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Apr 16 / Ozymandias

Proto-Achievements (Kinda)

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Just saw this over on Kotaku – a flashback to the Atari 2600 days when you’d have to document your video game successes with a camera (film, no less!) and send off a picture to prove it. Activision used to send out patches as a reward. Obviously different than Achievements today as it’s not integrated into the gameplay experience or system, but pretty cool nonetheless!

Related posts:

  1. Achievements: The Asynchronous Metagame that Drives Sales
  2. Wired Article on Achievements and Gamerscore
  3. Gamerscore for Sale? <sigh>
  4. Coolest Achievement Ever
  5. Soviet Proto-Photoshop (via Boing Boing)

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  • itsgreen

    Thats really cool.

    Also read the article also earlier, love the idea.

    Btw Ozy, what do you think about the idea that achievement pictures (the one symbolizing each achievement) can be used as a gamerpic?

  • Saxonius

    But then how would they make any money off selling you gamerpics?

  • Anonymous

    Re: "Btw Ozy, what do you think about the idea that achievement pictures (the one symbolizing each achievement) can be used as a gamerpic?"

    This is actually an idea that’s been around for a while. I don’t think there’s any real dislike of the idea – it’s just that we have finite resources and a *ton* of stuff that’s always being built. So far, achievements as gamerpics has just fallen below the priority bar. :(

  • http://www.onlinegamers.org Rasputin

    Wow. Blast from the past.

    I used to have that River Raid patch.

    I loved that game SO much.

  • Porktree

    That is cool. I remember doing this, getting the patches seemed pretty hit or miss.  I keep thinking how sweet it would be to go into work with a Gears Patch, and making all the other DBA’s green with envy.  I’ll give you 400 points if you send me the patch :)

  • http://www.kimpallister.com Kim

    While not as old as the atari patch idea, sites like EA’s Pogo and MSN Games have had badges for years as well. (Integrated into system/metagame, less integrated into game than Live).

  • mike

    I’m thinking that the reason your no longer displaying recently played games in your gamertag avatar is because of the halo 3 beta now being available for microsoft employees. (at least, that’s the rumor i’ve heard.)

  • Anonymous

    Re: "I’m thinking that the reason your no longer displaying recently played games in your gamertag avatar is because of the halo 3 beta now being available for microsoft employees. (at least, that’s the rumor i’ve heard.)"

    First rule of Fight Club… is we don’t discuss Fight Club. ;)

  • http://ozymandias.com/archive/2007/10/17/achievements-the-asynchronous-metagame-that-drives-sales.aspx Ozymandias

    RE: Proto-Achievements (Kinda)

    Interesting Gamasutra article out today on a study from research group Electronic Entertainment Design