Creative director and co-founder of 5th Cell Jeremiah Slaczka has revealed on NeoGAF that the Wii U will not have a universal achievement system.
Slaczka went on to explain how Scribblenauts Unlimited would have its own in-game accomplishments:
There are no Wii U accomplishments that are system wide. Scribblenauts Unlimited loosely has them in the form of ‘Global Starite Shards’ which is like a giant checklist of global things to spawn and do in the game that aren’t area specific.
It seems that developers will be able to add internal achievements for their games should they choose to go down that road, but you won't have a Gamer Score or trophy system to brag to your friends about.
Are achievements a requirement for today's generation, or are they just a waste of time? Do you think there's a chance that Nintendo might include such a feature in a future update? Let us know in the comment section below.
[source vg247.com, via m.neogaf.com]
Comments 113
Boooooooooooo.
Seriously Nintendo, is it that hard to copy somerhing this simple?
Well that's a major disappointment! I think it would be a great idea to have achievements on Wii U... I think Nintendo could come up with a very creative achievement system, and it's a huge shame they aren't...
Fine by me.
I play the games that I want to play just to have fun and I don't care about the whole competing to get the most achievement thing.
A little disappointing, but it's not like it's that much of a loss. Essentially, Miiverse is a more social and matured concept of an achievements system; it's a "game diary". You can let known all your progress, your achievements and the like in a more interactive and socialised manner. It's much less tacky and more evolved than a simple, "Oh wow, you did five ground pounds with Luigi in rapid succession!".
Goodness, the melodrama that becomes of this industry is beyond me.
doesn't really worry me but what I do want is that 'A WINNER IS U' screen to pop up everytime I finish a game
Thank god, this crap needs to end. Games should be guided by curiosity, not achievements or trophies. The reward for beating a level is seeing the next level.
I am only too happy about this. By far my favorite awards system was in Final Fantasy: the Crystal Bearers. It was really interesting and was completely integrated into the game. It helped me understand the game and guided me through the exploration of the game.
Once a trophy system becomes integrated in to the system it becomes tacked on to games in a boring way that seems mainly to exist in order to fuel or exploit peoples sad need for approval.
Whaaaat! You mean I can't brag about being the best whilst massaging my ego. Woe is me Seriously, never owned a PS/XBOX ( no hater though,
From a business perspective, I don't think this is a good idea. When people are deciding whether to buy a game on a system, one of the factors that comes into play is whether it will boost their gamerscore/trophy list up or not. There were lots of people that bought Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward on Vita rather than 3DS because it offered trophy support. For something so easy to integrate, this doesn't seem very smart of Nintendo.
Is that not what one of the ideas behind Miiverse is? Do something awesome, tell the Wii U world. See the comment and try to beat or replicate it. I think Miiverse will give us the ability to post our own unique achievements and challenges. Just think of how many awesome ideas you can think of. Rave about something amazing or humorous you accomplished or Challenge the world to beat your time, total, or goal! This to me makes Achievements Unlimited!
Meh it's ok nintendo not everything is a must although it would have been cool.
I'm thinking along the lines of @ruhonthegreat, while I picked PS3 over the others when a game was multiplatform, this was due to it having the online presence, people on my friends list could see what I was playing, then we could talk about it and such.
Miiverse is this x1000 from what I can hear, so Wii U will be most likely winning my multiplatform purchases from now on.
Don't care.
@Taceus be grateful you haven't had to experience "WALKED INTO IMMERSIVE AREA: TROPHY UNLOCKED" when walking into an immersive area.
@moomoo it's not about how easy it is, it's about Nintendo maintaining their dignity.
Miiverse seems better suited for bragging anyway.
I like achievements and trophies, some of them add a bit of challenge to a game. Shame we won't be seeing them on the Wii U.
I'm laughing at anybody who thinks this is a bad thing. Achievements are so lazy a feature, they mean nothing. Make your own achievements, or actually put it in the game like Scribblenauts.
I think they're useless for the gameplay,but they're good from a business point or view like Moomo said.
@ScreenSplitter Think with logic, not emotions.
@Grubdog I think you're slightly missing the point of achievements. Yes, many games misuse them and yes, many people sadly use them to boost their ego. But they're supposed to be there to add EXTRA goals and reward players for doing certain things you might not otherwise bother with.
They often just add an extra layer of challenges to a game and expand the replayability. Pretending like they're the scourge of gaming is just as ridiculous as going out and buying a game just to get more points.
Games can still utilise achievements to add more challenge and replayability, but it just won't be built into the operating system so it's just the whole bragging aspect that's gone.
I'm enjoying filling in the Treasure Hunt panels in Kid Icarus: Uprising, but that doesn't mean the whole world needs to see each time I fill one in.
It won't bother me that much. First of all, I don't see how getting achievements or trophies makes you any awesomer than the next guy. Sure, they're fun to get, but having a score on your system because you were able to...Climb on top of a Giraffe before Bill Clinton shot three demons...seems a bit pointless to me. If these achievements are in the GAME itself, then I see it as a way to expand the life of the game (it's basically the same, but...you'll see why I like this better...or why it doesn't matter so much).
Since we have MiiVerse, the bragging element is still there, we just don't have a "score" to tell people that we're amazing. We'll get an in-game achievement and we'll brag about the awesome ones over MiiVerse.
Oh well, they add very little to gaming most of the time. So we won't see "Nintendo Stars" for the following "accomplishments."
1) "Do 500 Mario triple jumps." - Wow what a way to add replay value.
2) "You scanned that cell phone in that one room create just for this achievement." - Oh boy, I feel like a real gamer now...
and one more example
3) "You looked at every single option of tires before picking one to place on your Mario kart." - That took skill folks, real skill.
Nintendon't need to steal PS360 gimmicky features
Stand back and watch the so-called "fans" get inflamed that the Wii U doesn't do this & doesn't do that. It's like it's the 3DS launch all over again.
Personally I really don't give a crap about this stuff, it's almost always just pure time wasting filler for the mindless hordes and kinda pointless ultimately, but I know it's very popular on the likes of Xbox 360 so it might have been good to have something like it on the system just to appeal to that crowd.
If Nintendo had really gone to town on it and tied it into it's Nintendo Club Points and stuff like that it could have even been something worthwhile and potentially pretty special.
This issue really doesn't bother me if I'm honest. Leave it up to the developers. If I want to brag, I'll head over to Miiverse and do it!
@Highwinter not really, you proved my point. If you wouldn't otherwise bother doing it, then it's not fun.
I really don't care either way. I never once cared about unlocking an achievement/trophy, but i know some people do. It won't hurt anything to add them in someday.
@chiptoon totally agreed! Especially about FFCC: The Crystal Bearers Such a great game!
Why is this such a big deal? Nintendo is probably just trying to open up to all devs by not making it compulsory....
Fine with me. Couldn't care less about "achievements".
@Nintyfan: Exactly.
Eh, well there is the KI:U in game challenges, SSFIV3D has them too and as well as some DS games I've had. So The challenges can come via DLC, but only in game. Though I think they should have Mii items and accessories that can be unlocked.
Xbox does what Nintendon't buy offering Achievements.
I play games for fun, not for artificial glory via a trophy system. If I want accomplishment, I'll challenge myself and do something on my own.
Achievements are useless. So who really care about achievements has the need to play big on others, and for me...that is bad.
I just want achievements so I can have a reason to beat a game to its full completeness.
At least that means I can enjoy a game without feeling OCD about trophies
Good! They are meaningless.
Eh..
I like Achievements.
Oh well.
Like them or not, omitting achievements is undeniably a bad business move for Nintendo. They're an important part of today's gaming scene, and I can't see why Nintendo would leave them out apart from just being obstinate.
some games have the achievements built into the game though, like Bird Mania on 3ds. is it still possible for developers to get off their rear and do that?
This is how much I pay attention to PS3/XBox 360: They have a trophy system?
@0LD_SK0OL_PUNK: They could, but I believe that a large part of the appeal of achievement systems on other consoles is their unified nature.
@Wheels2050
Somehow, I think Nintendo will survive without them...
I always thought that achievements and gamer score were really pointless concepts that people should be able to do themselves. Everytime I hear people talking about their gamer score they sound extremely nerdy.
@Tsuchiya: Sure, but business isn't only about survival - it's about maximising profits. I don't see this decision doing that.
wow this is a major disappointment to me it does add some challenge or even replay value just to get those achivements.. and now that they have miiverse it would be more interesting but no -.-
@Wheels2050
They are optional extras. They are not essential. Not including them won't make a jot of difference to the Nintendo coffers.
I don't care about this one bit, but I think an achievement system would be a good idea because it would attract more of the so-called hardcore crowd.
Rarely have i ever seen anybody using their trophies/achievement scores to brag... i think it's some silly bullcrap fanboys like to say to make it seem like Nintendo are doing gamers a favour, lol.
Personally, i mostly just use the trophy system as a way to keep track of the games i've played. After beating a game, i'll only go for 100% trophies if they don't sound too boring/stupid. They are a decent reason to go back to a game you haven't played in ages.
Won't affect my decision to buy a WiiU (wasn't planning to for a LONG while anyway), but seeing as it will likely be getting a lot of PS360 ports, i think omitting stuff like this is pretty unwise.
I'm thinking some of you didn't read the entire article... sounds like games will have achievements in some shape or form... they just won't be stamped on your account for all to see. They are tracked in the game only.
@Tsuchiya: You're obviously not familiar with the many, many gamers who will buy versions of games based on the trophy/achievement support.
This will turn gamers away, especially when multiplatform games are available and somebody's 360 or PS3 have achievements for that game.
Whether you like it or not, achievements do affect people's buying decisions.
While I understand how some may feel disappointed about this, I must quote Mr. Miyamoto to express my delight in this decision:
"I'm not a big fan of using the carrots to motivate people to play. I want people to play because they enjoy playing and want to play more," Miyamoto said.
Reference: http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/06/03/e3-2009-miyamoto-talks-achievements
Achievements and Trophies should NOT be System based but rather Game based.
A perfect example of this is Super Smash Bros. Melee.
With WaraWara Plaza, people should be able to see your Game based Achievements.
@Wheels2050
Those many, many gamers will do so on their PS360's. Wii U having achievements won't make a world of difference to the mindset of the hardcore. Most of them will never budge.
You mainly buy a console for the games. If you want useless little numbers on the screen, you'd best look elsewhere. Take your argument up with Nintendo not me. I will always think point based achievements are a waste of time.
I always saw achievements/trophies as way to replay the game more and more. I remember PS3 not having trophies in the beginning then adding trophies years later. Maybe Nintendo will be the same.
@Tsuchiya: What I'm saying is that achievements could be the thing that sways gamers toward deciding to pick up a Wii U, if they're unsure about it.
I just don't see any valid reason for excluding achievements, but I see ones for including them.
@Wheels2050
Nintendo seem to know a reason for not including them and my money is on them succeeding
I remember when the PS3 first came out it didnt have this feature either so I can see Nintendo probably doing a similer update in the future.
This is a mistake from a business perspective no doubt about it. Wii U is going to have its share of fantastic first party games, but unless the gamepad offers something completely awesome I'm still going to choose Sony for multiplatform third party games for this seemingly simple reason. Trophies are wonderful for replay value. And not liking trophies isn't a good enough reason to be happy about this. Nintendo simply could have added an option not to display trophies.
Nintendo claims they want to appeal to the fans of Sony and Microsoft this go around but this is just a horrible choice. And I have to add that they sound like complete morons when they say "But! Every game can have its own achievement system!" Like that was some sort of conscious decision by them or something new.
They should have done this, and they still should like Sony did after the fact.
I thought they were gonna have accomplishments?
I'm sure if the Wii U had achievements, you guys would be gushing in excitement.
@Hyperstar96
As do many games without.
Never mind about it!
@BenAV Same here.
Nintendo's unlockables are better than achievements in my opinion, doesn't effect me.
This doesn't bother me. It's superfluous to say the least. It might be interesting to have but entirely ridiculous. I love in-game acheivements to have and any game serious about those acheivements will find room to include it in their game anyway.
That's unfortunate. Achievements/trophies are popular and it seems silly to forgo them altogether.
I saw this coming...this is Nintendo after all. Huge disappointment and honestly a ridiculously idiotic move. Now most gamers (except for Nintendo cultists) will buy the PS3 or 360 version instead of the Wii U version of multiplatform games. Zero Escape is a perfect example.
Like it or not, trophies/achievements actually increase sales in games. Nintendo just keeps taking one step forward but ten steps backwards. It's both amazing and hilarious at the same time.
I don't buy games for achievements, but I like unlocking them. Sucks that Wii U won't have them. Achievements add a little more replay value IMO. It may not be important, but I do like adding my gamerscore on 360 .
@Knux To anyone that complains about Nintendo for making decisions purely on a cash-grab basis (releasing NSMB2/U, etc.), this is a good indicator that their principles go beyond simple economics. You're right--this is probably a bad business decision. But they went with their gut over the fear of investors breathing down their neck.
I think the biggest reason they don't do achievements is because it divides the user base. Someone just starting out with 100 points will see someone else with 50,000 and think, geez, there's this huge gulf between us. If only psychologically, it can be something of an obstacle. Not to mention an attention-breaker; I'll be happy never to see a tiny icon blip up on my screen while playing Wii U.
@Knux
But it's just useless numbers. They have no substance, no purpose other than filling screen space and cannot be interacted with, used or redeemed. Nintendo have sold millions of games without their inclusion and I can't see why they'd add them now. Wii U not having achievements will not drastically alter its success. It won't make a blind bit of difference. If you like it, you buy it.
They will shift stock without achievements as they have done for many, many years. Unlockables on the other hand are much more welcome as they actually serve a purpose. You can use them, equip them, listen to them or view them.
It's not a bad business decision, it just doesn't matter.
Fans of say Zelda would buy the next new game because they like it. I can't believe fans would base that decision on whether it has achievements or not. Possibly turning their noses up should it not have them. It's not a case of Nintendo choosing to not implement them that could damage them, it's snooty fans.
It never mattered before so why does it matter now?
The real genius behind MiiVerse, much like Club Nintendo, is that it will essentially serve as free market research for Nintendo. They will surely have a team moderating and curating the different servers hosting the posts and I'm sure they will keep track or log trending comments or feedback like a massive thinktank for future use - they basically will have a huge database of direct user experience (whether they do anything of value with it is another thing).
My point in all of this; before getting panties in a bunch actually try the MiiVerse system they have in place and see if you even miss the achievement score. If you do, talk about it on the MiiVerse - put it out there, if enough people voice their opinion I'm sure Big Bros. Nintendo will hear - or at least will be watching;)
GOOD
I think it's a missed opportunity. I mean it would be a great and cheap way to promote games.
While you could brag about your performance via Miiverse that gives your achievement a half-life period of about 24 hours.
If the achievments were permanently linked to your profile every new online friend you make could see which games you really were passionate about. And he might think "Wow, if that guy was so dedicated to the game i really should check it out too!"
@Tsuchiya: Ah, let's all believe that the glorious Nintendo is always right, shall we?
@Wheels2050
They may not be always right but I think they have done the right thing here.
I like collecting achievements, but I also acknowledge that they're ultimately superficial. No big loss.
Besides, they can always patch them in later if enough people demand them, like Sony did.
It was kinda obvious they wouldn't do this...lol
Now, i thought a while back Nintendo said themselves it would include accomplishments. But that might have been a rumor. Either way I am still excited to get my Wii U! While these my give some of you a challenge, it shouldn't make or break your decision about getting a Wii U!
Respect Nintendo. Respect.
I don't care for achievements, I don't play games for achievements. I play games for enjoyble experience and achievements are not a part of that experience. Altough achievements could be nice litle extra but trying to get achievements intentionally is waste of time in my opinion.
@Wheels2050
@Knux
So without this loss Gamers would have to choose between three versions of a game for best achievement support?
I'm glad that isn't a thing. It sounds so completely idiotic it's not even funny.
I've never really cared about them myself. Some can be good for a challenge but most end up either pointless time wasters or obvious things you'd do anyway. To me that just defeats their purpose. In game achievements on the other hand devs seem to put more though into.
If I really enjoy a game I'll come up with ways to shake things up and challenge myself, and Mii-verse is practically custom made for creating and sharing such ideas.
Once again you guys are missing the point, probably because you never owned a PS3, Xbox 360, or Vita.
Trophies/achievements are a huge part of gaming. They will make you do tasks in games that you never would have done otherwise. I know that some of them are stupid like ''You started the game up'' or ''You beat the first level''. But there are trophies/achievements that are genuinely challenging. Things like ''beating the game without dying'' or ''100% the game'' are things to boast about for example. All that Sony and Microsoft did was make it to where gamers can show off what they done if they wanted to. You can view a gamer's profile and see what they've done. If someone beats Mega Man 9 without dying or getting hit for example, then I'm going to be effing impressed. It's not just a bunch of random numbers, lol.
Not only do trophies.achievements add more replay value to games, but they also will make playing awful or mediocre games worth something. I regret playing Sonic 06, but I at least got some achievements out of that pile of garbage. If a game like that was ported to the Wii U, there would be no reward for playing such an awful game.
Gamers that disagree with me are just too old fashioned...just like Nintendo still is. It took Nintendo this long to realize that they need a new HD console, just like Nintendo was so low in switching to discs for gaming. In both cases, those mistakes made those two consoles limited in popularity. Now Nintendo is making the same mistake once again. It may not affect the Wii U as much, but it will still make gamers see the Wii U in a less serious light.
Hopefully they'll add them in the future. Achievements are almost essential for boosting replay value, and the wii u lacking something so obvious.
@Knux
I don't disagree that achievements are a huge part. I personally really like achievements and am upset that the Wii U won't have them.
But like I said, the argument that it should have achievements so people can debate over what version to get is the most idiotic thing.
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait...isn't this old news? I thought Nintendo already said that they weren't going to offer achievements but that third party games could have them.
Reading these comments, it seems that people ignore the fact that there are in-game achievements.
@turtlelink #67 well Nintendo does have achievements each star in a Mario game is an achievement, all hearts in Zelda is another, SSB trophies, those wii sports resort stickers, changing the piggy bank color in wii fit for how many hours you work out, the EBA in Ouendan 2, shiny starts in NSMBW and NSMB2, the final level in 3D Land, gold items in MK7, mii hats in StreetPass, the starts in G&W Gallery, ExciteBike WR color changes, ExciteBots animal bot changes, KIU, gold keys in 4 swords, the green screen in X-Scape, the raccoon suit title screen in NSMB2. Need I go on?
@HarmoKnight
Not the same thing.
@The_Fox Actually it is, the only difference is that theres no place that collects them to show off what you got
This is definitely annoying, but not a deal breaker by any means. I do enjoy getting trophies, because it gives me the feeling of accomplishment, and bragging rights for people on my friends list, but games were fun long before trophies were introduced. Still, I wish Nintendo wouldn't be so stubborn. I mean if the fans want it, why not just give it to them?
Sony would probably try to sue Nintendo for copying this feature anyway
I could be a good feature in the games that use them properly and have achievements that actually add to the game rather than pointless ones that are thrown into the game to help gamers boost their gamer score but I'm not that bothered that the Wii U doesn't have them. Developers can still add their own internal achievement system to games if they want and I prefer it that way as the achievement pop-ups won't look out of place.
Call me old fashioned, but unlocking extra parts for a car, an extra character to play as, or a new level used to be a reward for playing a game well, now I only get a trophy/achievement, and I get to pay extra money for the privelege of extra characters and levels!
The introduction of achievements was the introduction of paying extra to get the real rewards.
I've got a reasonable trophy count on my PS3 (I'm on level 12), and I'm not even trying, the majority of trophies are ridiculous.
PLUS, how often am I enjoying an awesomely done dramatic cutscene in a game, only for it to go 'BLING!' Trophy Unlocked: 'Like a Bat Out of Hell'
Yes, I'm using Darksiders as an example, being immersed in that game so often, only for it to ruin the experience with a pun that doesn't even suit the game, is incredibly annoying.
I don't get any of this playing my 3DS.
Dear Nintendo
I stopped playing my Wii forever after i became addicted to earning trophies on my PS3.
BIG MISTAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not fussed either way. I like it when games have there own achievements like kid icarus and resi evil etc gives you more playability but its not essential to me.
To be honest most companys these days seem to be adding them anyway to 3ds games.
Puzzle Bobble, Resi Evils, Skylanders, The Lego games, The zen pinball games, to name a few
Not a loss! Nintendo has already all kinds of achievements: Kid Icarus treasure-hunt, Pokemon black/white version 2 medals, etc. So You can't show them to anyone, big whoop!! For that we have Youtube movies!!
@The_Fox How isn't not the same thing? Oh wait your right Nintendos is better, I'd rather unlock something special rather then a piece of virtual paper that said "bleh"
Unlocking those Nintendo systems treasures in Wario world is more rewarding then the virtual bleh
Bad decision
Honestly to me i dont see much of a differnece its not somthing to get sooo HYPED about if they do have it....so really this doesnt even affect me in the least way in terms of buying the system or not im still gona get it.
@Ben_Rage_V2
"I wish Nintendo wouldn't be so stubborn. I mean if the fans want it, why not just give it to them?"
It would appear that the vast majority of them don't want them and Nintendo apparently don't get the fuss either.
Fine with me, I'm not big on the whole achievement thing
include them, don't include them, i don't care — so long as if they do choose to include them eventually there's an option to turn them off or keep them from intruding on my game-playing experience, it's whatev'.
@theblackdragon
I agree with you 100%.
@Tsuchiya
Poll the fans and you can call that a fact.
@HarmoKnight
Unlockables and achievements are two different things. Believe it or not, most games with unlockables have achievements that go hand in hand. Nintendo could do both.
I hope they do decide to put them in at some point, because some Nintendo games could really benefit from them.
And anyone who thinks the old "do anything: get achievements" concept is how achievements generally are obviously haven't been playing too many games that incorporate them.
Xenoblade's Achievements? That's how most achievements are.
@Grubdog I feel the same way! By the way, that's a really epic avatar.
Actually NL, maybe you could make a poll for this. Let's see which way people vote.
Achievements are not a waste of time because they are optional, you do them if you want. You are not forced to earn them.
Achievements are one of the dumbest ideas to come to video games in recent years. Then again... they're kind of the same thing as someone trying to collect "likes" on facebook, or the people who post comments on every single article on video game websites whether they're interested in the game/topic in question or not, simply because they're desperate for attention. So maybe achievements are perfect for the desperate attention-seeking internet generation. Still, I've never unlocked an achievement in a game that I felt added even the slightest bit of value to that game. I'm glad Nintendo chose to not include them in Wii U.
I'm not sure if it's been mentioned, but Xbox and some other systems require developers to make achievements for their games to be on their system. I think the best move is for Nintendo to not require developers to include them, but have a public display of them somewhere for people to see for developers to choose to use.
I didn't buy a 3ds and probably won't buy a wii u now either because of the no accomplishments linked to profile thing. It's not because I want to get a reward for completing a tutorial or for boomheadshotting 10 guys in a row. It's because I like some kind of recognition for finishing a game. It wouldn't even bother me if Nintendo didn't include trophies for completing minor elements in game, but there should at least be some kind of system in place where a persons account/alias is linked to the games they have played/finished/completed. Maybe it's the collector in me - but I get a good feeling logging into my playstation account and seeing the list of games I have completed in and slowly growing the list over time. It gives me a feeling of accomplishment and recognition, and actually gives me something to show for finishing a game. People can go on about it's an electronic reward that doesn't mean anything blah blah, but look around you! Everything is becoming digitalised. We don't deal in gold coins and treasure anymore. Everything in life including currency is digital and it will just keep becoming more and more so. Why is a digital trophey no different to a real life trophy awarded 50 years ago? Come on Nintendo - all I want is something to show for spending hours upon hours on finishing/conquering your games. Again to the people that say - if your not playing for enjoyment don't play it.... I say if I get the same satisfaction for playing a ps3 game and actually get something for it at the end.. why would i want to play nintendo? It's a no brainier for me.
Personally, I think that this kind of system would greatly detract from the experience of a game. Example: You're playing Zelda U, a game that will be hugely atmospheric, and you feel immersed in the game, so much that you forget that it's a game. Then - 'Achievement unlocked: Kill 100 enemies!' It would remind you that you're just playing a game, and not having an experience. You aren't Link anymore, you're just controlling him. Besides, collecting all heart-pieces is an achievement, you don't need a message on screen to tell you that you've done it. Nintendo have always been about personal achievements, so why change that? Miiverse is so much better.
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