Video Games Cheats
Video game cheats – sometimes called hacks or cheat codes – are a popular way to modify a video game experience. Some cheats, like God-like immortality or infinite ammunition, are purely cosmetic and don’t impact gameplay, while others can be used to gain an unfair advantage over other players. Cheating can be a form of creative expression for gamers who want to explore parts of the game they might not otherwise have access to. Many games are designed with explicit rules for how to play, and critics of cheating argue that breaking these social customs is unethical.
Some game developers include cheat codes or cheat devices in their games during development. These cheats allow testers to skip levels and make the game easier to test. Often these cheats are not activated during the final version of the game, but are buried in the code or hidden somewhere in the game’s documentation. Some are revealed by game developers themselves, while others are discovered by digging into the game’s code on a modified console or PC or through reverse engineering. Cheats can also be given out as rewards for completing certain tasks in the game, or printed in gaming guides.
When a gamer uses a cheat to alter the rules of a game, it is known as “cheating.” The term ‘cheating’ has been defined in a variety of ways by both academics and the gaming industry, but most gamers consider using a game cheat to be unethical. Cheats that are used to obtain an unfair advantage over other players – such as God mode or the ability to see enemies through walls – are considered the most serious forms of cheating. These types of cheats are generally illegal, and can result in a ban from online multiplayer games.
Other methods of cheating are less extreme but still considered to be unethical. For example, some players modify their console or PC to make it easier for them to shoot weapons in burst fire modes that aren’t available in the standard game settings. In order to do this, the player may replace the trigger with a joystick button that simulates rapid key presses, or bind their firing button to a mouse scroll wheel or macro setting. Some cheats may also be ‘cheated’ by modifying the game’s memory, which can cause it to act strangely or break the game’s integrity.
Some cheaters use a computer program to “cheat” by hogging the network bandwidth, thereby disrupting the connection between a client and its game server. This is commonly referred to as a “software lag switch,” or a “wireless lag switch.” These cheats can be extremely effective in gaining an advantage over other players, and are usually considered to be the most unethical methods of cheating. Using this method, a gamer can create a virtual wall to hide from other players in the same room, or even remotely control their opponent’s character during an online multiplayer match.