Xbox Rare Achievement sound could have been very different

Today, the concept of Achievements is commonplace and almost all major gaming platforms have a similar concept. In fact, it was Microsoft that started it all with the launch of the Xbox 360, which had Achievements right from the start in 2005.

Due to popularity, Valve introduced a copy two years later, and the following year Sony followed suit (trophies), and since then it has become more or less standard. But the concept has continued to evolve and one of the new additions is the so-called Rare Achievements, a sound that makes many people a little extra happy when it pops up on the screen.

But the fact is that it could have sounded completely different. Via Instagram, former Xbox employee Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb shares an early prototype sound, writing:

"When I worked on the Xbox Rare Achievement sound, we went through quite a few iterations. This was one that we rejected."

You can listen to what it could have sounded like in the Instagram post below and if you need a reminder of what the Rare Achievement sound actually sounds like, you can listen here.