Framework for Designing and Evaluating Game Achievements Juho Hamari Helsinki Institute for Information Technology HIIT, Aalto University HIIT, PO Box 19215 00076 Aalto, Finland +358 40 835 9563
[email protected] Veikko Eranti Helsinki Institute for Information Technology HIIT, Aalto University / Department of Social Research, University Of Helsinki Sociology, P.O. Box 18 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland +358 50 369 5129
[email protected] ABSTRACT This paper presents a framework for evaluating and designing game design patterns commonly called as “achievements”. The results are based on empirical studies of a variety of popular achievement systems. The results, along with the framework for analyzing and designing achievements, present two definitions of game achievements. From the perspective of the achievement system, an achievement appears as a challenge consisting of a signifying element, rewards and completion logics whose fulfilment conditions are defined through events in other systems (usually games). From the perspective of a single game, an achievement appears as an optional challenge provided by a meta-game that is independent of a single game session and yields possible reward(s). Keywords Online games, game design, game achievements, game rewards, marketing, game ontology, motivation, gamification INTRODUCTION Despite the rapid diffusion of achievements, badges and trophies into a variety of digital games and services, the phenomena around them have gained relatively little academic attention. Some industry studies have found that games with achievements generate more revenue and receive better critical reception (EEDAR 2007). A powerful example of the adoption of achievements is Microsoft’s Xbox Live platform: all games published there are required to have achievements.