Xbox One Achievements expanded with 'Challenges,' cross-game Achievements

Achievements on the Xbox One will be complemented by the addition of cloud-driven achievements that can be added to games as developers see fit and new Challenges that can dare players to achieve smaller, limited-time goals in games.

Microsoft's Ben Kilgore, corporate vice president, Interactive Entertainment Business, explained that Xbox One Achievements are cloud-driven, "so even after [developers] ship the game, if they want to go update achievements, add new achievements, they can totally do that."

Xbox One Achievements will be able to span games as well, Microsoft's Phil Harrison said, and developers will even have the option to design Achievements that span Xbox generations. Since Xbox 360 Achievements will carry over to Xbox Live accounts on Xbox One, developers can unlock Achievements on Microsoft's next-gen console based on certain Achievements acquired on the 360.

Developers will be able to issue goals, referred to as Challenges, as well, which Kilgore explained.

"We have this new thing called Challenges," Kilgore told Polygon, "so developers can issue a challenge like every day that you can go into and say, 'Go kill 100 zombies. Go race 20 miles. Go get 15 headshots.'"

Microsoft says it will also capture so-called memorable "magic moments" during gameplay on Xbox One, automatically capturing game highlights in video form that players can then share online.