Microsoft Tells Publisher It Has Broken Xbox Achievement Rules

So..what rule was broken? Making them easier to get?

Achievements/trophies are literally worthless so to me it simply doesn't matter. Not to mention games can make achievements easier with updates to the game, so I don't really see the difference in this.

@ResoluteGP Well Microsoft is heading more in the direction of earn money by playing games and unlocking achievements as an incentive to subscribe to Game Pass (Gamerscore challenge of 10,000G in a few weeks for 10,000 reward points is easier with a library as vast as the Game Pass library).

Really easy 1000G games purchased at very cheap prices is an easy way to complete the challenge that doesn't involve subscribing to Game Pass.

@ResoluteGP I used to think the idea was neat because Achievements were actually super tough to get - look at some of the early Achievements. They were just that: an actual achievement worthy of bragging rights.

These days, it's just an annoying ding that happens during a cutscene blocking the subtitles all because you finished the Tutorial. Congrats?!

I really need to turn of the notification all together.

Yeah, there was an achievement in Madden 06, a launch title for Xbox 360, where all you had to do was click the right thumbstick in the menu to open a different menu. There was also the achievement in the Simpsons game to press the start button to begin the game.

@Carck Hmm, my memory was really suck because I remember Achievements being something you had to actually work to get - not just for playing the game normally.

The only achievements should be those considered Rare Achievements - or on Sony Side, Gold and Platinum.

Just my 2 cents.

But I, too, don't really understand the appeal. I know the argument that it gives reason to play the game more, but I think developers should figure out better ways to make a game more appealing than some useless Gamescore/Trophy List.

@GamingFan4Lyf, the rarity of the achievement only has to do with the amount of people who have played that game that have unlocked that achievement. It's not necessarily hard to unlock, just hasn't been unlocked by many players. If less than 10% of the players unlocked the achievement, it's labeled as rare.

@sakanakami I know, but usually those achievements require actual work from the the gamer - most of the time.

I think I got some rare Trophy for finishing a game once and was completely puzzled as it wasn't even a new game. I thought, "wow, either I am really good, this game was terribly received by the Xbox community, or gamers have REALLY short attention spans".

My point is, they shouldn't be handed out for simple stuff. Make people work for them and make them an Achievement.

I am not the target audience though as I am no Achievement/Trophy Hunter.

@Grot True. I just wanted my "get of my lawn" moment. The price of the realization that I am turning 40 this year. LOL!

@Grumblevolcano I’m a pretty avid rewards member, but this is not a challenge I really get into. 10,000 points is nice but it’s only worth a little over $10. That’s just not worth the time or effort to me. I will kind of shift my game playing to try some new games I've been wanting to play to get some points, but I won’t make a crusade out of it.

@ResoluteGP I actually embraced digital - but I used to be a PC gamer and used Steam a lot, so I'm kind of used to it. Plus, Game Pass Ultimate has me spoiled.

I mean, most games are barely playable without Day 1 patches these days, so the idea that I can "play the game 20 years down the road when servers are shut down" is just wishful thinking.

I can go both ways really. I won't turn down the physical release, but I won't be bothered by a digital release either.

Unless it's a major release Switch game - I buy physical so I don't have to buy another 256GB SD card! I don't fight the hordes for all these limited release physical games with all the crazy doodads and collector garbage taking up space for an inflated price to justify all those physical goodies - let the kids have them!

I love achievements and enjoy playing these simple indie games to get them, fun little games and great to get a nice satisfying pop or two, or three, in quick succession. 🤣

Where's the harm in that? Don't like? Don't buy!

Is this definitely a hard rule? Pretty sure when I was looking at the No Man's Sky achievements, some of the criteria for those have been changed since launch. Although in that case it was to make them harder, so maybe it's only allowed in one direction.

@carlos82 There is a difference between changing the game that may or may not make achievements 'easier' and changing the criteria for the achievements.

For example, they may balance the weapons so that they make getting kills easier but they cannot change the achievement on the Number of Kills needed. If you needed 100 kills at launch, it must still be 100 kills. If they set an achievement to play for 50hours, they can't reduce that to just 20hrs - the criteria cannot be changed after its submitted.

Microsoft laying down the hammer

@GamingFan4Lyf looking at achievements for CoD 3, from 360 era:
-basic training 5
Completed the rigors of basic training
-americam infantryman 20
Fought in the war as an american infantryman

MW 2:
-for the record 35
Complete the single player campaign on any difficulty
-the price of war (D)90
Complete the single player campaign on hardened or veteran difficulty

So the achievements varied from fairly easy(finish a stage) to damn hard(get the TRUE secret ending).

Overwatch and Dirt 5 changed the requirements of some of their achievements. Do the rules not apply to them?