That's always been the case. Some XBoX360 games went as far as having "reached the main menu" achievements in order to create a baseline user count that didn't include demo terminals running the attract mode on loop.
I agree that cheevos-as-telemetry sounds bad at face value, but consider it the other way around:
Getting pain-free already anonymized telemetry stats via achievements through platform holders has long been a bulwark against intrusive bullshit telemetry by way of making the effort-to-reward ratio of the later just not worth it. This is not unlike the classic "The way to stop piracy is to provide a better UX" argument.
It also has the very important added benefit of making what is being collected extremely transparent to users.
> To say Achievement Unlocked 2 can be a bit disorienting is an understatement. Upon loading the game up for the first time, I was instantly flooded with achievements, including one that was bestowed, apparently, because my system clock was divisible by three. (I knew that would pay off one day!)
They were very well received. It appears they are being repackaged for the world without Flash: https://www.gog.com/en/game/the_elephant_collection
Also, these are added after the fact by people who didn't work on the game, and are done by identifying and monitoring changes at specific memory addresses in the rom, so they're a bit limited in just how complicated they can get with these achievements. These 'how far did you get' are one of the things they can check more easily, as they can see level numbers change in memory and the like (it's a bit more complicated than that, check the docs[1] if you're curious). They still manage quite a bit with those limitations, though.
https://docs.retroachievements.org/How-to-Become-an-Achievem...
Also, some of these "pointless" achievements can be used as a negative proof. For example, the lack of a "weapon used" achievement with the presence of a "last boss defeated" achievement proves you beat the game without using that weapon. This allows players to contrive challenges not foreseen by the explicit implementation of an achievement.
Now, one issue is that on basically every platform, achievements are tracked per ownership of the game, so you can't scope down the achievements like that unless you only ever play the game with that challenge in mind. But in RA specifically, whose accounts are not tied to ownership, you could potentially make an account just to track a specific challenge, and have a public record of _your_ achievement.
Also Fifa 10 gave you a 'Bad Loser' achievement if you quit an online game while behind too many times.
[1]: https://gamerant.com/xbox-achievements-with-zero-gamerscore/...
For instance, an achievement that has about the same unlock rate as the "complete stage 1" achievement is probably something you stumble upon randomly in the very beginning of the game, if you don't have it, you probably missed something. If an achievement has a significantly lower unlock rate than "complete the game", it is probably end game content and may require dedication.
Achievement can have more than one purpose. They can be used as progression markers (the "tutorial complete" kind). As hints about some secondary content. As a reward for curiosity or particularly difficult tasks. As an indication that you have finished something and there is no more of it. To taunt the player. As objectives that don't fit in the story. To acknowledge that a particular action is significant. Etc...
For example "Use the Batarang for the first time" tells you that you will use it again. It hints that from now on, the Batarang will be an important part of gameplay, more important than the other items you didn't get an achievement for. On the achievement list, it is a progression marker. If you see it on an achievement list, it tells that the players is, say, at least 10% into the game, and puts other achievements in perspective.
Look, I'm good if you want trivial achievements, you can play your way. I however don't want such gamification. Allow me to turn the feature off.
In the case of RetroAchievements, perhaps someone was enthusiastically adding achievements to that game without thinking about how fun they'd be?
It would surprise me a little, though, if someone retroactively adding an achievement to an old console game is doing it for telemetry purposes.
My original comment was based on reports from some indie game authors talking about their development experiences, and going "ugh, I have to add achievements, fine".
For instance, to get the “catch shiny Pokémon” achievements in Pokémon Crystal (https://retroachievements.org/game/11841), you have 1/8192 odds on encounter… for each Pokémon, and there are 213 of them.
Being able to beat a game while not using a core system can be a sign of good game design, or an exceptionally skilled player. Look at Super Mario 64 and speedrunner's ability to finish levels with a single press (but not release!) of the jump button.
That being said, I'm not asking for it to be removed or anything. It's just not something I'm ever going to try to complete myself (maybe I'll manage it on accident). Clearly 4.5% of the people who have played the game with Retro Achievements have managed to pull it off.