Steam Treasure Hunt!

Prince Toad · 12-08-2010, 11:51 AM

Steam just can't stop giving out free games. To be fair, your odds of winning are still incredibly low, but this time you actually have some control over it. The more relevant achievements you unlock, the better your chances are of winning the first five games on your wishlist, and you can get some guaranteed TF2 hats along the way. The games with achievements that count for each two-day period also have major discounts, so if you need something new or were thinking of buying them anyway, now would be the time.

So far I've made an avatar and unlocked the Iron Curtain in Poker Night at the Inventory. I don't really think I want to buy any new games just for this-- seems like it kind of defeats the purpose of getting free stuff, and I just got some new games anyway-- but I'll probably go for achievements in any games I already own. They'll have six two-day periods and I already have two, so I can probably at least get the 5-achievement hat.

It's nice to see achievements being used as something other than bragging rights/arbitrary, pointless goals that get you to do weird things in games. I mean, don't get me wrong, achievements are brilliant in providing goals and increasing replay value, but ultimately they don't usually do you much good.

(On a related note: Penny Arcade! - The Ultimatum

My cheevos!)

Kargath · 12-10-2010, 08:59 PM

I'm pretty sure the entire point of the promotion is to enable better tracking for the suggestions feature.

***Cosmonautical*** · 12-10-2010, 10:26 PM

I don't really agree that "achievements" increase the value of a game. they're pretty obnoxious at times, and they 're really kind of a cop-out to avoid creating actual content.

That said, it is nice to see them being applied to something.

Prince Toad · 12-15-2010, 07:23 PM

^I disagree. It's most obvious for me in TF2-- knowing that I'm working toward those crazy 2004-kill achievements or whatever gives me a goal, however arbitrary, and lets me track my progress. It feels pretty awesome to finally earn those, and I'll admit it even gives an incentive to play certain classes or in certain ways.

^^Possible. Also to get people to use the wishlist function.

Kargath · 12-16-2010, 02:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prince Toad

^I disagree. It's most obvious for me in TF2-- knowing that I'm working toward those crazy 2004-kill achievements or whatever gives me a goal, however arbitrary, and lets me track my progress. It feels pretty awesome to finally earn those, and I'll admit it even gives an incentive to play certain classes or in certain ways.

^^Possible. Also to get people to use the wishlist function.

Yeah, the TF2 achievements actually encourage helpful player behaviour (except for medic).

That *is* for better suggestions.

Prince Toad · 12-16-2010, 10:43 AM

Ah. ...yes. Well. Touche.

Kargath · 04-25-2011, 09:02 AM

This contest is very much over, Alastair.

12-08-2010, 11:51 AM	#1
Prince Toad Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Rookery Gender: Posts: 11,720 Thanks: 50 Thanked 65 Times in 56 Posts	Steam Treasure Hunt! Steam just can't stop giving out free games. To be fair, your odds of winning are still incredibly low, but this time you actually have some control over it. The more relevant achievements you unlock, the better your chances are of winning the first five games on your wishlist, and you can get some guaranteed TF2 hats along the way. The games with achievements that count for each two-day period also have major discounts, so if you need something new or were thinking of buying them anyway, now would be the time. So far I've made an avatar and unlocked the Iron Curtain in Poker Night at the Inventory. I don't really think I want to buy any new games just for this-- seems like it kind of defeats the purpose of getting free stuff, and I just got some new games anyway-- but I'll probably go for achievements in any games I already own. They'll have six two-day periods and I already have two, so I can probably at least get the 5-achievement hat. It's nice to see achievements being used as something other than bragging rights/arbitrary, pointless goals that get you to do weird things in games. I mean, don't get me wrong, achievements are brilliant in providing goals and increasing replay value, but ultimately they don't usually do you much good. (On a related note: Penny Arcade! - The Ultimatum My cheevos!)

12-10-2010, 08:59 PM	#2
Kargath et in Arcadia ego Join Date: Jul 2001 Gender: Posts: 8,334 Thanks: 1,226 Thanked 780 Times in 488 Posts	I'm pretty sure the entire point of the promotion is to enable better tracking for the suggestions feature.

12-10-2010, 10:26 PM	#3
*Cosmonautical* Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I rub my tilde all over your asterisk Gender: Posts: 28,100 Thanks: 2,151 Thanked 5,338 Times in 2,433 Posts	I don't really agree that "achievements" increase the value of a game. they're pretty obnoxious at times, and they 're really kind of a cop-out to avoid creating actual content. That said, it is nice to see them being applied to something.

12-15-2010, 07:23 PM	#4
Prince Toad Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Rookery Gender: Posts: 11,720 Thanks: 50 Thanked 65 Times in 56 Posts	^I disagree. It's most obvious for me in TF2-- knowing that I'm working toward those crazy 2004-kill achievements or whatever gives me a goal, however arbitrary, and lets me track my progress. It feels pretty awesome to finally earn those, and I'll admit it even gives an incentive to play certain classes or in certain ways. ^^Possible. Also to get people to use the wishlist function.

12-16-2010, 10:43 AM	#6
Prince Toad Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Rookery Gender: Posts: 11,720 Thanks: 50 Thanked 65 Times in 56 Posts	Ah. ...yes. Well. Touche.

04-25-2011, 09:02 AM	#7
Kargath et in Arcadia ego Join Date: Jul 2001 Gender: Posts: 8,334 Thanks: 1,226 Thanked 780 Times in 488 Posts	This contest is very much over, Alastair.