Xbox struck something special when it introduced Achievements all those years, but since then the system has remained largely unchanged and was arguably beaten when PlayStation came along with Trophies, and especially the coveted Platinum Trophy. But now Xbox boss Asha Sharma seems to be hinting that Achievements will get a Platinum upgrade.
When discussing some other improvements being introduced to Achievements, Asha Sharma responded to an X user who asked, “When you gonna solve the Platinum trophy equivalent with Achievements?” by saying that the “Team is working on something for later this year!”
She doesn’t say what exactly what the team is working on, but considering the question specifically asks about a Platinum trophy equivelent, it’s hard not to draw the obvious conclusion.
The tease comes at a time when Xbox is finally paying some long-overdue attention to its Achievement system. Earlier this year, Microsoft introduced redesigned unlock notifications, the ability to hide games from an Achievement history, clearer recognition for fully completed games and profile badges tied to lifetime Gamerscore. And they’re also bringing Achievements to original Xbox games.
Another improvement was announced today by Asha Sharma. Xbox Insiders can now sort their Achievement histories by game name, completion percentage, Gamerscore earned or the number of Achievements unlocked, with each category available in ascending or descending order. It is hardly a dramatic reinvention, but it makes navigating a large Achievement history considerably easier and provides further evidence that Microsoft is actively rebuilding a system that has been allowed to stagnate for years.
These are also improvements that PlayStation could do with taking note of, because sorting Trophies is a pain in the ass, which is probably why I’ve been quietly building my own phone app that lets me do exactly that.
Anyway, if Xbox does introduce a Platinum-style system, I reckon they should go with DineroPrimero’s superb design:
WGB 