Philosony: Carpe Trophaeum
Kylie Prymus is the first columnist for PS Fanboy. A Ph.D candidate in philosophy, Kylie specializes in the sociology of technology. Through this new weekly column, Kylie will explore the impact of PlayStation on thought and culture.
My PSN profile tells me that I am a Trophy n00b. An abysmal 1st level collector. I've acquired most of the trophies that you average primate could gather with ease, and I'm not sure I'll be able to get many more. I have a paltry 8 trophies, all of them from PixelJunk Eden. That puts me at a 33% completion rate, firmly in the middle of category: l-o-s-e-r. Still, I didn't download Eden for the Trophies any more than I downloaded it hoping it would teach me to finally get my snozzberry* plants to grow. I downloaded it because it was a much lauded and quirky, not to mention exclusive, PSN title and I happen to have a soft spot for such qualities (particularly the exclusivity). Being able to collect Trophies through the game is just a bonus, a diversionary side quest that makes the whole package slightly more appealing.
My PSN profile tells me that I am a Trophy n00b. An abysmal 1st level collector. I've acquired most of the trophies that you average primate could gather with ease, and I'm not sure I'll be able to get many more. I have a paltry 8 trophies, all of them from PixelJunk Eden. That puts me at a 33% completion rate, firmly in the middle of category: l-o-s-e-r. Still, I didn't download Eden for the Trophies any more than I downloaded it hoping it would teach me to finally get my snozzberry* plants to grow. I downloaded it because it was a much lauded and quirky, not to mention exclusive, PSN title and I happen to have a soft spot for such qualities (particularly the exclusivity). Being able to collect Trophies through the game is just a bonus, a diversionary side quest that makes the whole package slightly more appealing.
As I venture for the first time into this whole trophy business I've had to ask myself why I should even bother. What is the appeal of
Trophies are all well and good when they are awarded for playing games that I would play anyway. Many of us are goal oriented people - I accept that. We need a little incentive, even a few well-placed pixels displayed prominently on our virtual shelves, to get us to shave just a few more seconds off our WipEout time, or find that elusive last seed. We're also social - we want to make people aware of our successes, particularly those who have some understanding of that success entailed. Probably the same mechanism that compels us to try for trophies when others can see them is the same one that makes us laugh harder when others are around than when we are alone (you know what I'm talking about!).
There is, however, a common practice of trophy collecting that goes beyond individual games. This is another level of collector, a higher level, or, to get all polysyllabic, a metalevel of Trophy-dom. The transformation from innocent and casual collecting to the Gollum-like need for Trophy acquisition occurs when games become a mere means and stop being played for their own sake. So common and mainstream is this practice that Wired magazine recently ran a short how-to guide to gaining Xbox Achievement Points as quickly and easily as possible (with all necessary tongue-in-cheekness). Granted, Gamerscore isn't quite the same as Trophies, but is this what we loyal PlayStation owners have to look forward to? Forgive me if I'm not going out of my way to have a CGI Muppet hand me a 70's era remote control so I can play Buzz! Quiz TV for the sake of a few more trinkets.
I'm not trying to divide us into two camps here - classic Kantian gamers who treat the enjoyment of each game as and end in itself versus the wandering Trophy uberkinds. My fear is that trophies may become so much an object of affection by your average gamer that we start looking past otherwise glaring weaknesses in game design for the sake of adding a few sparklies to our profile. Could Trophies become the carrot-on-a-stick that boosts the sale and rental of mediocre games? Will some great games be overlooked by their lack of trophy support or, perhaps worse, because their Trophies are too difficult to achieve and therefore "inefficient"?
Maybe the problem stems from trying to look at Trophies globally, equating a Silver Trophy from one game to a Silver from another. If each game and each game's Trophies are looked at for their individual merit, a whole new community may emerge. When I click on my friend's profile and see that he's managed to get the 100,000 pollen Trophy I may be apt to start up a conversation and find out how he did it. This makes the process much more personal and social than simply finding the best way to feather your cap via GameFAQs or PS3 Fanboy's own Trophy guides. It reminds me of the early days of Burnout, working together with strangers and discovering ways to complete 8-player challenges online when nobody really knew what they were doing. Not to beat a dying horse, but this sounds much closer to creating one's own gaming narrative than looking up quick and easy routes to the most Trophies.
Still, I can't help but be attracted to the prospect of having more Trophies than everyone else. At the very least now I have something to aspire to: collecting the most trophies so I can be the talk of the Mountain Dew water cooler!
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*Yea, sorry for the Willy Wonka references two weeks in a row. What can I say, my Voldo-imitating Oompa Loompa toon in SCIV is taking over my life. Beware the dual-wielded egg beaters!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
strike @ Aug 23rd 2008 12:13PM
Cool!
: ]
kevin @ Aug 23rd 2008 2:38PM
wtf is this is she like high as hell when she types this? come on...
kloteradyingrose @ Aug 23rd 2008 7:23PM
A few things.
1. I did not read this article. Another overly long waste of space.
2. Trophies are a good thing. They add replay value, if you don't like it, fine, waste more money by possibly playing some games less.
3. Trophies help bring the community together. How many communities have formed around trophies? Because of trophies I added 20-30 friends to my list.
4. Sharing tips on trophies helps someone else and also helps you start more conversations with your friends increasing the chance of a stronger friendship. Happened to me and a few of my friends.
5. It will be a long time before "Gain a high level guide" comes out for people to get them up fast.
6. We dont' have games like Avatar which let you get alll 1000 points in a few seconds. Or games like Cars.
7. The features are most likely going to be tied in with Home (since Sony has announced this) which means Sony will probably work hard to try and keep it from being too easy to gain high levels so that they can use it as a form of incentive inside of Home. Even if someone is LVL 10 after doing those kinds of guides hopefully Sony will have inflated the requirements higher than that and people STILL have to work hard at games to get in certain areas. Just a thought.
Please quit with these rediculious rants where you analyze problems that only exist in your own damn mind.
Deadpool @ Aug 24th 2008 2:51AM
"Please quit with these rediculious rants where you analyze problems that only exist in your own damn mind."
You know what I find "ridiculous" kloteradyingrose? That you typed that huge rant [ironic] and didn't even read the artical!
I love your number system though, it makes it easier to read.
Gonzo @ Aug 25th 2008 12:48PM
Yea read the article, then you can have an opinion on it.
I'm on the other side there. If you need some sort of extra incentive to do some of the more challenging things in a game (I notice they're usually things I'll find myself doing anyway; if I like the game), you may have more fun just doing something else. I don't mind that people get a kick out of these achievement trophies, I just wish Sony had saved those resources that they used to implement it and put it towards something more interesting. Even if they felt they HAD to copy the 360, they could've added a feature that would at least affect the game playing experience itself like making playlists available to play over any game. With that, I might actually make it to the end of Oblivion.
And I really don't see how it ads to replay value. Either a game is worth replaying or it isn't. If I don't feel like playing a game again, I'll sell it and get something fresh I don't care how many trophies it's getting. Arbitrary and valueless points shouldn't be the only reason to replay a game that's gotten stale.
strike @ Aug 23rd 2008 12:14PM
Cool!
: ]
Chris. Simply @ Aug 23rd 2008 12:19PM
At the moment the trophy lure of games is plain to see.
But as the latest promises are stating, it shouldn't be to long before all games have trophies. And when that becomes the case they will quickly cease being the sacred awards they are now.
Kylie Prymus @ Aug 23rd 2008 1:12PM
That's true Chris. With only 4 games that have trophy support it's feasible to think "Hey, I can get 100% of the trophies in every game!". But what happens if I do that, and then the 5th game comes out? And the 6th? Not to mention that long-awaited PS3 port of Big Rigs !
gillyallan114 @ Aug 23rd 2008 12:19PM
I think overall trophies are a good addition and make you play games in different ways in some. ie. Stardust HD, dont just complete the planets. a challenge; complete a planet without using any bombs. In this instance it adds longevity to the title.
The opposite CAN happen though. You mention Buzz; yes, well on reading around there is a trophy for 5000 points in a single player game. You have to get every question correct and also reasonably quickly, I still am about 200 points shy of this but will get it if it kills me.
Some people though are waiting til the question pops up and then hitting the PS button and so pausing the game. They then google the question for the answer. Come back, unpause it and simply pick the right answer. This to me smacks of real trophy desperation but if thats what floats their boat then good luck to them.
andylee92 @ Aug 23rd 2008 12:20PM
trophies do not matter. Achievements I care about. To me it would have made a difference if they had been there since the beginning its stupid to add them now. I like the ps3 for not having this system but now they do. I like the ps3 without it so it wont change my gaming experience and achievements on the 360 do because i have been trying to get a high score since i got my xbox. i got like 47,000 on xbox but im not into just a trophy.
drudog @ Aug 23rd 2008 1:09PM
What's the difference? You like the 360 for having achievement points, but you don't like that Sony added something similar (arguably better) for the PS3? That doesn't quite make sense to me.
Seems that if I was in a similar situation that I'd be excited that I now don't "have" to get a game for the 360 that might be better on the PS3 just to earn points that don't mean anything in the end anyhow.
BTW, Kylie. Nice piece. I don't think that it's going to turn PS3 gamers into trophy whores, but I suppose time will tell. I really have enjoyed Uncharted again and always planned to even if it was trophies that finally got me off my ass to go through it again. I also already owned SSHD and the trophy addition just added that much more gameplay. Those were trophies at their best!
Thanks for the "rants"; don't always agree with everything you write (why should I though?), but they are great for discussion! Keep 'em comin...
Kylie Prymus @ Aug 23rd 2008 9:47PM
Substantive disagreement is the name of the the game. I'm just throwing out my questions, comments, and concerns because I like reading what you all think of these issues.
maroofh @ Aug 23rd 2008 12:21PM
Cool!
: ]
turkeybaster @ Aug 23rd 2008 12:29PM
I have to say, I really enjoyed this week's article from you Kylie. Keep up the good work!
Onna76_NL @ Aug 23rd 2008 12:35PM
I've got 76 trophies right now, 11 in eden, all 17 in SSHD and all 48 in Uncharted. I'm no trophies whore but when I have a game that supports trophies I'd like to catch em all. Eden is simply so frustrating that each bronze trophy actually deserves to be at least silver.
Gambit07 @ Aug 23rd 2008 1:07PM
I'd say some of Edens bronzes deserve to be gold, I'm trying to do all seeds in level 7 (the annoying gravity stage), damn it's tough.
Kylie Prymus @ Aug 23rd 2008 1:19PM
Case in point: I played the SSHD demo back when it came out, thought the game was decent, but had no desire to play more of it. But now there's this part of me that wants to get it just for the trophies. Not that it's a bad game - gunning for the trophies would make it more fun. But I've got so many other games on my plate, do I really want to make time just for a trophy game?
Like Chris mentioned above though, this may be less of an issue when more games have trophy support. Really I'd just like to have a few more trophies under my belt so it'll be nice when most of the games I want to play on their own merits support it. Here's hoping for a miraculous 50 instant trophies when Burnout patches...
frankym @ Aug 23rd 2008 12:37PM
Much better piece this week Kylie.
Your column was punctual, remained cohesive throughout, and ended swiftly.
Looking forward to reading more from you next week.
BRAVO!
Jerses @ Aug 23rd 2008 12:41PM
I think trophies are a nice add on to games. I remember i loved uncharted but never finished 100% the game but after the patch i enjoyed the game more and noticed that the game have more content that i actually think.
I remember back in the year of the PS1 that it was cool to tell a friend that you finished a game 100% and unlocked the ultra mega ending..but you couldnt tell if he was liying or not... or you couldnt tell when he finished that game.
Its human nature to be competitive why do you think warhawk is a hit or all those online games... because we need to be superior to someone else, if you lake of that need... you are a girl...
Polkster @ Aug 23rd 2008 12:42PM
I was replaying Uncharted to get the trophies when I stopped and asked myself, "Why the hell am I doing this? To show random internet strangers I have a lot of time on my hands?" Then I said, "fuck it," and quit.
Invisible Robot Meat @ Aug 23rd 2008 12:45PM
I find these posts boring but that photoshop is hilarious
Dahk @ Aug 23rd 2008 12:52PM
Quick Suggestion: Give your columns some sorta title lol. Even something like PSFanboy Column: Carpe Trophaeum =P. Just so we can differentiate these things from typical news.
Much improved article though =).
"Probably the same mechanism that compels us to try for trophies when others can see them is the same one that makes us laugh harder when others are around than when we are alone (you know what I'm talking about!)."
SO TRUE LOL.
stargateheaven @ Aug 23rd 2008 1:11PM
Trophies are fine, they add to the game. it's fun.
Eden trophies however, are lame. Too hard. I'm suprised you managed to get 8 really!
IronEagleX @ Aug 23rd 2008 1:46PM
Bragging Right! While the Trophies don't illustrate how good of a gamer somebody is, they do show the dedication they have put into a game. Personally, out of the 3 games that are currently available in the US, I have 100% on all of them. I know a few people that still need 3 or 4 Trophies on Both Eden and Stardust and can’t get them because they are too “hard”. If you quit now, what hopes do you have for games in the future?
strike @ Aug 23rd 2008 1:48PM
These articles are great =D Keep 'em coming.
Paul Svoboda @ Aug 23rd 2008 1:50PM
Great Article! I really enjoy reading these. I thought that they came in on friday so when yesterday passed without one I was scared that the columns had been stopped.
Anyways, just a long way to say that your articles are a joy to read...keep 'em coming...
Simstim @ Aug 23rd 2008 2:02PM
the gollum pic had me cracking up
MannyCalvo @ Aug 23rd 2008 2:02PM
I actually think there is more to trophy collecting than what you might think. I have a strong feeling that it will come more into affect once HOME is released to all of us. Besides having some sort of trophy collection in your "Apartment or Living Environment" the trophies would unlock perks for us to use in Home.
Here's an example. If you're a level 4 Trophy collector you would be rewarded by a bigger apartments or special shirts to wear with the logo's of that game,clothes, furniture, etc.
kentuckyfried @ Aug 23rd 2008 9:08PM
Now I think that's the real trophy system that's of any value. Simply having an emblem doesn't help. Getting points to expand upon your Home and any accessories is a big difference (I heard a rumor that that's the original intent, but nothing can be known for sure until Home debuts).
Kylie Prymus @ Aug 23rd 2008 10:13PM
Though in some ways that only increases my anxiety. If I have a legitimate desire to have a bigger apartment in Home or some such thing, will I have to play games I'm not a fan of to achieve it? Hopefully these upgrades won't be based on brute numbers of trophies, but rather on some sort of percentage within games. For example, if adding a mother-in-law apartment above my virtual garage in Home requires me to get, say, 100% of trophies in 4 games of my choice, that's doable. There will most likely be 4 games that I like well enough on their own to want to get all of the trophies in (especially if it becomes mandatory for all games to have trophy support).
On the other hand if it requires me to get 500 trophies, there probably won't be enough games that I like that would make the process painless
It's like the several of you who've mentioned how difficult getting trophies in Eden is. I personally didn't find them overly difficult, but I don't think that's because I'm an exceptional gamer by any means, rather it's because I enjoy the game immensely. Things you enjoy usually feel easier than things you don't, even if they are challenging.
James @ Aug 23rd 2008 2:05PM
I think your nature depends on the actual game you are going for.
Some have fairly random ones (IE Warhawk) that you kind of have to just play to get so they aren't really at the front of your mind. With one like Uncharted they are part of the game like collecting and it adds replay, but you still have that second reason to get treasure so it's never at the front.
In one like SSHD it's far from random or playing the game, collecting 5 shields (or however much) and 20 bombs isn't something you would normally do in the course of the game so it's at the front of your mind playing it.
I just hope more stay like Uncharted and do it based mainly on less random stuff and more game based things like collecting all treasure instead of "Collect a treasure 15 seconds after killing a guy with a headshot!!"
James @ Aug 23rd 2008 2:17PM
Also to add to my point I also agree as trophies become mandatory in 2009 they may not have that amazing appeal that they do now.
I also semi butchered my Uncharted point, what I meant to say it's something you can come back on and do later so it's really not at the front of your mind during your original play through but is another bonus to collecting all the treasure and playing it again.
anabbeynormality @ Aug 23rd 2008 2:10PM
What exactly is your concern with trophy fanaticism? Who cares beside the fanatics themselves? Are you suggesting that a game will be able to improve their sales by having easier trophies, and conversely that quality games' sales will be negatively affected by having challenging trophies?
I think that is a bit far fetched. Granted, there might be a small faction of PS3 owners that only care about 'the precious', but I doubt there are enough willing to drop enough money and time into crappy games to make a significant difference on sales. And lets face it, these people are probably already rabid Xbox 360 fanboys anyway.
Kia @ Aug 24th 2008 8:28PM
The fact you call X360 fans fanboys yourself while at the same time acting like PS3 fans would -never- play a game just for the trophies is oh-so-deliciously ironic.
mgsrocks1 @ Aug 23rd 2008 2:52PM
I want the Kratos one. Niko is cool but Kratos is a badass .
Dahk @ Aug 23rd 2008 3:43PM
Check the articles your commenting on dood.
NipGrip @ Aug 23rd 2008 4:02PM
I think the trophy system is fun and adds a bit of replayability and sometimes playability to the games. It would be *especially* cool if they restricted certain areas of Home or other content to those of a certain level. Nothing that would piss off lower levels like exclusive demos or betas or anything, just fun stuff like themes, or wallpapers, maybe a room with some games only level 5's and up can play, whatever. Something to add cross functionality to the Trophy leveling system and applying it to other aspects of the PS3 experience as a whole.
Add me to PSN if you'd like:
NipGrip
Lvl. 4 - 61 trophies
The1stMJC @ Aug 23rd 2008 4:45PM
Im level 3 and that is fine for me I just didn't wanna be level 1. So my trophy quest is over i will now just play the games for fun like I used to.
psn id; The1stMJC
Iddy @ Aug 23rd 2008 8:48PM
I reckon trophies are changing the way we game.. i hope this won't lead to games being played without concern for the quality of the game.. still, if people are having fun, and noones getting hurt.. why should we question the motives behind their gaming habits?
I know myself playing PixelJunk Eden, the lure of the 'all seeds opened level X' is enough to make me stretch getting that 5th Spectral until I've unlocked the trophy.. Still, it'll give me something to aim for while I'm enjoying swinging round the gardens once i have all 50 spectra.
Really, they can't be all bad. Just another hook and sinker on sony's lucrative fishing expedition ;P
Iddy @ Aug 23rd 2008 8:48PM
I reckon trophies are changing the way we game.. i hope this won't lead to games being played without concern for the quality of the game.. still, if people are having fun, and noones getting hurt.. why should we question the motives behind their gaming habits?
I know myself playing PixelJunk Eden, the lure of the 'all seeds opened level X' is enough to make me stretch getting that 5th Spectral until I've unlocked the trophy.. Still, it'll give me something to aim for while I'm enjoying swinging round the gardens once i have all 50 spectra.
Really, they can't be all bad. Just another hook and sinker on sony's lucrative fishing expedition ;P
Doug @ Aug 24th 2008 2:05PM
Trophies are a waist of time and as with achievements were put in as a corporate means of getting more and more people buying their products. Think about it this way, when you train a dog, if you dont give him a treat everytime he gives back the ball, he will get bored of getting the ball and will only get it for you once in a while. Also some balls are more interesting because of maybe their color or that they make noizes when you pick them up. See every problem in life can be simplified to make us all look pathetic.
NipGrip @ Aug 24th 2008 6:44PM
You've just described video games as a whole, or gaming I should say. You keep playing based on the rewards you earn for your playing. You beat a level, you get the next one. You beat the boss, you get the credits. It's all entertainment we're paying for and some people find the rewards based around trophies to be fun. It's like an additional layer of gaming added to the game that could one day cross reference itself amongst the PSN.
Not to mention, most trophies I've gotten, I didn't go out of my way to get. That's the point, it's a trophy you get for playing the game well. Take Uncharted for example. Finding 10 treasures gets a trophy. Wowzers, really going out of my way there. Too bad that trophy is there ruining the game for me. Beat the game on easy, normal, or hard.. GET OUT. Now that's just too much.
Sarcasm aside, there's only a few trophies out there that would require diligence and repetition. Take the Eden 100,000 pollen one for example, but you know what? If you don't want to get that one, you don't have to. But for those that do take the time and perseverance to do so can show off to their friends that they did. And most folks that play Eden know it can be tough to collect 100k pollen. If you're not interested in seeing your friends' accomplishments in gaming then so be it, you've just thrown the concept of the high score list and challenging each other to best one another in our favorite games. Not sure I agree with how you enjoy gaming.
Darthweder @ Aug 24th 2008 7:08PM
Aren't all things that are added into games just a way to get more people to buy them? If people didn't care about graphics, would the publishers give the developers money to make the graphics better?
Kia @ Aug 24th 2008 7:51PM
Yawn. Another pointless Prymus rant. At least this wasn't as dull as the last post about Crisis Core, but god. Did you really need to post this drivel about something we already knew?
Trophies for trophies' sake, bad.
Trophies for games you'd play anyway and increasing replay value, good.
End of story. Please take your PhD pedaling elsewhere.
Easo @ Aug 24th 2008 9:46PM
I never understood why people do that. I have a ps3 and a 360, and when a game comes out for both systems, Im going to buy it for the 360. Mostly because of the controller and my friends list (my 360 friends list is mostly people I personally know, while my ps3 friends are just people I met in warhawk.)
I guess what im trying to say is that while I always look to see what achievements/trophies are when I unlock them, they aren't the reason I play the game and wouldn't sway my purchase either way.
ice~ @ Aug 24th 2008 9:57PM
Hey, i'm a 360 player/achievement whore, and i'd like ta say that achievements have sort of become a reason i buy games, I feel that i must have more gamerscore than my friends or im a failure :D It's a vverrry bad addiction, i'd love to enjoy my games, but achievements are very addicting.
THat said, i doubt trophies will effect whether or not someone buys a good PS3 game...it hasn't really happened on 360 yet (give or take 1 or 2 games).
JaMo23 @ Aug 25th 2008 6:13AM
Enjoyed your piece. You made great points and kept me reading the whole thing. I agree that trophies are great but if they start causing people to try and horde trophies and not enjoy games it has to make the player wonder what they are playing for. Granted I love collecting trophies I think they are great. I'm just saying I liked you views.
titan88 @ Aug 25th 2008 7:48AM
another awesome and insightful article about gaming.
thanks
InfraredChimera @ Aug 25th 2008 7:21PM
@anabbeynormality
Being both a 360, Wii, and now a PS3 owner, achievements (or trophies) can have a impact on which version of a game to buy. Take for example Star Wars:Force Unleashed, if both games are identical in every way technically and play the same way, but there is achievments for one and not the other, which one would you choose? Easily the one that offers a bit more for the price.
As both of us are consumers, it boils down in getting more for your money and thats why I plan on buying the 360 version instead of the PS3 version.
Justin @ Aug 28th 2008 5:59PM
As much as i like trophys i think the game makes the challenge rather than the rewards...For me the achievement has always been the high score or the ending or the next level. Like others, I went back to pick up my Uncharted platinum trophy, but i'm still coming back to Bionic Commando every night to get past another challenge room...in anycase awesome read Kylie - really enjoying these things so please keep goin :)