Xbox 360's gamerscore/achievement points system has certainly become a hit with gamers. Even Gears of War lead designer CliffyB noted the importance of achievements, saying it's all about "nerd cred." Now, according to a new study from Electronic Entertainment Design and Research (EEDAR), achievements not only yield nerd cred, but they can also directly influence the sales of a title.

After examining 4,615 achievements incorporated in 124 retail and 63 downloadable game titles available for the Xbox 360 during the period November 1, 2005 through June 1, 2007, EEDAR found that in general that titles that have a higher volume of Accomplishments (EEDAR's platform agnostic term) correlate with both a higher Metacritic Metascore and higher gross sales in the U.S.

The study, Accomplishments Unlocked 2007, also discovered that a number of developers aren't necessarily making the best use of the achievements system. 29 percent of all Accomplishments were Completion Accomplishments, which is naturally the easiest type to develop and integrate into a game. Having a variety of Accomplishments is key, the research firm noted. "The results showed a strong connection between a game title's diversity of Accomplishment types with that game's profitability – pointing to the idea that the more diverse the Accomplishments available to the user, the more enjoyable the game, higher review scores, more units sold," explained EEDAR.

"Consumers want their games to include both variety and abundance of Accomplishments," commented Geoffrey Zatkin, COO, EEDAR. "Our research shows that incentives such as Accomplishments impact sales choices such as which game title to buy and which platform to buy it on; they also extend the replayability of a title."

Unsurprisingly, considering the prevalence and growing importance of online features, EEDAR also found that titles that incorporate online elements into their Accomplishments generate 50 percent more money than those that do not. Furthermore, achievements are so important to some gamers that EEDAR noted certain consumers are actually taking the time to review the available achievements for a game before making a purchase decision—and it's wise for publishers to disclose that information since game titles which keep their Accomplishments secret generate less revenue.

It's also worth noting that EEDAR's research showed that games can generate up to 50 percent more revenue by including Accomplishments with Viral Marketing aspects, meaning those associated with user generated content, community or customization.

Along with this new research EEDAR announced the first published classification system for Accomplishments, which identifies 16 unique types and provides examples for how game makers should best implement them.

To find out a bit more we caught up with EEDAR's Geoffrey Zatkin. Check out the Q&A on the next page. Zatkin believes the PS3 will likely benefit from the trophy system and the Wii might do well to integrate an Accomplishments system of its own.

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