Trophy Whores

Ding - You have unlocked a trophy.

Welcome to the world of PlayStation Trophy Whoring. Easy now, don't get too excited, the name is about as risqué as it gets.

This new phenomenon has taken the PlayStation world by storm. I'm sure that by now, faithful readers of my articles have noticed that I frequently bring up the subject of trophies in my reviews. The reason for their inclusion, is that I too am addicted to unlocking trophies.

Similar to XBOX Achievements and Gamerscore, the trophies reflect a player's overall skill, and are displayed online for fellow gamers to see. So naturally, you want to look like the biggest, baddest player there is. You want to flaunt your flair and show everybody that you don't mess around when it comes to gaming.

But does mastering the Hannah Montana game just for the trophies really reflect your gaming godlikeness? That's where the whoring begins...

So, time for an explanation. Whoring, in gaming terms, refers to the player playing games unnaturally in order to earn the trophies, or playing games that they normally wouldn't just to achieve the trophies. That's where the Hannah Montana game comes in. Players will either rent or buy games that they have no interest in whatsoever, just to get those coveted, virtual ego boosters.

I suppose that this practice is admirable in its own right, as it shows players have the ability to deal with broken game play, bad graphics, monotony, and a lack of fun, but I have yet to stoop to this level.

Now, I'll be the last person in the world to say that time spent gaming is a waste of time, as it's my third love, following soda and chicks of course, but whoring yourself out to games like Hannah Montana or Spongebob solely for the trophies is not my idea of a good time.

My position on trophies is that they come second to good gameplay. I'll play a game for its fun factor first, and trophies second. Should a game I enjoy include trophies, then sure I'll make an effort to achieve them all, but I won't be spending any time with Hannah just to boost my online presence.

And just so everyone knows, practicing this mentality has garnered me a level 9 on the PlayStation Network. But before I start sacrificing fun for trophies, I'll use that fancy Blu-Ray player for amusing movies like Wall -E or rocking out to some Avenged Sevenfold.

Tags: PlayStation 3, imweezle, Michael Wenzel, Trophies, gamerscore

Problem? Report this post

Andrew Wilson

May 11, 2009

On an individual basis, trophies/achievements are all right. But I feel that cumulative gamerscores are more of a reflection of how much money a gamer spends on his game collection than they are of skill. Who is more skillful: the gamer who has 5,000 Gs because they played the hell out of the only five games they have the budget for, or the gamer who has 10,000 Gs because they constantly buy or rent games but only get 100-200 Gs apiece on all these games due to getting bored with them quickly? That said, I think PS3's grading trophies in terms of Bronze, Silver, and Gold is more meaningful than the numerical values assigned to 360 achievements.

Report | Reply

Richard Benavides III

Well put, Michael. I too am a recovering achievement whore. I finally quit when i realized how many great games I was missing because I was always trying to get all the achievements for one game. Now that I am a part time worker and full time student, I just don't have the time to waste on achievements/trophies.

Robert Keefe

100% completion runs are nothing new. In every game that I played, I unlocked every item, character, ending, e.c.t. Don't call people whores for completing game objectives, and don't call people whores for playing games you would never play. If trophies cause more players to play more games then, I would have to say it's a smart idea. You shouldn't judge players, either positively or negatively, on the equivalent of a sticker.

Michael Wenzel

Thanks for the feedback guys! I am extremely excited to see people responding to my posts. I had a blog for a few years before this, but nothing ever came of it, and it's nice to see that people actually see my work! Regarding Robert's statement, prior to Trophies, I too would go for 100 percent completion runs! The term whore isn't necessarily derogatory either, as I too whore myself out a little bit. For example, I'm holding off on my second Metal Gear Solid 4 run through because I'm awaiting a trophy patch. That said however, I find the practice of playing games like Hannah Montana and such just for trophies to be boring, and not my cup of tea. If that's other peoples idea of a good time, then so be it and I commend them for it. As I said, my opinion on trophies is that they come second to an enjoyable game experience. Once again, thanks for the feedback guys!