The Wii lacks any kind of system-wide achievement system. This needs to change.
How many times have you heard someone refer to the Wii “collecting dust” in a review, preview, or editorial? Countless, right? And why is that? Most people claim it’s due to the lack of quality software on the system, but I’m not buying it. There are plenty of fantastic games for the Wii, even if you have to dig through copious amounts of shovelware to find them.
Mario Galaxies, Metroid Primes and Other M’s, Super Smash Bros Brawl, No More Heroes 1 and 2, Muramasa, Zak and Wiki, MadWorld, Super Paper Mario, Sin and Punishment, Mario Kart, New Super Mario Bros. And don’t forget about the games yet to come, like Kirby’s Epic Yarn and Skyward Sword. Pile WiiWare on top of that and you come to see that the idea of the Wii not receiving a sizable amount of AAA titles is ridiculous.
Yet clearly, people are ignoring their Wiis. Which brings us back to the question: why? I’m sure that there isn’t just one reason for why our white, plastic buddy constantly seems to be ignored. But one factor that I definitely think deserves a second look is the Wii’s lack of any kind of console-wide achievement system.
If you have an Xbox 360 or a PS3, you already know how addictive these things can be. Although it seems silly, there is a certain sense of satisfaction one gets from watching their gaming history manifest itself into something more tangible. And this satisfaction seems to be nearly universal. While people’s obsessions with their gamerscore certainly vary, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t get even a small sense of gratification from seeing the Achievement Unlocked message flash on their screen.
Now many Wii games already do include in-game achievement systems, like Wii Sports Resort, which seems to me like a sure sign that Nintendo will consider something similar to a full-blown system-wide achievement system for their next console. But in the meantime, these paltry attempts at appeasing achievement-obsessed gamers just isn’t enough. With no organized online community, no one can see these achievements outside of yourself and anyone in your home. Part of the joy of achievements are showing them off to other people.
So, would adding a system-wide achievement program to the Wii cause people to play it more? I certainly think so. It’s classic positive reinforcement. As humans, we are instinctually drawn to any kind of reward system. And as gamers, we sometimes seem to be humans at their most masturbatory. High scores, leveling up online, it seems that achievements are merely the natural evolution of our preferred medium.
And such a system wouldn’t only benefit the poor, neglected Wii in your closet. It would also benefit Nintendo financially. I know that when I walk into a game store, I’m much more willing to purchase a game for the 360 that I’m only mildly interested in (at the right price), because I know that, at the very least, I’ll get a gamerscore boost from it. And I’m far from one of the overly-obsessed gamers with scores reaching over 100k (it took me three years to reach my current score of 21,000), who will even buy games they don’t want for the GS boost. Meanwhile, Wii software stagnates on the shelves because most of us aren’t willing to take the same risk.
Sony has already realized the advantages of an achievement system. Despite the PS3 already being released, they instituted their trophy system into later updates and now require new releases to make use of it, just as Microsoft does. However, much like their archaic views of online gaming, Nintendo seems to be a bit more slow on the uptake. So while it is probably too late in the Wii’s lifespan to introduce achievements, I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I sincerely hope their next console will have one. After all, what’s the downside? If you don’t like achievements, you just ignore them.
So here’s to our little friend’s bright future, and the day when we can all see this:
Great article! I hate it when people say the Wii doesn't have good first-party games…
Simply no. It's annoying as hell listening to people talk about their achievements and annoying as hell when people talk about their gamerscore. I honestly wish the things never existed. At the same time I don't care if they implement them since I can easily not give a damn and ignore them. Still I'd rather they didn't.
Btw
"And such a system wouldn’t only benefit the poor, neglected Wii in your closet."
Seriously? I know it was probably meant as a little joke not to be taken seriously or whatever but now I can't take you serious. You just lost a potential reader for this site.
Sorry you don't agree with one of the writers of the site. There are more than one of us who write for the site by the way!
I'm not big into achievements, but I've enjoyed them in two ways.
First, for me and a couple of friends, the 360 achievements are a nice little comparison. It's not a competition or a draw to the game. But we do find it cool when we play, often doing something tough, and see an achievement. It's a nice little bonus, a recognition by the game and system that I've done something special. Of course, it depends on the game on the quality of those achievements.
Second, the achievements sometimes remind me of quests, but they're not in the game. They don't have an in-game reward, but for some games, they're another variation of quests. If you decide to play the challenge maps in Arkham Asylum, the achievements provide you with some goals and rewards that aren't in the game itself.
And the value of this second point is a simple one that I think the detractors are missing–it's another way to get gamers to experiment and to try different things in a game. Some of us do that already, and for that, we can get a little positive reinforcement.
One, please dont use your own opinions as a bases for your idea.
A huge amount of people own and play the Wii console. A large amount enjoy most titles released on the Wii. Adding a small piece of non cheese at the end of a stick isnt going to pull people into playing more.
While I agree that things could be done to ensure that people go back to playing some games I feel that achievements or trophies are a arbitrary and useless form of gloat.
Besides, while it would get people to play new or random games to fill an achievement goal, it would be to the same extent as on the x-box or ps3. People would rent or barrow any game they can get their hands on, unlock as many achievements as possible then return. Cheap and easy way to up another arbitrary score.
Honestly, Nintendo has an even more effective solution in Europe. In EU Nintendo club they have the chance to earn stars for titles they pick up. Wii games and Wiiware/virtual console you pick up gives you a little bit of stars. Now these stars can be used to order various Club Nintendo goods. The kicker is that that they offer Nintendo Points for a small amount of stars. This is more incentive for players to purchase (Not just rent or barrow) Wii titles with the understanding that you could get yourself a free title down the road.
whether or not people continue to play those games is up to the contents of the title itself. You know, because we are paying these developers a lot of money for a product that I would want to play. So if its good its kudos to the developers, ill enjoy it for a while. If its bad, then bullocks to the developers, ive just wasted my money.
And no amount of achievements or gamer scores are going to make me want to sit down with a bad game for any amount of time.
I guess its a decent idea if you have a large amount of free time on your hands, but not for those who do not.
Why shouldn't I use my opinion as a basis for my idea? It's an editorial.
That being said, I respect your opinion, just as I'm sure you respect mine.
This is an editorial as David has pointed out, so opinion is the basis of the writing.
"As humans, we are instinctually drawn to any kind of reward system. And as gamers, we sometimes seem to be humans at their most masturbatory. High scores, leveling up online, it seems that achievements are merely the natural evolution of our preferred medium."
No, us gamers buy games just to escape from reality for a while and have some plain naked fun, anyone asking for more than that, asking for realistic graphics and/or fake achievements is missing the point of being a gamer, having fun is the most rewarding thing you'll get out of a game, also, id rather hear that developers are spending their time polishing their games instead of growing some gamer's virtual d***, you want achievements?, write them on a notebook and mark them once you've accomplished that objective.
I own a Wii and a PS3, my PS3 was acquired after our Wii.
The Wii is still the most played console in our house, and by me as well.
The only people I hear saying, "dust off the Wii" are people looking for hits and flame wars, or ignorant people that don't know anything about the system.
Or, simply don't care for what games are being offered on the system at the moment. There are all types of people with different tastes you know?
While I'm not one to go for any trophies on my PS3 that require insanely out-of-the-way paths I do still enjoy hearing the "ding!" and seeing the message for getting a trophy randomly. (I don't have more than 30% of the trophies on any of my games)
Having trophies or achievements is just there for blind fun. Some don't care, some do. But the addition can only add to the experience of having a Wii, not take away from it. It's not like you have to go for it, as the author said, but if you have them then they do add a tiny bit of replayability to some games. Especially for completionists!
And if the people talking about their gamerscore really bothers you then there is such a thing as an "ignore" button on most forums. And there's a thing called an "MP3 player" or "CD Player" for real life instances.
Having them will only add to the experience or do nothing at all to the experience, varying from person to person.
I say even if you can't have it displayed to other people through a universal system you can still add them to each individual game as a part of the game itself. Having achievements or trophies in themselves is good enough for some. Not everyone cares if other people see what they have and haven't gotten.
Just my two cents.
Shorter version:
Addition of Achievements or Trophies will only benefit the Wii and if you don't like to hear about it then ignore the ones talkin' about it. Don't try to take the fun away from their gaming experience by putting down the fact that they like to go for achievements or trophies.