For me, achievements represent the dark side of gaming. They represent the shift away from videogames purely as a leisure activity designed for enjoyment... towards addictive, competitive, and compulsive gaming that brings out the worst in people. I'm not just talking about trophies and points, I'm also talking about games that track medals, statistics, hours played, etc. The mark of a great videogame (and consequently, the mark of great videogaming) is one that engages me purely for its entertainment value and no other reason.
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