This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Earning Achievements for Games and Media
Achievements are awarded for completing specific activities in a game. The required actions vary by title and could be anything from completing a game without using a certain weapon, to winning a certain number of online matches, to completing a game, or even by dying a certain way. In short, achievements are up to the individual game developer’s imagination and are a great incentive for getting the most out of a particular game or app.
Completing achievements boosts your gamerscore, which is an achievement system for bragging rights, and sometimes provides other rewards, like specific in-game perks. There are also challenges, which are timed events for games and apps that are usually geared toward completing new tasks. Although challenges don’t boost your gamerscore, they can bring other types of recognition and in-game benefits.
Some challenges are tied to media achievements instead of just games, as it was on the Xbox 360. These often take the form of watching specific TV shows and movies or rating content in apps like Netflix, Hulu Plus, Crackle, Amazon Instant Video, and Redbox Instant. Like challenges, these media achievements don’t affect your gamerscore, but they do show up in your list of achievements and are a fun way to game-ify your media consumption.
You can see what achievements and challenges are available and what you’ve already earned by doing one of the following:
- Select the Achievements tile on the Home screen (if present).
- If Kinect is active, say “Xbox, go to achievements.”
Select the Social tile and then Achievements.
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The Achievements screen is broken up into three sections. The first section is Featured Challenges, where all of the timed challenges reside.
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The second section is Xbox One, where all Xbox One game, app, and media achievements are listed.
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The third section is Other Achievements, where your achievements from other Xbox Live-compatible platforms, like the Xbox 360, are listed.
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Selecting any of the tiles reveals how far away you are from any goals, what challenges remain, what achievements have already been unlocked, and what achievements remain locked.