Since they added this title feature, I’ve been a little obsessed with them. I’ve been playing the game differently than I did before in order to earn titles. There are even titles for earning titles. I’m not joking, if you “max out” 5 different titles, you get another title called “Kind of a Big Deal.” If you max out 10, you get “People Know Me.”

Now, to address the original post, do I get the same experience out of the game when I play just to play as when I play to earn recognition? This is definitely not a new question… back when I played a lot of Warcraft (not World of…) people would try to convince me that playing one player was stupid, the real game was the multiplayer. Ladder matches and tournaments and all the blah blah. But I ENJOYED the story mode. I did play multiplayer with my friends, because I enjoyed that as well, but I wasn’t big into the rankings and ladders. In the case of Guild Wars though, I enjoy playing through the story, but I also enjoy working towards these seemingly trivial goals. When some n00b is spouting nonsense in the local chat, you can really lay the smack down when you point and laugh and display your leet title… it gives a little more weight to what you say.

I guess we can only answer this question indivitually. If you miss out on a good game just because you don’t earn recognition for playing it, or if you only play a game that you don’t enjoy just because you DO earn recognition, I think something might be wrong.

Granted, I would happen to be one of those cronies that plays Halo 2 with you. And we all came to an accordance that the game would be set aside and more emphasis would be placed on these next gen games. Specifically, GR:AW, which is a good game.

Achievements… don’t motivate me to play any game more or less than before. As a matter of fact, I reckon the majority of my paltry gamerpoints are from my wife’s involvement with Arcade games like Zuma, Jewel Quest, amoung others. I think I unlocked maybe 100 from Oblivion, less than that for GR:AW. Let me put it this way, I have Texas Hold ‘em, and could probably get an easy 20 points from merely turning the game on, yet I do not. Too bad “entitlement” has been taken by Sony, maybe different verbiage would be a better motivator.

Now, does the lack of achievements stop me from playing older Xbox games? No, older Xbox games stop me from playing them on a next gen system. I move on, and don’t spend much time looking back. Even if Black did have online play, and all my cronies bought the game and wanted me to play, I’d respectfully dissent. I don’t buy old games for new systems. I am obtusely progressive in that regard. Halo 2 was acceptible because… what else is there? Even now? Sure, GR:AW, but that is a FPS tactical shooter, whereas Halo 2 is a FPS run-n-gun style. However, you outlined our reasoning for letting it rest.

So, achievements, or Sony stolen “entitlements” have little to no bearing on my gaming style. I play for fun, play with friends, and not worry about the facetious badge of completion within the details.