Achievements are the most absurd way to increase ‘content’ of the game since they don’t actually increase the content. Achievements are nothing more than ‘gold stars’ like a pre-school child who gets a ‘gold star’ because he can complete a stage without losing a life. Are gamers so lacking in real life achievement that that they desire to get ‘gold stars’ in a video game? Apparently, yes.
In the old days, we would make our *own* achievements. When replaying a game like Ninja Gaiden, we would go, “OK, I will beat this stage without dying.” When we did it, we felt proud because we beat our own challenge. People make speed runs purely to show off to others. And what are high scores but a show-off as well?
Achievements lack the social ‘game’ between real life people when we would challenge one another. Imagine if we could create ‘Challenges’ and send it to other players we know. “I challenge that you cannot beat level 5 on one life!” “You’re on!” It would give it a social dynamic. Also, the ‘challenge’ wouldn’t seem so hollow as an ‘achievement’ does.
To make things really interesting, add in betting. “I bet you $10 you cannot complete Mega Man 9 with just using the mega buster!” “Oh, you are so going to lose on that bet!” This would make gaming MUCH more colorful. The game company could even take a small percentage of the winnings so this would open up a new pipe of cashflow. People love to bet against others in challenges over the Internet in smaller flash games all the time.
Now, there are legal problems with this. However, I don’t see any super impossible barriers to this. The ramifications would be the game company generating new cashflow from these betting challenges, the players would keep playing the game more and more, and ‘pro-players’ could generate consistent money from their winnings.
Crazy? Yes. But I am crazy. The only fun ideas are the crazy ones.