PS3's trophy system explained
First off: thank goodness they're not actually called "entitlements." No – Sony has gone simple with its in-game rewards / bragging rights system, settling on the concept of "Trophies" for rewarding players for their ... achievements in games.
We had the opportunity to see exactly how the Trophy system will work, which games will support it, and more nitty-gritty details that you can read about after the break!
Gallery: PS3 Firmware 2.40
No beating around the bush – Sony's "Trophies" are Microsoft's "Achievements." Except that there's no Gamerscore point equivalent. Instead, PS3 owners get a revamped version of their user profile that displays how many Trophies they've earned, how many of which type – platinum, gold, silver, or bronze – they have, and what their current "level" is.
click to enlarge
The first two games to support Trophies will be the Sony-published PixelJunk Eden (we saw the XMB screen, but not the game, unfortunately) and Super Stardust HD. The former will be the first PS3 title to feature trophies right out of the gate; the latter will add them via a downloadable update. Here's the unfortunate news: you'll need to earn Trophies in games that are patched to include them even if you've already completely beaten the game. For example, if GTA IV received a trophy update, you'd need to play through it again – even if you achieved 100% completion – in order to earn its Trophies.
"You earn a platinum Trophy for unlocking every other trophy in a game for ultimate bragging rights." |
From the sound of things, though, there's not a lot of movement in terms of already-released titles receiving Trophy support. According to Sony, developers would need to go back in and add the "trigger values" that unlock a Trophy, something we could only expect larger developers to undertake on titles that already have Xbox 360 achievements.
Still, Sony is going to be offering Trophies in two more of its PSN titles for PS3, Pain and Warhawk, at an undisclosed date.
The really interesting aspects of trophies that we noted during our demo of firmware 2.40 are: a "level" system, which takes into account the number of Trophies you've earned and displays your progress via a percentage bar towards the next level; developers can customize the trophy achievement art to fit their games; and you earn a platinum trophy for unlocking every other Trophy in a game for ultimate bragging rights.
click to enlarge
"It's actually the closest 2.40 comes to mimicking Xbox Live." |
The new XMB (in-game and out) lets you quickly view your Trophies (the new icon is located under the Games section of the XMB) and compare your collection side-by-side against people on your PSN friends list. In this view, you can see when you and your friend earned the trophy. Plus, a quick description of what's required to earn a certain Trophy is always displayed below its name for easy reference.
We're glad to see Sony finally realizing the appeal of an achievement awards system. It's very similar to what Microsoft offers, but that's fine. It's actually the closest 2.40 comes to mimicking Xbox Live, plus elements such as the "gamer level" – and being able to see if someone is more of a "bronze gamer" than a "gold gamer," for example – is intriguing.













Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Xoviet chiK @ Jun 30th 2008 8:14AM
I was never really a fan of achievements, though I can't deny I'm *secretly* addicted to them. I really like Sony's take on the concept with different classes / levels of trophies.
Any word on wether or not SCE is enforcing restrictions such as Microsoft's imposed "50 achievement limit" and "1000 points limit"?
Sheppy (of the Fidlious Clan of Wong) @ Jun 30th 2008 10:08AM
I liked the ones which were creative. You know, suggested fun things to do. The ones I hated were the ones that were strictly time trials, generic benchmarks (1000 headshots... whoop de fucking do), or "beat X on Hard."
The concept as a whole is sound, but I still think it's missing one very valid part which was included when they debuted as Skill Points in R&C on PS2. Reward. Why can't my achievement points/trophies access rewards like background images or avatars from the MS/PS3 stores? Why can't I unlock a new outfit at certain point benchmarks? RIGHT NOW, their primary purpose is a dickhat to wear. Which saddens me because several companies HAVE worked in actual rewards while most give achievement points little to no value.
Once they make THAT a feature, then I'll be excited about them.
BIGGEN (LIVE-PSN: BIGGEN1103) @ Jun 30th 2008 10:39AM
i think F.E.A.R. and DOAX2 had the worst achievements out there. fight nights achievements were too easy. definitely an unbalanced system in that aspect. as much as i hate halo3, they were pretty creative. dead rising wasn't bad either.
Mr.ESC @ Jun 30th 2008 11:48AM
Dead Rising achievements were awesome because they made you play the game in a different way but 7 day survivor *glup good luck with that.
TOB achievements were fun to get especially in Team Fortress 2.
Poisoned Al @ Jun 30th 2008 12:46PM
The best achivement to date in my mine has to be "Little Rocket Man" in Half Life 2 E2. That was just genius!
Mr.ESC @ Jun 30th 2008 1:13PM
Ha ha Little Rocketman was a funny one, Valve don’t ever make me do that again.
I don't know if this just happened in the xbox 360 version but the damn gnome throw me to the other side of the level when I stepped on him by accident, sometimes it incredibly heavy and there was no way to move it, not even with the gravity gun.
I hated the parts where suddenly the ceiling collapsed or parts where you can’t go back because sometimes I forgotten the gnome, especially after a heavy battle. It was a fun and frustrating ride, especially because I was doing “Get some grub” achievement as well. There are 2 achievements left for me in the orange box: Lambda locator and Aperture Science (Only 2 challenges to go).
TOB had the best achievements. (Hotpotat0wn3d.)
eNrique @ Jun 30th 2008 3:54PM
is this free??
/sarcasm*
SimbaDogg @ Jul 1st 2008 2:07AM
sounds like you have a 360...why are limits good/bad? i'm not familiar w/ it since i dont, and will never have a 360.
and on a site not, someone should tell that guy to move that xbr3, its dangerously close to the edge
nintendo fanboy hater @ Jun 30th 2008 8:22AM
M$ has no such limits... oblivion has more than 1200 and burnout paradise has more as well not to mention multiple other games that get new achievements as time goes on.
Xoviet chiK @ Jun 30th 2008 8:29AM
That's how it was originally. Then Microsoft allowed a game to gain additional achievements worth additional points for Downloadable Content.
I don't know what the deal is now (Orange Box has 99 achievements, probably a sole exception for it having 5 games - Ninja Gaiden II has 60).
For example Condemned: Criminal Origins has 50 achievements for only 970 points. When asked why it didn't have the full 1000 limit, a developer responded with something to the tune that they had reached the 50 limit and decided not to change the point values (game has pretty organized point distribution).
Guerrilla @ Jun 30th 2008 8:30AM
No, there is a limit set by Microsoft. A game is limited to 1000 and then the developer is allowed an additional 250 for expansions that they can divy up as they see fit.
Oblivion shipped with more than 1000 because it shipped as a GOTY edition with the expansions. For example, Mass Effect is reported to have 4 more episodic DLC. The last/first DLC mission added 50 points worht of achievements and each DLC that follows will add 50 more for a total of 250.
Silencer @ Jun 30th 2008 8:31AM
There is a cap on achievements. Regular game can't have more than 1000 points, if an expansion or a DLC is released, it can add 250 points. That's why Oblivion and Gears for example have 1250 points total.
breachless @ Jun 30th 2008 8:23AM
Now all the Sony guys will finally see what us 360 owners have been enjoying for awhile now... I scoffed at the idea of achievements before I got my 360, but I have to admit that they are actually quite fun, and have helped me squeeze a lot more playtime out of some games that may have not been played as much otherwise...
Good to see PS3 owners will get a similar incentive to play their games a bit more too. Sweetens the deal for me when I finally spring for a PS3...
SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread) @ Jun 30th 2008 9:08AM
yea i think the possibility of adding replay value to games is the most important thing with trophies/achievements. i always liked the Task features in the Ratchet & Clank games but i didnt like the fact that they didnt tell you what you were supposed to be doing to complete said task. this should be more right up my alley.
Cigol @ Jun 30th 2008 10:18AM
Wow, you said that without descending into a disparaging remark. Kudos.
Sean @ Jun 30th 2008 10:52AM
Speaking of enjoyment... They forgot to show what happens when you actually achieve a trophy.
I love the way an achievement pops up on the 360. It's really a great way to show you've accomplished something after working a long time to get a particular achievement...
Shawn @ Jun 30th 2008 8:25AM
Horay for a new level of addiction! It's kinda disheartening to hear that we'd have to replay a game again to get Trophies but I guess it'd be more rewarding than if all of a sudden 100 trophies showed up for stuff we did in games a year ago.
Xoviet chiK @ Jun 30th 2008 8:37AM
I'm looking at it as a blessing, heh.
All too often a game sits on the shelf after I "beat" the single player game. Any reason to come back to a game is fine by me.
Hooked up my Xbox this week while my 360 was off to MS for repair... Played it once for like 20 minutes, and I had a whole stack of games I wanted to play through again!
Dionisio @ Jun 30th 2008 11:47AM
Good point. Suddenly one day in 2012 Super Rub-A-Dub might be appealing once again... but I doubt it.
Neil @ Jun 30th 2008 8:25AM
Missing one significant feature - the ability to share your achievements outwith the console. Xbox Live achivements are so successful because everyone can see them online and you can use your card as a signature etc.
nxtiak @ Jun 30th 2008 8:37AM
Why do you keep saying "outwith" wtf does that mean.
Just say "outside".
Nate @ Jun 30th 2008 8:50AM
Well, you can see them on your friends list. Maybe Sony will roll out an online webpage where you can look at everything, that would be cool.
Morgon @ Jun 30th 2008 9:02AM
Indeed.
That's very disheartening that they wouldn't increase the off-console experience - it's one of the main reasons that Achievements got so popular (therefore increasing sales and keeping people on their 360s).
Hopefully they have this in the works, just not fully ready for 2.40.
SonofaGunner @ Jun 30th 2008 9:31AM
Right, because it was available day one on the 360 uh? Quit repeating the same thing, because your opinion won't catch on like wild-fire like you're hoping it will.
wired2thewall @ Jun 30th 2008 9:42AM
Neil is just using his "word of the day" in a way that will allow him to remember it for the rest of his life. Now, due to diligence in using his new word, so will you (and me) ;)
xFenixKnightx @ Jun 30th 2008 8:36AM
And the Trophy Whores were born...
MGS4, COD4, Uncharted, Lego Starwars, Ridge Racer 7, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Marvel Ultimate Alliance patches please! Thankyou :) w000000t!!!
Brodie-san @ Jun 30th 2008 8:44AM
Yeah, I've really been meaning to play Uncharted again (one of the best games I've played in years). I got about 38/60 of the artifacts the first time through.
I'm glad I waited now. I just wonder what could be added as part of the trophy process?
Afterall, for those that know the game there's an extensive "achievement" list already built into the game.
tmacairjordan87 @ Jun 30th 2008 9:05AM
Hell uncharted should be the easiest to patch in cause they basically already have trophies. It'd be nice if every game could get a patch but that won't happen. I'll settle for MGS 4 trophies though.
xFenixKnightx @ Jun 30th 2008 10:41AM
My question is, when the hell are they going to add some better avatars? Damn I can get a crap load of free gamerpics on XBL that look way better than these generic looking ones. Then when they announce new games for 360 they give out free themes and gamerpics on that 1st day as well. And for close to nothing I can get some really awesome ones like this NG2 gamerpic I have here.
Where are the MGS4, COD4, GTAIV, GTP, LBP, Tekken and KZ2 avatars? They have crappy HAZE yet they dont have MGSfricken4? Arghhhhh!!! >:(
Pesico @ Jun 30th 2008 8:43AM
I think it's good that you have to replay games. Otherwise, cheaters would have downloaded game saves. That wouldn't have been fair.
xFenixKnightx @ Jun 30th 2008 8:52AM
Yes I agree, in fact this will make me go ahead and rent games like Lair (if it received a trophy update) so I can play it now that it has the analog controls. Its just an extra incentive IMO to play games more and play them longer.
So the good news now is that its safe to say that most all new games coming out will have trophies and multiplat games will have the same achievements/trophies on each game. This is great! Congrats to Sony.
JJ Rooster @ Jun 30th 2008 10:04AM
Good question! How will these trophies be protected from game save exploits and such? For example, something like Metal Gear where you can download a save with all emblems and items etc. It would at least give you an unfair start if you began a new game with all items.
Obie @ Jun 30th 2008 9:01AM
No gamerscore? I dunno, seeing the score next to a persons online ID is a lot more gratifying instead of digging into their profile and seeing what they have accomplished.
Now Nintendo needs one of these, it would be awesome if I had something to show for getting all stars Mario Galaxy !
Xoviet chiK @ Jun 30th 2008 9:04AM
You can still see how many of what type of trophy you acquire. Number of trophies ≡ gamerscore.
Obie @ Jun 30th 2008 9:13AM
I guess you are right, and it's better than nothing.
A.Jeffery @ Jun 30th 2008 9:51AM
you get a level, each trophy is worth a certain amount of points, the more points you get the higher the level you are.
Martez @ Jun 30th 2008 2:29PM
I like the idea of levels other than a static gamerscore number, personally. Too many games just give them away for easy nonsense, so separating them and making harder or more significant achievements count more is a good idea in my book.
Rodrigo @ Jun 30th 2008 9:12AM
great i hope they have trophies for resistance: fall of man, i want 2 play that game for the 5th time. resistance: fall of man is my favorite game of all time.
TRI-GAMER @ Jun 30th 2008 9:49PM
You clearly don't have a life.... your getting excited over a system that has been put in place by Microsoft over 4 years ago, This is MIRROR of Xbox's Achievement Point System without using Gamerpoints. Instead they are using Trophypoints.
Comparing unlock items, progress with other gamers is a copycat move...
Enjoy Resistance!!!!!
beoba @ Jun 30th 2008 9:12AM
> nxtiak
or "outside"? :)
myabsolution @ Jun 30th 2008 9:20AM
Are trophies MANDITORY for games? Or will some future games have them and some wont?
Microsoft actually mandates games, so arcade + retail have to have achievements or it cannot be made.
If these aren't manditory to dev/publishers, its pointless and silly.
Vcize @ Jun 30th 2008 10:41AM
Good point. I had just assumed they'd be mandatory. Hopefully Sony doesn't take the "let the developers decide" approach that they've been taking this gen with this.
DiRT @ Jun 30th 2008 11:45AM
I don't want these AT ALL. I hope there's an opt-out feature for the adults.
KIDD @ Jun 30th 2008 9:25AM
Are you kidding me.... when is Sony going to come up with there own idea.... First it was they took the SIX-AXIS controller idea from Nintendo, and now MS GamerCard and Achievement system.
Sony has no creativity anymore... they have lost there passion for gaming since they won the last gen console, and they are paying for it now....
Rodrigo @ Jun 30th 2008 9:29AM
his name says it all. kids these days.
Billboy05 @ Jul 3rd 2008 8:06PM
Are you kidding me, have you ever heard of something called HOME!!!??????
It just like saying the Microsoft stole the Vibration from The PS2 controllers, oh wait, THEY DID. Who actually cares if stuff is stolen, if anything, its actually better!
A.Jeffery @ Jun 30th 2008 9:27AM
Your Trophy's give you points, which help to increase your level.
Gold, Silver, Bronze and Platium trophies are all worth different point values.
---
I quite like this idea, so rather than saying i have 5000 Gamerscore points, you can just state you are a level 3 player.
NATO_Duke @ Jun 30th 2008 11:38AM
See, this is the part I don't really like. The idea of placing people on levels for their trophies. Here we have a system out for a while, now you add this support - and future games have trophies. Yet, all the past games generally don't. So, how does someone reach the highest level in this? How would Sony figure out a top end in levels if more trophy games are being made? It just doesn't jive with me.
I like the sytem otherwise, but think the level idea is odd.
yungstar @ Jun 30th 2008 3:23PM
what if it's level 3 via easy games rather than level 3 via the harder kind?
SoxFan13 @ Jun 30th 2008 9:30AM
He could have just said, "yeah, you know achievements? This is the same thing. End of video."