Microsoft Entices Players to Game Room With Achievements

[Tom Goldman]

Microsoft Entices Players to Game Room With Achievements

Microsoft is using the power of achievement points to give people more reason to visit its Game Room.

The lasting rewards for visiting an arcade in the past have usually been the knowledge of a day well spent and a thin layer of child's regurgitation on your shoes. Microsoft's upcoming Game Room [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/97325-Arcades-Go-Virtual-With-Microsofts-Game-Room], a new marketplace of sorts that is inspired by classic arcades and their games, can't replicate the experience of the latter, but it has been revealed that using Game Room to play games such as Centipede and Asteroids Deluxe could provide up to a full 1,000 achievement points.

The points will be spread across 56 different achievements, though some of them are very simple extensions of others. The achievements give clues to the functionality that Game Room will provide its users, such as the abilities to place themes, mascots, and decorations. In the Game Room announcement trailer, classic videogame creatures were shown wandering about people's arcades, so now we know these are Game Room's mascots.

Other achievements are awarded for visiting friends' arcades, though Microsoft has said we won't be walking around them like in PlayStation Home, so it's unsure exactly how this feature would work. It could just mean to visit a friend and play against them. Achievement points are also doled out for winning challenges, spending a set amount of time playing games, winning medals, and "leveling up." How users will level up and what it will mean doesn't seem to have been revealed yet, but we'll find out for sure when Game Room is launched on March 24.

Here is the full list of achievements:


My First Theme (5 points)
Place a Theme in your arcade

Theme Filler (20 points)
Place 5 unique Themes in your arcade

Fancy Arcade (20 points)
Theme an entire arcade with unique Themes

My First Mascot (5 points)
Activate a Mascot in your arcade

My First Decoration (5 points)
Place a Decoration in your arcade

Proptastic (20 points)
Place 5 arcade Decorations in your arcade

My First Game (5 points)
Place a Game Cabinet in your arcade

The Visitor (5 points)
Visit a Friend's arcade

Show Me! (5 points)
Visit the Showcase Arcade

The Player (5 points)
Play a Friend's Game Cabinet

Room Filler (20 points)
Fill an entire room

My First Win (5 points)
Win a Challenge

My First Challenge (5 points)
Send a Challenge

Challenge Chief (5 points)
Win 10 Challenges

Challenge Master (20 points)
Win 20 Challenges

Too Cool for my Score (20 points)
Beat your own High Score in a game

My Blisters have Blisters! (5 points)
Play a game for 1 hour continuously

Arcade Junkie (20 points)
Spend 4 hours total playing games in your arcade

Retro Addict (20 points)
Spend 8 hours total playing games in your arcade

Go to Sleep (20 points)
Spend 16 hours total playing games in your arcade

Machine not Man (20 points)
Spend 24 hours total playing games in your arcade

Matchstick Eyes (20 points)
Spend 36 hours total playing games in your arcade

My First Medal (5 points)
Win your first Medal

Medal Variety (5 points)
Win a Medal of each Type (Point Buster, Survivalist, Time Spender)

Double Trouble (20 points)
Win 2 Medals of each type (2x Point Buster, 2x Survivalist, 2x Time Spender)

Medal Collector (20 points)
Win 3 Medals

80s Skilled (20 points)
Win 6 Medals

Game Beater (20 points)
Win 9 Medals

Arcade Hustler (20 points)
Win 12 Medals

Retro Expert (20 points)
Win 15 Medals

The New Old Schooler (20 points)
Win 18 Medals

Medal Enthusiast (20 points)
Win 21 Medals

Arcade Shark (20 points)
Win 24 Medals

Can't Touch This! (20 points)
Win 27 Medals

Retro Master (20 points)
Win 30 Medals

Check My Skillz (20 points)
Win 33 Medals

Minted (20 points)
Win 36 Medals

Medaltastic (20 points)
Win 39 Medals

Fly Skillz (20 points)
Win 42 Medals

Medal Masher (20 points)
Win 45 Medals

I Like Shiny Things (35 points)
Win 48 Medals

Level Up! (20 points)
Reach Level 2

Level 5! (20 points)
Reach Level 5

Level 8! (20 points)
Reach Level 8

Level 11! (20 points)
Reach Level 11

Level 14! (20 points)
Reach Level 14

Level 17! (20 points)
Reach Level 17

Level 20! (50 points)
Reach Level 20

Medal Smasher (20 points)
Win 10 Medals of each type

Medal Mad (50 points)
Win 20 Medals of each type

Point Buster (20 points)
Win 5 Point Buster Medals

Point Slammer (20 points)
Win 10 Point Buster Medals

Survivalist (20 points)
Win 5 Survivalist Medals

Survival of the Fittest (20 points)
Win 10 Survivalist Medals

Time Spender (20 points)
Win 5 Time Spender Medals

Time Crazy (20 points)
Win 10 Time Spender Medals


Source: Joystiq [http://inside.mygamercard.net/2010/03/17/stock-up-on-quarters-for-these-game-room-achievements/]

Permalink

 

[MurderousToaster]

Well, I'd rather get achievements than not, I suppose.

Though these Themes and whatnot are going to cost, right? So they're effectively giving achievement points for spending money.

 

[SirPumpkinLongshanks]

I've never been a fan of achievements so this wouldn't entice me to anything, especially when you have to pay for games you've already bought to get them in the arcade.

Still, I have to admire Microsoft's marketing team. It's exactly this kind of thing that will contribute to its success (if it becomes one).

 

[the_pleasure_is_mine]

I don't get achievements... Are they to prove your worth as a gamer or as a bragging right? or What?

Feel free to explain them to me.

They increase your e-peen.

 

[sephiroth1991]

Why do people care about achievements

 

[Warrior Irme]

I like the idea of achievements in games because they can offer up the option for smaller challenges that don't perfectly fit into the game's storyline, multiplayer, whatever. What I don't understand is achievements in essentially a repackaged XBLA. You purchased the same game twice for the same console for slightly more money. Congrats here is some gamerscore.

 

[dududf]

Who cares about the points though

 

[Suskie]

Bah, they've found my weakness.

 

[Stormz]

So you pay for achievement now. How interesting.

Achievement unlocked: Pay 100s of dollars for our useless crap!

 

[Vanguard_Ex]

I don't get achievements... Are they to prove your worth as a gamer or as a bragging right? or What?

Feel free to explain them to me.

I think 1 Gamerscore point is supposed to be a millimetre of e-penis...which, given what retards think is cool, should really be referred to as iPenis from now on.

 

[UltimatheChosen]

I don't get achievements... Are they to prove your worth as a gamer or as a bragging right? or What?

Feel free to explain them to me.

Achievements are like male enhancement for gamers.

 

[Vanguard_Ex]

I don't get achievements... Are they to prove your worth as a gamer or as a bragging right? or What?

Feel free to explain them to me.

I think 1 Gamerscore point is supposed to be a millimetre of e-penis...which, given what retards think is cool, should really be referred to as iPenis from now on.

Sounds like a dirty apple product to me.

Image removed by my own accord.

-Vanguard.

 

[Vanguard_Ex]

I don't get achievements... Are they to prove your worth as a gamer or as a bragging right? or What?

Feel free to explain them to me.

I think 1 Gamerscore point is supposed to be a millimetre of e-penis...which, given what retards think is cool, should really be referred to as iPenis from now on.

Sounds like a dirty apple product to me.

-No image here-
Eugh, I bet it makes you sterile or something! Maybe it's for prison practise... I feel bad for saying that one.

Not as bad as I'm gonna feel when I get suspended for posting it...maybe I best remove it.

 

[Vanguard_Ex]

I don't get achievements... Are they to prove your worth as a gamer or as a bragging right? or What?

Feel free to explain them to me.

I think 1 Gamerscore point is supposed to be a millimetre of e-penis...which, given what retards think is cool, should really be referred to as iPenis from now on.

Sounds like a dirty apple product to me.

*not a dirty image here*
This? x)

Eugh, I bet it makes you sterile or something! Maybe it's for prison practise... I feel bad for saying that one.

Not as bad as I'm gonna feel when I get suspended for posting it...maybe I best remove it.

I'll take it out my quotes then if you want?

That'd be ace, thanks

 

[Icehearted]

Achievements are such a poorly governed disaster that it amazes me they'd actually try using them as a marketing tool at all anymore. Want some fast cheevos, rent Avatar and some spots games and you'll be golden in less than an hours time.

Too bad MS never went more comprehensive with the system when they started it. Maybe in their next iteration of the Xbox they'll plan that part out a little more carefully.