Achievement Whore vs. Completionist

The other day my friend Diaz called me something that hit a nerve. He called me an ‘Achievement Whore’. For the unaware, this term has been coined by some to represent gamers who have fully embraced the achievement system of the Xbox 360. Although it does describe some gamers, I don’t believe it describes me at all.

Achievement (noun): a result gained by effort.
Whore (noun): a venal or unscrupulous person.
Achievement Whore: One who gains a result by effort of venal or unscrupulous methods.

I believe a term that better describes my gaming habits is the word ‘Completionist’.

Completion (noun): the act or process of completing.
ist (noun suffix): One that performs a specified action.
Completionist: One that performs the act or process of completing.

Besides the obvious negative connotation that the phrase ‘Achievement Whore’ carries, I don’t believe it accurately reflects the way I view gaming. An Achievement Whore is someone that would do anything to gain achievements. They live off strategy guides word-for-word, they use cheat codes, and they even play through the game ‘King Kong’. They do everything physically possible to get that extra 5 points.

I will admit, I do play to the same end, but with a different means. Even before achievements, I always wanted to finish games. I wanted to finish the storyline, any side quests, and unlock any unlockables available. I’ve always strived to get the most out of my gaming. When achievements arrived with the 360, it was only natural that I would want to get all the achievements as well. However I am not willing to sacrifice my gaming experience by playing awful games I don’t enjoy just for the quick 1000 points it may gain me.

Am I an Achievement Whore who is trying to save face, or am I truly a Completionist as described? I believe I am the latter, but I suppose you can make your own decisions.