I am a huge gamer. I absolutely love video games. Video games are not only my hobby, but they are my passion. There are a ton of game genres that I enjoy playing: action, adventure, walking simulators, story-driven, you name it. My love for video games has existed since I was a five year old and got my first PlayStation. Ever since then, I’ve been a huge PlayStation fanboy.

As a gamer, I totally admit that I am a trophy hunter. For those of you unfamiliar with the term “trophy hunter” or “achievement hunter”, it simply means a person often goes for all of the trophies in the games they play. A lot of people don’t understand why someone would be a trophy or achievement hunter, and I’m here to explain my motives behind it.

The real reason I trophy hunt is to show my passion and drive for games. If there’s a game I love (i.e. Until Dawn, Oxenfree, inFAMOUS Second Son) I want to get all of the trophies for those games.I feel like if I have the platinum trophy for a game, I can say whatever I want about the game with valid reasoning. This also sets the foundation so people can’t accuse me of being wrong or not having enough “experience” or “time” with the game to draw my conclusions. Of course, some games serve to be just too big of a challenge for me, The Witcher 3 and Batman Arkham Knight are great games that I loved, but the road to their platinum trophies are too much to handle for me. It is hard for me to acknowledge that fact often times, but I have to be real with myself. I want to show that I am a full out fanboy for PlayStation and several of the games found on PlayStation consoles, but with some games I can’t go the whole nine yards. However, passion will always prevail. With the announcement of The Last Of Us Part II, I’ve decided I have to go back and platinum The Last Of Us. I absolutely LOVE The Last Of Us, and I want to show how much I love and support that game by getting the platinum trophy for it.

This concept goes hand-in-hand with the “competition factor”. It isn’t necessarily a good thing to have, or a healthy thing to do, but so often fans compete within their fan groups to show they are “the ultimate fan” by trying to one-up each other. Everyone wants to feel like they are the biggest and best fan. I’m trying to fall out of that, because fan groups should be united, but I can’t ignore the fact this is a reason people trophy hunt. People also want to use this factor to invest into their fandom, to prove they are a fan and that they love a game just as much as the next person.

Another one of the biggest drives for my trophy hunting is the feeling of getting my money’s worth. Essentially, getting all of the trophies means you’ve 100% completed the game. With a lot of games costing upwards of $60, I want to feel like I’ve gotten my money’s worth for a game. What better way is there to do that then to collect all of the trophies? That is a true completionist. Everyone wants to feel like they’ve accomplished something worthwhile, and getting the platinum trophy for a game can represent you’ve done just that. It is a way to show you’ve done everything you can for a game, and the platinum trophy represents that sense of accomplishment for gamers and non-gamers alike.

So don’t be afraid to spend extra time with one of your favorite games to earn all the trophies or achievements for it. You can show the world how big of a gamer you really are.