Crackdown isn't necessarily the worst offender, but it pretty much started the ball rolling, which quickly became an immense source of pain. How many times have gamers been distracted from an involving storyline/quest/free-roam to collect the most immersion breaking objects imaginable? Making us collect shiny coins with Sonic is fine, but making us hunt down feathers with an assassin is not. Meaningless orbs, film reels, coffee flasks, pigeons, shards, tapes, flowers, skins, trinkets, diaries, notes, briefcases, bobbleheads... every single one distracts from the story, tears the gamer out of their willing suspension of disbelief and shouts 'YOU'RE PLAYING A GAME!' 'Ah but they give us trophies!' the defenders of this lazy alternative to game design will cry, gleefully they unlocking art and playing the newly formed puzzles. And while it's true that done well, collectables can enhance a game - such as when they're worked into the story, with is a rationale, and there is some motivation for the character - but more often than not it doesn't answer a need from gamers, it answers the need for developers to put in trophies and achievements.
When not overthrowing governments MuddledMuppet can be found on youtube making mockery of life with slightly better than average gameplay.
https://www.youtube.com/user/muddledmuppet
