Is "Trophy Hunting" easier these days?

[A-Rebirth]

I remember back in the days when I played games like Wipeout and Burnout Paradise for PS3. I felt a platinum could be reeeaally challenging. I can't remember many platinums being pretty easy which you could make in a day or two. I remember I was googling "easiest" platinums etc. There wasn't many games on these lists... But today I have 18 platinums. These includes several games I felt was really easy... Absulute Drift: Zen Edition is the latest one. I remember I did Fritz Chess and Lego Chima in a couple of days for instance. I don't know... Is it only me getting used to "trophy hunt"... or is simply more games out there with platinums that are actually not that challenging as it was like maybe 5-10 years ago?

[TigressLion]

I feel that with the ps4 and the growing indie companies alongside porting steam games etc. There's a multitude of sources that wasn't there 10 years ago so we only got big AAA games and others with fuller lists and 50+ trophies. Whereas now you can 10-15$ indie games and others with less. Though by no means are they easier: VVVVVV, Rogue Legacy, SMB, Furi, Etc. IMO you're just playing the games that don't offer the challenge.

[Makilio]

It's simply because there's more games. Odds are the "easy" games still make up the same percentage of all titles, so of course trophy hunting for quantity is just going to get easier as more games are released.

[thegirlruka]

I haven't been on PSN enabled devices for as long as most of the others on this site, but getting achievements on 360 was never difficult. Your perception may have become warped with time because you have this website now to see more trophies while you didn't have easy access to this information years ago when the trophy system was created.

[LucileRose]

It really depends on the game you're playing it, some games are and others aren't. As long as you play a game because you want to and not just to get an easy platinum then I'll respect someones trophies. There's a big difference between trophy hunting and being a trophy whore.

[ArchmageJorro]

If it's easier now it's likely only because of the proliferation of sources to get trophy information from now as compared to 5, and especially 10, years ago.

[Terra]

There just happens to be more games with easier trophies to obtain then there was five years ago, when Hannah Montana The Game was considered the easiest.  Challenging games are still out there and can be BRUTAL. 

[A-Rebirth]

17 minutes ago, Terra said:

There just happens to be more games with easier trophies to obtain then there was five years ago, when Hannah Montana The Game was considered the easiest.  Challenging games are still out there and can be BRUTAL. 

 

So you think it's not only more easy games? But there also more harder/brutal games as well? So maybe it's as many people state here... simply more games available with more indie titles, ported games etc.

[thegirlruka]

50 minutes ago, LucileRose said:

It really depends on the game you're playing it, some games are and others aren't. As long as you play a game because you want to and not just to get an easy platinum then I'll respect someones trophies. There's a big difference between trophy hunting and being a trophy whore.

What if someone wanted to play a game because it had an easy platinum? Would you still consider that playing a game because you want to?

[LucileRose]

1 minute ago, Urushiro said:

What if someone wanted to play a game because it had an easy platinum? Would you still consider that playing a game because you want to?

 

No I wouldn't, they would be playing it because of the platinum not for the actual game. I earn platinums because I want to, I enjoy it but I won't ever go out of my way to play an easy game or have multiple copies of the same game just to earn more. The main factor about earning trophies should be to just have fun in the game, at the end of the day trophies mean nothing but are purely there for something extra to do and to get enjoyment out of.

[thegirlruka]

7 minutes ago, LucileRose said:

 

No I wouldn't, they would be playing it because of the platinum not for the actual game.

But if you do charitable work for the recognition, do you not still help the charity?

[Xionx]

3 minutes ago, LucileRose said:

 

No I wouldn't, they would be playing it because of the platinum not for the actual game. I earn platinums because I want to, I enjoy it but I won't ever go out of my way to play an easy game or have multiple copies of the same game just to earn more. The main factor about earning trophies should be to just have fun in the game, at the end of the day trophies mean nothing but are purely there for something extra to do and to get enjoyment out of.

 

I respect your opinion , but it is still only an opinion.  You cant say "this way is only way to trophy hunt" . there are many ways to enjoy trophy hunting . Some go for many trophies as possible , some only of specific genre,  some for UR and some for completion rate.  As long as everyone of this people have fun doing it than it is a "true way" of trophy hunting.

I have a lot easy Plats and i enjoyed it , i also have pretty hard or grindy ones. It depents on my mood , sometimes i want a quick easy Plat to make me happy , sometimes i grind games like vvvvvv with under 1% trophies. And sometimes i play games because i love the serie or the genre. 

 

Like i said , i respect your opinion , but i saw so many different "collecting" styles in last years that i know that there is no "true" way to be trophy hunter

[A-Rebirth]

Just now, LucileRose said:

 

No I wouldn't, they would be playing it because of the platinum not for the actual game. I earn platinums because I want to, I enjoy it but I won't ever go out of my way to play an easy game or have multiple copies of the same game just to earn more. The main factor about earning trophies should be to just have fun in the game, at the end of the day trophies mean nothing but are purely there for something extra to do and to get enjoyment out of.

 

This talk about "trophy whoring" is complete bs. Ever heard about "collecting stuff"? Some people collect movies, some collect stamps and others maybe like to collect trophies. Maybe some people feel it's entertaining to actually collect or getting things? So people who paying 1000 $ for a stamp back in the days must been a "stamp whore" then? How about all these movie or music collectors who having "rare" DVDs, Blu-Rays or CDs in their bookselfs without watching them... Still in plastic. OF course! Must people playing LEGO for trophies probably don't really hate LEGO. They might think it's OK but not extremly fun but still think it's worth it because it feels good having another plat...

2 minutes ago, Xionx said:

 

I respect your opinion , but it is still only an opinion.  You cant say "this way is only way to trophy hunt" . there are many ways to enjoy trophy hunting . Some go for many trophies as possible , some only of specific genre,  some for UR and some for completion rate.  As long as everyone of this people have fun doing it than it is a "true way" of trophy hunting.

I have a lot easy Plats and i enjoyed it , i also have pretty hard or grindy ones. It depents on my mood , sometimes i want a quick easy Plat to make me happy , sometimes i grind games like vvvvvv with under 1% trophies. And sometimes i play games because i love the serie or the genre. 

 

Like i said , i respect your opinion , but i saw so many different "collecting" styles in last years that i know that there is no "true" way to be trophy hunter

 

You and I was typing at the same time. But I have to say I'm totally agree with you. It's just a personal preference. It's just a stupid as when my grandma told me that "hard rock" was not considered as music. It was just "noise"... and is not considered as "true music". And I bet she was not alone with this opinion like 70 years ago.

[nenugalimas]

The majority of games were always in the 'easy' category. I doubt that the hard/easy ratio has changed all that much. There are still plenty of hard games out there, you just have to look for them.

[B1rvine]

I feel games are generally easier today than they were when first released.  I missed the trophy / achievement boat when it first sailed about 10 years ago, and only got my PS3 in late 2012.   My first games that were around the 2011-2013 era with a few exceptions.  And I'd definitely say overall, the earliest released games seemed harder after playing new games, which I tried after my first set of games.  While there's always really hard titles from any year, it seems like the farther back you go, the more of them in a given year, at least for me.

[ladynadiad]

1 hour ago, ArchmageJorro said:

If it's easier now it's likely only because of the proliferation of sources to get trophy information from now as compared to 5, and especially 10, years ago.

 

Well, it would have been a bit difficult to get trophy information 10 years ago since trophies didn't exist until 2009.  Only Xbox Live has a system over 10 years old since their achievements and gamerscore was introduced in 2005.  Steam's system will become a decade old next year, but Sony still has a few years before trophies have been around for a decade.

[barrymcg]

Yup. this past year has been jam packed with easy platinums. I to remember the days when it was grinding platinums besides of course terminater and hannah montana haha

[A-Rebirth]

2 minutes ago, B1rvine said:

I feel games are generally easier today than they were when first released.  I missed the trophy / achievement boat when it first sailed about 10 years ago, and only got my PS3 in late 2012.   My first games that were around the 2011-2013 era with a few exceptions.  And I'd definitely say overall, the earliest released games seemed harder after playing new games, which I tried after my first set of games.  While there's always really hard titles from any year, it seems like the farther back you go, the more of them in a given year, at least for me.

 

That's exactly what I felt. That's why I started this thread. I wasn't sure if I just was wrong or not.

[QuentinCle95]

As previous commenters have said, there are still plenty of games that offer a challenging platinum. 

BUT it's undeniable that more easy platinums have been releasing the last couple of years.

The three biggest factors in the prevalence of easy platinums these days are, imo:

• Telltale games, and games like them. Though Telltale games have been active for quite a while, it's not until their first season of The Walking Dead that they started their tradition of games where you get a platinum by finishing their five episodes (with some mild exceptions like The Wolf Among Us and Minecraft). Since these games are both accessible and popular, many people have platinums for these games. 
• Walking simulators are a genre that is now flourishing, but it only came to popularity in 2012 (with Dear Esther). Though some have longer narratives than others, a common thread throughout all walking simulator trophy lists is that, because there's not much to do/ choose within the game, there are hardly any challenging trophies, and most are story-related or collectable-related. So while some (like Everyone's Gone To The Rapture) require some more time investment than others (like Virginia), all of these game's trophies are achievable by even people who've never played a game, or even have hand tremors. 
• Game companies are "exploiting" trophy hunters. Game companies and devs of today know now (through market research, etc.) that a significant portion of their demographic loves achieving trophies. It's not necessarily exploitation, because what they do with their trophies etc. is of course well within their rights. But I'm sure some companies have deliberately made their game an easy platinum, knowing that will attract buyers (I think for instance of the ridiculous My Name Is Mayo as the most egregious example of this.

 

Edited December 24, 2016 by QuentinCle95

[Jounochi]

I feel like certain genres have gotten much easier to earn platinums in.  I've noticed that JRPGs in particular are much easier to get platinums for nowadays.  FPS has gotten tougher over the past few years with games like BLOPS 2 and BLOPS 3.

 

hard to say though.  Feels like it.

[ArchmageJorro]

25 minutes ago, ladynadiad said:

 

Well, it would have been a bit difficult to get trophy information 10 years ago since trophies didn't exist until 2009.  Only Xbox Live has a system over 10 years old since their achievements and gamerscore was introduced in 2005.  Steam's system will become a decade old next year, but Sony still has a few years before trophies have been around for a decade.

 

That's nice. I was using the OP's timeframe so if you're going to reply solely to try and correct someone then you picked the wrong guy.

 

Since I apparently need to explain my point, I was getting at the fact that when trophies first appeared there were naturally not as many sites/people dedicated to them so there wasn't as much information available on how to unlock the trophies. Now there are so many people that get early copies, either through reviews or connections, that it's almost impossible not to know how to unlock any trophy within just a week or two of a game's release.

Edited December 24, 2016 by ArchmageJorro

[A-Rebirth]

2 minutes ago, ArchmageJorro said:

 

That's nice. I was using the OP's timeframe so if you're going to reply solely to try and correct someone then you picked the wrong guy.

 

Since I apparently need to explain my point, I was getting at the fact that when trophies first appeared there were naturally not as many sites/people dedicated to them so there wasn't as much information available on how to unlock the trophies. Now there are so many people that get early copies, either through reviews or connections, that it's almost impossible not to on how to unlock any trophy within just a week or two of a game's release.

 

Yeah... When I said 5-10 years ago I didn't mean "literally" 10 years ago. It's was just an approximate timeframe. And I was also typing 5-10 years ago. Not 10 years ago exactly... I was assuming most people understood what I was meaning as I didn't remember the exact date or year...

[B1rvine]

57 minutes ago, A-Rebirth said:

 

Yeah... When I said 5-10 years ago I didn't mean "literally" 10 years ago. It's was just an approximate timeframe. And I was also typing 5-10 years ago. Not 10 years ago exactly... I was assuming most people understood what I was meaning as I didn't remember the exact date or year...

 

Internet users nitpick anything these days.  This comment will be nitpicked too.

 

Anyway, but yeah, we're in agreement.  Titles like SuperStarDust were hard to 100% because of a single trophy.  LittleBigPlanet had annoyances like 4 players requiring real teamwork and acing (no deaths) on every level.  GTA IV had a brutal online (later has been patched making easier) and required 1000's of hours to reach max level. FightNight4 literally required being #1 in an online world ranking 3 times. Metal Gear 4 required mastery for BigBosses emblem and really annoying other trophies, MGS2 as well. MLB 08 required winning a season with randoms and having ridiculous win average, not to mention the worst god awful grinds ever. Wipeout had Zico and elite Campaign, etc.  

 

Compare all these games to newer games of the same series when applicable, and they're all easier. It also seems newer games platinum rates are way higher and almost in the common %.  Sure we have Super Meat Boy and others, but they're the exception now. Just my opinion.

Edited December 24, 2016 by B1rvine

[Auto-Tomato]

2 hours ago, A-Rebirth said:

 

This talk about "trophy whoring" is complete bs. Ever heard about "collecting stuff"? Some people collect movies, some collect stamps and others maybe like to collect trophies. Maybe some people feel it's entertaining to actually collect or getting things? So people who paying 1000 $ for a stamp back in the days must been a "stamp whore" then? How about all these movie or music collectors who having "rare" DVDs, Blu-Rays or CDs in their bookselfs without watching them... Still in plastic. OF course! Must people playing LEGO for trophies probably don't really hate LEGO. They might think it's OK but not extremly fun but still think it's worth it because it feels good having another plat...

 

 

I've always regarded the term 'trophy whore' as a bit of an affectionate jibe, it generally makes me laugh when I hear someone using it, nothing to get in a twist about imo.   While I generally have no complaints with the point you are making, there is a bit of a disparity between trophies and the examples you give.   Often collectors of physical media of any sort see a value prospect, historical preservation and all manner of motivations, one of which is presentation, something trophies do share, but tbh I'm rarely impressed with big trophy hauls or profiles with all plats and 100%, unfairly some probably do deserve a good bit of credit, but it's often not too hard to see multiple plats for the same game, six versions of the same game auto-popped, a stack of 'easy' completions...and then the thought is there if that person actually did this themselves, whether the acc. is shared or cleverly hacked...   There is, I believe, an illusion we all hold that others are impressed with our stats when truth be told, we rarely care less, it's ultimately a personal gratification.

 

Of course, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with ESPN style extreme trophy hunting, but I think the root of a problem for many lies in there, in that the trophies have become the game themselves, which to many is to miss the point of gaming.   Naturally it's everyone's own business/prerogative how they 'game' and it really doesn't affect anyone else, but those thoughts and opinions will always be held.  To say some games played for trophies are OK or not extremely fun is to understate the issue wildly, many will play complete trash for trophies.   The arguments might stem from a desire to prioritise the production of good games within the industry rather than poor quality sold for a trophy set.  We've seen the threads on the Mayo game...a nothing game really, yet it had a Plat, and I have to assume many bought it for that plat, not for tapping a screen 10k times.   Perhaps many harbour the 'end of times' idea that the industry will capitulate into poor quality but high trophy value gaming, which won't happen, but, it's still worth pushing back against the idea, of gaming for trophies sake as opposed to gaming for fun, every now and then.   

 

I know we're not really talking about the same thing exactly, but what you wrote touched on a wider issue with trophies themselves.   I enjoy trophy hunting, but I am acutely aware that often I lose track of enjoying games and the folly is I'm getting way less enjoyment out of the trophy addiction than I realise, they're there to enhance gaming, not be the game, at least imo, but I do respect others get something from it, you'd just have a hard time convincing me they're truly having more fun than just playing good games.

 

To the topic, possibly it's easier, all the information available/necessary nowadays (as someone mentioned) is only a click away, everything released now must have trophies and the community of trophy hunters has no doubt vastly grown too, so you will see a lot earning those plats.   An argument could be made for games becoming 'casual' to some degree, but the 'brutal' games are still there.  Honestly though, I don't think games have changed that much, but generations are now being brought up by older generations that were/are gamers, it's more commonplace now to game as it's ever been I think and consequently there are more accustomed, adept and aspiring gamers around, you know, the AAA bunch!

[Griffon234]

The way I see it, more so than just trophies, it's that the games themselves get easier, which in turn leads to easier achievements/trophies.

 

If you try discuss or argue with much of the older community of gamers on what a "hard" game is today, they'll just laugh at you and say something along the lines of like "go play ghouls and goblins." (I can't even remember if that's the actual name of the game)

 

Games have become a lot more forgiving these days, compared to what they used to be like. 

 

Of course, you will get exceptions every now and then, such as Super Meat Boy, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, or Crypt of the Necrodancer, by which are not at all forgiving, but once again, they are exceptions rather than the norm.