DMC4 accomplishments are intriguing

by Jem Alexander { Feb 4th 2008 at 3:00PM }

We've been happily playing Devil May Cry 4 for a wee while now (check out our review and awesome series retrospective) and whilst doing so we noticed something a little strange about the game's accomplishment system. It's not the first multiplatform game to include the Xbox 360 achievements inside the PS3 version, by any means, though it is the first to allow players to check out their online accomplishment rankings as well as check out exactly which individual accomplishment goals their friends have achieved.

The interesting thing is that the "Accomplishment Unlocked" screen is a part of the PS3 Operating System, similar to the network connection screen, rather than an in game messsage. What does this mean? Well it could mean that DMC4 is the first game to include specific data which Home will later be able to turn into trophies (when it's finally released). It could potentially indicate other exciting things, but we'll leave the rampant speculation to those who do it best: you, the commenters.

Tags: accomplishments, capcom, devil-may-cry-4, dmc4

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Drunkenshaolin @ Feb 4th 2008 3:09PM

i think devil may cry 5 be out before home!!lol

maverick_saturn_626 @ Feb 4th 2008 3:42PM

Don't say such foul things :O

The horror of it!!

SAGExSDX @ Feb 4th 2008 3:12PM

or it could just be that the ps3 OS allows games to produce a standard "alert()" message

naxe @ Feb 4th 2008 3:15PM

It's A TRICK!!

Hurry turn it off. Sony is implementing mind control in the form of achievements.

J/k that was a lame joke........ Sony is getting ready for the Home trophies like you mentioned. seeing how dmc4 is a reletivley popular game once home is introduced it will most likely auto-load your saves/ achievements.

i hope something comes soon playing the waiting game isnt fun. its a good thing work and school keep me busy.

Nick C. @ Feb 4th 2008 3:30PM

Now this is interesting! Good find!

Nick C. @ Feb 4th 2008 3:30PM

Now this is interesting! Great original research by PS3Fanboy!

jg274105 @ Feb 4th 2008 3:41PM

As much as I'd love to say that I think this has some sort of link to Home, I can't. To me it looks like a standard 'error' alert. If I am wrong and this is indeed something to do with Home, then it slightly saddens me, especially if this is the system used for further 'Accomplishments' as they are called here.

I was hoping for something a little less intrusive on the flow of the game, having these pop ups in the middle of an intense fight could really be annoying.

Of course DMC4, and Burnout for that matter, could be using an accomplishment function that Sony has secretly implemented and has yet to fully flesh out and Capcom decided to use error messages instead of implementing something nicer.

Heres to hoping I'm wrong and that this is indeed a precursor to Home coming soon.

Josh @ Feb 4th 2008 3:43PM

Sorry guys, but this is just a standard alert like mentioned above, the PSP OS can do the same (Crush uses the OS for all messages).

Ranus Studios @ Feb 4th 2008 3:52PM

I can't say I'm really excited about it, whether it's for Home or otherwise. Just an achievement that's probably using some sort of OS operation in a basic manner.

I am cynical today.

Hashbrown_Hunter @ Feb 4th 2008 4:02PM

Or Skype...or a RSS Feeder...or a lot of other things.

Pete @ Feb 4th 2008 4:13PM

So you have to hit OK to clear the message from the screen? Uhh, no thanks. Talk about the wrong way to do things.

Dahk @ Feb 4th 2008 6:55PM

So you're saying that there should be no button? So the player can't quit the screen?

Or maybe that the thing should be time controlled for 20 seconds, so the player can get a break to eat his/her pizza pocket?

Or maybe that there should be a cancel button to discard the achievement and do it ... ALL over again?

Talk about the many ways to do things.

Pete @ Feb 4th 2008 7:00PM

No, it should be a small pop-up on the screen that disappears after a few seconds. Like when you get an alert that a friend has signed on. Like the 360 does. It shouldn't be so intrusive as to take you out of the game environment completely with a black screen.

B1gC72 - PSN: KillaKornbread @ Feb 5th 2008 12:59PM

yea it should pop up in the top right corner like every other message does on the PS3. i hope they put some kind of color or something to it though so it is decipherable from the standard message at a glance. i tend to ignore the messages alot since they mostly tell me my internet sucks and i just got signed out of the PSN.

marklar @ Feb 4th 2008 4:21PM

lol yeah, half-assed way to copy achievements - typical sony move

Extinction @ Feb 4th 2008 9:28PM

Um, it was Capcom that did it this way, not Sony.

You fanboy moron

lobodestroyo @ Feb 4th 2008 4:37PM

Is this evident in other PS3 titles? Someone mentioned Burnout?

Michael @ Feb 4th 2008 5:23PM

Guys,

It makes total sense that this COULD be a way to implement Home Trophies. I would imagine that this is a pretty lame way of doing achievements. I would hope Capcom would know this, and would have jazzed it up a bit. I mean, Uncharted's system is decent enough. Now, to have an 'alert' like people have suggested would poor judgment on Capcom's part if this is how they implemented it. However, if this is just a default way that the data is handled without Home, it makes perfect sense. Here's to hoping we could soon this in trophy rooms across Home.

Phizzy @ Feb 4th 2008 6:03PM

Ergh, I wish people wouldn't do that, it's like seeing msgbox popups in Windows. This is not good during gameplay!

Zep @ Feb 4th 2008 6:10PM

dont worry it wont pop during gameplay

mike @ Feb 4th 2008 6:21PM

i'm not asking for much but i woul like a damn clock in the dashboard, and sound for the alerts when someone comes online

Phizzy @ Feb 5th 2008 9:35AM

Heh, yes, a clock would be nice. I don't understand why they've overlooked that.

B1gC72 - PSN: KillaKornbread @ Feb 5th 2008 1:02PM

that does get annoying not having a clock. and i wouldnt mind a little click or noise when i get an alert cause otherwise i miss alot of them.

Beano @ Feb 4th 2008 6:33PM

"What does this mean? Well it could mean that DMC4 is the first game to include specific data which Home will later be able to turn into trophies (when it's finally released). "

NO... the developers have just been lazy and used a standard PS3 API message function.

naxe @ Feb 4th 2008 6:52PM

ps. the rob and big challenge from SKATE is killing me.
i have tried for 2 weeks already. i have passed everything else just cant get the 360 flip. when i do get it....its too low and clips the board. does anyone have any tips? i love skate like you wouldnt believe. anyone that does not have skate needs to pick it up. way better then proving ground...

Marceles @ Feb 4th 2008 8:06PM

one thing i learned on that challenge was that it's better to use the palm of my hand to do the motion for that particular flip than use only my thumb, i think that was the last mission i finished too hehe

Vince UK @ Feb 4th 2008 7:19PM

Looks like a place holder alert for when Home comes out, as jg274105 pointed out, maybe they had something more elaborate planned but as Home is a no show at the moment they're holding back the spinning trophy and fanfare for the moment, the fact the the PS3's OS is involved is clearly a way of locking the achievement to your account or something.

^Wild assumptions.

Popfrogs @ Feb 4th 2008 7:19PM

I find myself wishing the PS3 would dedicate more ram to useless crap so the interface would lag like the Xbox's does. It moves way too fast for me.

nextgenitals @ Feb 5th 2008 1:18AM

jg274105: I'm quite sure this is not what pops when you unlock something while in gameplay. They wouldn't be that dumb. I haven't played DMC4 but i expect this message would appear between levels and stuff.

jg274105 @ Feb 9th 2008 2:11AM

Yes, I have the game it indeed doesn't intrude on gameplay, fortunately. After each mission at the tally screen the alerts pop up and tell you what you are awarded with, and after seeing it in action, the way they implemented it works rather well IMHO.
This is obviously a preparation for Home, a simple software update would be required and it would be home ready, as would Burnout Paradise which I mentioned earlier. Any game that keeps track of stats would be easily be upgradeable for Home, so heres to hoping we at least get SOMETHING soon! :)