For those so opposed to achievements, if they were added would you stop buying Nintendo games and systems?
I'm not sure about everyone else, I can only speak for myself but I would buy significantly more 1st, 3rd and Indie games on my Switch if an achievement/trophy system was implemented.
As a person opposed to achievements being hamfisted into BotW, I wouldn't stop buying Nintendo games for the achievement system, but I wouldn't be thrilled about it. I'd more than likely roll my eyes and groan, but I would deal, just like I deal with every other thing that less discerning gamers have insisted I have to deal with as the industry drifts away from catering to the experiences I like.
In general, I don't see why Nintendo has to kowtow to modern conventions for the sake of modern conventions. Good ideas should stand on their own, and no one has really provided any reason for why trophies are a necessity on par with something like certain UI/HUD conventions or a more stable online system. All I've heard is that they act as an arbitrary motivator for people to keep playing, which to me only really reads as they're forcing themselves to do unfun or shitty things that they just wouldn't do otherwise, which doesn't speak much to the quality of the games that achievements find themselves in.
I've also heard the memento/nostalgia argument, but that is supplanted with the ability to actually take screenshots and record things now. Or, you know, that thing called a memory, and the ability to share those memories with friends. There's a few BotW threads here that exist just for people to share funny, interesting, and heartwarming stories. Hell,
I called my friend on the phone to tell her about the dog mechanic when I figured it out on my own. Are these things not valuable because they're contained to the subjectivity of memory? Are people actually psychologically reliant on all of their actions being mechanically logged to the second that they occurred to get any enjoyment out of them anymore?
Yeah, but following that logic "playing the game" is entirely optional, you either play it or not. That's not the point. The thing is that voice acting, story, gameplay mechanics, everything is related to the game itself... all these things makes the final product. You could skip all the cut-scenes if you want, but you would be eliminating part of the experience the game was suppose to deliver.
Trophies or achievements don't affect the in-game experience. Everything the game has to offer remains intact if you ignore them... you will still ble able to fully experience the product.
Trophies / achievements are system related features linked to the game to offer you a fully optional incentive. It won't hurt your game even a bit if you don't like them and decide to ignore it.
Wat??????
Trophies do affect the in-game experience
because they are only activated by the shit you do in the game. The fact that they're coded on the hardware is a completely meaningless distinction in this discussion, especially when games can come with software-side achievement systems anyway. Hell, BotW awards you with a star on your profile when you beat Ganon.
It's the same functionality!
This is also ignoring the fact that BotW itself was deliberately designed to have a high level of optional content in order to not force players to do anything they didn't want to. The whole point of the game is that, yes, you
can leave a crapload of content alone and never see it, but still get an entertaining experience out of it because of the basic gameplay systems therein that govern even minimal engagement- climbing, battling, gathering, and physics. You make your own adventure.
BotW is only "supposed" to deliver what you want it to deliver, and while it's an extreme example of this principle, said principle also applies to optional content in every game.
Otherwise the content isn't fucking optional.
_/¯