Arcade Berg Game Designer

iPhone Game Achievements

More than once have I complained about my dislike for achievements in games. Most notably in a special earlier post:

http://arcadeberg.com/causerie/achievements/ (24/8/09)

Just a few hours ago Apple announced a "Game Center" with among other things achievement support.

Another major announcement today was Apple's intention to provide a centralized Game Center that offers users a way to track achievements, high scores and offer matchmaking services for online multiplayer. The system sounds similar to Microsoft's Xbox Live service which has been very popular.

- http://www.macrumors.com/2010/04/08/apple-introduces-game-center-for-leaderboards-and-achievements/ (8/4/2010)

This is in no way surprising and even though I overall dislike the concepts of achievements to measure the size of ones gaming e-penis, I'm still very fond of this Game Center.

Partly because it shows a strong sense and will to get serious about gaming from Apple's side and partly because with a communication device such as the iPhone, it's obvious that you should try and connect players. And by doing so in a centralized manner is a great thing for developers and consumers alike!