There’s something about the presence of Achievements in World of Warcraft. Perhaps it’s the audio cue, maybe it’s that tell-tale sparkle or the announcement that appears when you’ve done something notable. Put the three together and you have one of the most addictive occurrences in the game and we’re going to explore why.
It’s worth remembering, of course, that Achievements haven’t always been in-game, they were added just prior to the release of Wrath of the Lich King. It’s actually a neat little reward, an audio and visual cue which says “You did it!”. Achievements began as skill points in games like Ratchet and Clank, giving players rewards for achieving certain tasks which unlocked new character skins, cheats and other extra content. By the time of the Xbox 360 and PS3, they became an integral part of most games and are now found in portable gaming systems as well as on Steam.

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