| Well, we’d like to introduce you to some players who not only know exactly how many badges they’ve won, but have been keeping track of their numbers and rankings since late 2006. They call themselves the 1000 Badges Club.
On November 8, 2006. dedicated player ThinUnicycle started a new thread on the MSN Games forum and posted the start of something big: “OK, so there isn't really a 1000 BADGES CLUB, but there should be some sort of recognition for people that earn certain levels of badges.” At the time, he had 1004 total badges. By the second post, there were high scores listed; by the third, a badge numbers breakdown; in the fourth post, helpful tips to achieve an elusive Rainbow Web mastery badge.
There may not have been a 1000 Badges Club when ThinUnicycle typed up his first post, but in less than 24 hours, it was well on the way to becoming a reality. On December 7, the badge-loving crew who gravitated to this thread posted their first badge ranking list, a now-weekly trend which still continues today. Badge maven arkansasgirl104 soon added handy lists of all games that offer badges, and all the limited-time special achievement badges. Player interest – and membership – started to grow.
Fast-forward to today. With 58 members, the club’s thread has gone from being a simple tally of badge counts to a real community, comprised of people who are willing to share their gaming expertise and passion with anyone who needs help. And it’s not just about the games; despite their varied backgrounds and geographical distance from each other, this is now a group of solid friends.
Thousand-badge-clubbers, we salute you!
Meet a member
Just a quick profile of one of the die-hard, badge-gathering experts from the 1000 Badges Club! (And just think, by the time you read this, her badge total is probably even higher…)
Dishatoid (“Dish”)
MSN Games: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Dish: I'm 24 years old and live in Ohio. I'm a high school math teacher, and just love playing games to clear my mind!
MSN Games: What is your MSN Games nickname and how did you pick it?
Dish: My nickname is dishatoid and I've had that nickname for about 10 years or more! It's a long and boring story, so I won't bother, but many people still call me Dish.
MSN Games: What are some of your favorite games to play on MSN Games and why?
Dish: I love Sudoku because I'm definitely a logical thinker. I also love Collapse because sometimes you just don't want to think about anything! I also like Chuzzle because of the cute little characters!
MSN Games: In which game(s) did you achieve your 1000th badge?
Dish: I believe it was in Dynasty, for 25 games played.
MSN Games: Do you have any game tips to share with other players?
Dish: Well, since I have a ton of badges in Combo Chaos, among them Mastery Level 10, I would suggest that once you reach a certain level, and time is running out, never look for matches, just click like crazy!
MSN Games: How long have you been playing on MSN Games?
Dish: Wow, I have no idea! I was playing on MSN well before the badges were awarded, but the badges really got me hooked. And once I found the 1000 Badges Club, that was my goal!
MSN Games: Currently, what is your total badge count?
Dish: As of this moment, I have 1127 badges, and it could go up by tomorrow!
MSN Games: What is your favorite badge and why?
Dish: I like all the Chuzzle badges, because they are just so cute and brightly colored!
MSN Games: Which badge was the hardest for you to win and why?
Dish: Some of those ones in the beginning where you had to play 50 or 100 games, and reach a high score were terribly difficult! I believe one was the Star Flower badge for Hexic.
MSN Games: Any other thoughts/tips you would like to share with the community?
Dish: Just if you like a bit of friendly competition, and enjoy sharing tips with others, you are welcome in the 1000 Badges Club, and we're always willing to give/get new tips!
Got a ton of badges and want to brag about it?
Take a look at the top of this page: our intrepid artists have created a little something just for you. The image to the left of the “1000 Badges Club” title is sized just right for use in your blog, and the image to the right of it would be perfect as a forum avatar or buddy picture! To use either one, just right-click the image and select “Save Picture As” to save it to your hard drive. From there, follow the instructions on your favorite forum, IM program, or blog site to upload the picture and use it to show the world you’re a total badge master (and a badge total master, as well)!
On a personal note, everyone here at MSN Games would like to congratulate all our players who’ve managed to break the 1000-badge mark. We hope you continue to enjoy all the games on our site, and we’re looking forward to the day we need to draw some new avatar pictures for the “2000 Badges Club”! | |
