Games Cheats
Games cheats subvert or alter a game’s core mechanics to create an unfair advantage over other players. They often involve third-party software, which essentially automates a game’s rules and gameplay, such as aimbots in first-person shooter games. These bots help a player acquire and calibrate targets, while also allowing them to skip tedious gameplay elements that are necessary for progression. Cheating in video games continues to be an ongoing issue that compromises fair competition and disrupts gaming experiences. This article takes a look at five popular types of cheats in video games and discusses their mechanics, impacts, and countermeasures.
The first games cheats appeared in the ’80s, when gamers with a little bit of computer knowledge could use their 8-bit computing systems to change memory values for various in-game statistics such as health and ammo. These self-made, third-party cheats used commands known as POKE to change those values. This became especially popular after the release of games that used a new technology called graphical user interface (GUI), which made it much easier for players to perform these changes by themselves. The popularity of these third-party cheats encouraged video game companies to start creating their own built-in cheat codes, or first-party cheats.
By the ’90s, games cheats had become an industry standard. With magazines and websites devoted to listing cheats for different consoles and computers, and with a show on the G4 network named, you guessed it, Cheat!, the gaming guide craze had reached its peak. In addition to a slew of third-party cheat software, some gaming companies even produced their own official cheat cartridges for Sony and Nintendo consoles as well as PC computers, and there was a huge market for printed walkthroughs for popular titles.
Today, game developers are more careful than ever to prevent cheating in their products. With the rise of the global professional gaming industry, or esports, the stakes are high, and cheaters can be disqualified from tournaments for using hacks that give them an unfair advantage over other players. This shift has led to a greater focus on game security and more tightly controlled gameplay environments that are harder to exploit.
Another major factor in the growing prevalence of game cheats has been the development of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). These types of video games have a virtual economy, and some players have created macro scripts that automate gameplay to gain large amounts of in-game currency. These in-game assets can then be traded for real world cash, which is a violation of the Terms of Service for most video games.
The evolution of games cheats has also resulted in the creation of anti-cheat technologies, or ad-blockers. Some of these are integrated into the software itself, while others are stand-alone programs that block certain aspects of the game. Despite these efforts, many video game hackers continue to find ways around these technologies and create new third-party cheats that can circumvent existing anti-cheat tools.