Achievements

Best Practices

Platform Achievements

Because platform achievements are very difficult to change and a game may evolve such that achievements need to be changed, rather than explicitly stating the goal (e.g., “Get 10 headshots”), platform achievements should reference the completion of in game achievements/awards (e.g., “Unlock the Headhunter Award”).

Relevant Cert Requirements: PlayStation Trophy Changes, Xbox Gamerscore

Terminology

Because the various platforms have their own names for achievements as well as restrictions on showing in-game-only achievements in the same list as platform achievements, we only ever refer to achievements as “Awards” in-game. This allows us to add additional goals to the game on platforms that don’t allow adding achievements, as well as not burden ourselves with using different terminology for each platform.

Relevant Cert Requirements: PlayStation Trophy Terminology

Cert Requirements

PlayStation

Trophy Changes: Requirements for earning trophies can only be changed via expressed consent from Sony. Further, trophies can not be added to the game, as the target number of points per game is a fixed number.

Trophy Terminology: If displaying a list of trophies in the game, they must not be referred to as “Achievements”.

Xbox

Gamerscore: Games must launch with 10 to 100 achievements that give the player a maximum of 1000 gamerscore total. Each year, a game may add up to 100 additional achievements at a maximum of 1000 gamerscore per year.