I was digging through a stack of old computer games this morning when I ran across my copies of Need For Speed Underground and Need For Speed Underground II – two of the best racing games ever produced. (If you haven’t played these games, do yourself a favor and grab them on eBay. Both titles have exceptionally high replay value and some of the deepest customization systems of any racing game ever released.)

I almost jumped over my desk trying to get to my computer, overcome by nostalgia and giddiness over the thought that I hadn’t played either game in years. I was about to drop disc one of the first game into my DVD drive when it struck me: these games don’t have Steam achievements. My immediate reaction? ”Wait, fuck this! Why should I bother?”

Fortunately, it occurred to me a moment later that I was about to forever abandon two of my all-time favorite video games simply because they don’t contribute to an arbitrary score that doesn’t actually mean anything. That realization resonated with me as I proceeded to install both games in spite of myself. It bothered me, honestly.

I know that this issue has been discussed at length on other sites before but I was wondering what you think about the issue of achievements? It’s been quite a while since we did a debate of the week.