I Played Shovelware For Platinum Trophies And Now I Feel Dirty

thegamer.com:

The PlayStation Store is filled with garbage. Sony clearly lets just about anyone into its digital realm, even if the goods they intend to peddle are little more than dodgy experiences designed to offer easy Trophies and nothing more.

These games aren’t even hidden, and can often be found cluttered amidst new releases and atop the cheapest available titles once applying a filter. You’ll find them costing anything from 69p to a couple of quid, often sporting key art featuring primitive 3D models or mediocre artwork that makes it abundantly clear what these games are and why they exist.

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For years I’ve ignored them, but their presence has become such a regular occurrence in my life that I decided to see what all the fuss was about. Five Platinum Trophies later and I feel like some sort of digital hussy, willing to put myself through brief, awful ordeals in order to see the Trophy notifications pop again and again and again until I reach the climax.

None of it felt earned, and it’s clear that people are buying these games and using them purely to enhance their digital reputation. But it’s all hollow, and I wish I could take it back. It wouldn’t be such a big deal if the intention of these games weren’t so transparent, and Sony wasn’t allowing them to flood the digital landscape of its flagship storefront while other independent games that are doing everything they can to get noticed are left behind.

You could argue that games like ‘Funny Truck’ and ‘Alien Destroyer’ are genuine efforts from new creators, but they’re so brief and so obviously designed around Trophies that I just don’t buy it. I mean, I did buy it for that juicy Platinum, but I’m not convinced.