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Xbox Begins Testing Its Platinum Trophy Alternative, 18 Years After Sony Introduced System
Xbox is testing Mythic achievements, a reward for unlocking every base-game achievement, echoing PlayStation’s Platinum Trophy. The feature is currently limited to Xbox Insiders, with a wider release expected later; it matters as Xbox adds a completion milestone that players have requested for years.
Mythics exclude achievements from downloadable content and updates, and will be awarded retroactively, so players may receive them for games they have already completed. The article places the change in the history of achievement systems: Sony introduced PlayStation Trophies in 2008, after Xbox achievements helped popularise the idea, while Xbox has until now used Gamerscore as its main measure.
In short
- Xbox is trialling Mythics for completing a game’s base achievements.
- DLC and update achievements do not count.
- The award is retroactive and currently limited to Insiders.
Explained simply
Video game achievements are digital badges that players earn by completing tasks or challenges within games. They serve as a record of progression and give players goals to pursue beyond simply finishing a game. Many players enjoy collecting achievements and comparing their totals with friends.
Xbox pioneered digital achievements, and this system helped inspire PlayStation to create its own version. In 2008, Sony introduced Trophies for PlayStation, which culminate in the Platinum Trophy awarded for unlocking every base-game trophy. Xbox, meanwhile, has relied on Gamerscore, a points-based system, as its primary measure of player progress.
The two platforms have maintained these different approaches for nearly two decades. Players have long requested an Xbox equivalent to the Platinum Trophy, a single marker to signify they have completed everything the base game offers. Without such a feature, Xbox has lacked this form of completion recognition that PlayStation players enjoy.
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