baboon like me and maybe not always know what all you can actually do.

Started playing Blue Dragon this weekend, had no idea there was an achievement for getting that stupid door shut without allowing any robots through in the air ship thing right at the beginning. Now I'm going to have to start over Smiley: bah


Seriously?

Weird, I started to re-play it this weekend, got the achievement, and was shocked to learned it's one as well. I knew the flying Mechat parts late in the game have achievements but the door closing on Nene's ship kinda surprised me.

Then again, I've played Infinite Undiscovery and those are some whacked, kinda difficult trophies to achieve. The hardest for me was the "Dont let the gigantic furious dragon land his 10 meter wide flame breath hit you while you cross a large open space.
#48 Mar 18 2013 at 11:48 AM Rating: Excellent
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Being a perfectionist has nothing to do with the trophies in my opinion. There are some achievements that are simple a torture to do em. Why do them in the first place? Because the developer thought to put them there? Seriously, take guitar hero 3 for example. There is an achievement for playing every song on "hard" difficulty using a standard controller instead of a guitar. Why would you ever play a Guitar Hero game without the titular instrument? A completely useless achievement that only wants you to spend Hours upon hours to achieve what? nothing. Or another one i believe i read it was in Command and conquer 3 or something. And it was about you hitting a button for 2-3 thousands times in a single mission. ??? Am I the only one that sees this as a complete waste of time that gives me nothing in completing the game?

If we are talking about this kind of achievements thanks but i do not need them, and nothing anyone will say will change my mind. But there are achievements out there that are indeed pretty awesome. Ok its time is a personal opinion but i will once again give you an example from WoW. One of the achievements i got and absolutely loved it was the achievement that gave you "the undying" title. What you had to do for it? Simple, within one raid lockout period, defeat every boss in Naxxramas without allowing any raid member to die during any of the boss encounters in 10-player mode. That my friends was hard. Even if you had awesome gear and naxxramas was a thing of the past due to expansions it was hard to be able and not lose any raid member.

So in the end i guess you could say that some people value some achievements differently than others but i don't think someone should be called a "completionist" just because he hit his key button 3k times in a single game.
#49 Mar 18 2013 at 11:57 AM Rating: Excellent
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Quote:
Having said that, sports and thinking games like chess have actual value. They can sharpen the mind and body....Most video games are not like any of these things. At their best they require serious coordination of the thumbs, and more often they just require you to play the game even when it's boring--even though that's the exact opposite of the reason you bought it.


Quote:
The qualities you're describing that are present in many games contribute to mental acuity and other types of learning... i.e., games are certainly good.


Quote:
I think you're confusing the value of games with the value of trophy systems.


I was actually just responding to your comments, which you seem to go back and forth on quite a bit. Either games have value or they don't. If they have value, then their achievements also have value and shouldn't be dismissed out of hand for being "stupid", just because you don't understand them or because you are trying to drill them down to little more than a pong-esque hand-eye coordination experience. We've come a long way from pong, you know, but even then, I wouldn't dismiss players who had the skill to achieve a high level of gameplay.

Games today are strategic (even the most basic ones) and your dismissive and flippant attitude makes me wonder why you even play games if you think they are so unworthy of your time.

Edited, Mar 18th 2013 2:00pm by Torrence
#50 Mar 18 2013 at 12:06 PM Rating: Excellent
GDLYL wrote:
Do you remember the last game you completed to perfection Wint? I just started playing my systems again, so I'm probably behind by over 80 games. You mentioned your busy lifestyle, so just curious.


Closest I've come lately is Hot Shots Golf World Tour for the Vita, I think I'm sitting at 97% there, I need to skip a ball 3x across water, hit a double eagle, and a couple of the fancier shots (Homing, etc) and I'm at 100%. I saw they just released new courses and characters for it, I might have to buy those soon, the game felt a little underwhelming in terms of amount of characters and courses, I had all of the in game items and perfectly completed all courses within a month or two. I'm a Hot Shots junkie though, and putting it on the Vita was like crack Smiley: nod

Viertel, that's so bizarre we both started that this weekend Smiley: thumbsup My PS3 died this weekend and I decided to catch up on some XBox games while I wait to get the cash to buy the repair kit for the PS3, going to try to re-flow the solder and put fresh thermal compound/pads and see if that saves it. It's a 60gb launch system (upgraded to 500gb) so I think it's worth the effort. They aren't cheap, even used.
#51 Mar 18 2013 at 12:14 PM Rating: Decent
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Wint wrote:
GDLYL wrote:
Do you remember the last game you completed to perfection Wint? I just started playing my systems again, so I'm probably behind by over 80 games. You mentioned your busy lifestyle, so just curious.


Closest I've come lately is Hot Shots Golf World Tour for the Vita, I think I'm sitting at 97% there, I need to skip a ball 3x across water, hit a double eagle, and a couple of the fancier shots (Homing, etc) and I'm at 100%. I saw they just released new courses and characters for it, I might have to buy those soon, the game felt a little underwhelming in terms of amount of characters and courses, I had all of the in game items and perfectly completed all courses within a month or two. I'm a Hot Shots junkie though, and putting it on the Vita was like crack Smiley: nod

Viertel, that's so bizarre we both started that this weekend Smiley: thumbsup My PS3 died this weekend and I decided to catch up on some XBox games while I wait to get the cash to buy the repair kit for the PS3, going to try to re-flow the solder and put fresh thermal compound/pads and see if that saves it. It's a 60gb launch system (upgraded to 500gb) so I think it's worth the effort. They aren't cheap, even used.


Sorry to hear that. When I saw the text, I automatically assumed it was a 60 gig. I loved Hot shots golf. I haven't played it since the ps2. No one to play it with anymore Smiley: frown. You remember when they had that hotshots gold demo for the ps1? I started liking golf because of that game. Ah well, since it's your passion, you most definitely will find the time to master it.

How much does it cost to repair the ps3? I know the used version you mentioned is around 200-300 dollars, which is quite a sum for a used console.
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