Since their creation in 2005, Xbox achievements have just been a source for bragging rights or incentives from developers to get players to spend more time in their games. But now, earning achievements actually means something if you happen to have a subscription to Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft has announced a new “Quest” program within Xbox Game Pass, enabling players to earn Microsoft Rewards by playing games.
These quests, which will change monthly, involve everything from completing a task in a specific game to earning achievements in a number of games of the player’s choosing. There are seven quests available now, which will switch over to a new set of quests on Feb. 4. Players can earn up to 2,100 Microsoft Rewards points a month by completing the quests. Those points only translate to about $2 a month in monetary terms and they can only be redeemed in the Microsoft Store. The points are also exclusive to games that are part of the Game Pass library.
The concept of achievements launched alongside the Xbox 360. Each achievement has a score value, which is tallied up to give a player an overall Gamerscore. Game developers are given an allotment of achievement points based upon the size and complexity of their game to distribute over any tasks they choose. Most large games will give achievements for simply progressing through a game, with a few more on the side for performing specific tasks. Some other games save all of the achievements for completing difficult challenges.
Xbox Game Pass is a subscription service that gives players access to more than 100 games for $10 a month. The library includes every first-party Microsoft game when it’s released, alongside a substantial amount of older games. Just like with video streaming services, like Netflix, the games on offer can change from month to month. Microsoft hasn’t released hard numbers on how many current subscribers Xbox Game Pass has, though Xbox head Phil Spencer has tossed around “millions” in a variety of places.
