November marks Microsoft’s annual Hackathon, where teams of developers, designers, and innovators come together from across Microsoft to compete and invent potential new products and services in and around the Microsoft ecosystem. The winner of this year’s Hackathon was an app that helps you provide technical support to a loved one remotelygiven the all-too-familiar frustration you might experience trying to help a less tech-savvy friend over the phone.
Microsoft’s Hackathon 2022 event (opens in new tab) More than 10,000 inventions competed for the top prize, with more than 68,000 employees worldwide participating in what Microsoft described as “the world’s largest personal hackathon.”
I recently had the opportunity to check out some hackathon projects for myself thanks to reliable sources, and a few Xbox-focused projects certainly caught my eye. One project included a “Windows Handheld Mode” skin for Windows 11 that turned the interface into something more suitable for gaming on a Steam Deck-sized handheld. Prototype streaming services that would reward viewers with Microsoft Points for watching live streams on Xbox while integrating Twitch or Patreon were also proposed. Another idea involved an “Xbox Inventory” system that would allow you to collect and carry in-game cosmetic items between titles. My favorite project—and one I think is sorely needed—is an expansion of the existing Xbox achievements system, something the designers are calling Xbox Achievements 3.0.
While it’s unclear who is behind the project, a team of designers and developers at Microsoft teamed up to create a proof of concept called “Xbox Achievements 3.0” during this year’s Hackathon event. This system will sit alongside the existing Gamerscore system, rewarding players with PlayStation-like bronze, silver and gold trophies for various titles and even system-level achievements. For example, in the video shared anonymously with us above, you can see a concept medal for playing 300 titles on Xbox Game Pass.
The presentation also demonstrated how each medal will be displayed under your profile on Xbox.com and on consoles, giving players another way to show off their achievements in various activities on Xbox Live (which has since been renamed the Xbox Network, although no one has actually does not intend to do). call it that).
In any case, the concept is attractive, even though it will never become an actual product. Reminder of some canceled offers Xbox Career system Since yesterday, Microsoft has admitted that the habits of gamers have changed. More and more gamers are sticking with one service-oriented title for a longer period of time, rather than hopping between multiple titles. Xbox Game PassAn all-you-can-eat library of Xbox achievements. Vampire survivors presents mountains of 5G player achievements that emerge at the end of each run, representing a truly exemplary use of the aging system. However, many unscrupulous indie publishers have started releasing backhoe games designed to give you 1,000 player points for doing almost nothing – a practice at Sony PlayStation. plans to banno less.
In any case, it seems to me that developers at Microsoft even treat it as a hobby, given how little progress Xbox has made, while competitors like PlayStation and Steam have developed and improved systems that Microsoft pioneered. back in the day. It is improving Xbox achievements were one of the main concerns that Xbox fans shared with me During a big feedback survey I did last year.
I hope one day we see something like these Xbox “Medals” become a real product someday.
