They say; all the things we really need to know, we learned in Kindergarten. Aside from the usual suspects of cleaning up your own mess and not taking things that are not yours, one of the equally important points is to play fair.
Cheating is considered unacceptable in the world of gaming but almost everyone; if not all, is doing it. We all have different behavior and opinion about game cheats. As long as cheating stays in the gaming world, I think it is pretty much tolerable. When it crosses to real life then that’s when the problem comes in.
Why do gamers cheat in the first place? Cheat codes are like treasure maps. They eliminate all the heavy lifting and the labyrinth path to achieve game expert stardom.
Unlimited access to a gold mine of game currencies
Just like in the real world, the gaming world has virtual currencies in a form of energy, tokens, red orbs, simoleons, candy or whatnot. Cheat codes provide you a shortcut in earning this elusive virtual money. It sure would be nice to have such cheat code in real life, don’t you think?
Having access to limitless funds in a certain game can automatically increase your success rate in annihilating your opponents and eliminating obstacles. Similar to the real world, having money means better and stronger equipment, access to rare items, power and better opportunities.
Advance to next game level without losing one’s mind
In some games, one cannot progress to the next stage without winning the current level. This could get really annoying if a particular level is impossibly hard. Cheat codes provide the ease of advancement without pulling one’s hair out of frustration.
If you are a goody two-shoes, you may want to consider adjusting the difficulty setting before attempting to turn to cheats. You can do the cleaner alternative or die trying. It is all up to you.
Provide a quick workaround for minor bugs and glitches
Bugs and glitches can creep silently into game programs without getting noticed. No matter how much experience or skill we have, we all are a work in progress. Simply put, nobody is perfect and that includes game developers.
Waiting around for a fix could take some time that you’ll probably lose your mojo in the game. We have to remind ourselves that game developers have lives outside of work too. Well, they should or video game studios would have to start removing windows to avoid stressed and burned out employees from jumping off.
Good thing, the Interweb is filled with geniuses who are probably not developers by profession but are smart enough to find cure for these bugs and glitches. This is probably the lesser evil of all the reasons why gamers turn to cheat codes. Technically, I don’t consider it as cheating at all but more like a workaround.
Cheat codes can provide a detour beyond normal gameplay
A game may hold a secret door that is exclusive to those who can crack it. We could never tell what’s waiting for us beyond those doors; maybe it holds Triton’s trident, Barry’s jetpack, Om-nom’s hidden drawings or a forgotten city. People are naturally born curious and would want to unravel the mysteries beyond.
One secret door may lead to an endless door of possibilities until it reaches a point when only Thumbelina can pass through. Well, if you do find a tiny secret door, most likely it also comes with another cheat to shrink your size. This is the beauty of game cheats; it is like having a personal genie to take care of your troubles.
Generally, cheating is not good but I will leave it up to your angels and demons to play with your conscience’s tug of war. I just think sucking up the hard challenges and not succumbing to cheats give a much sweeter victory than having everything handed to you on a silver platter.
If you think about it, maybe shortcuts are like cheating yourself out of a truly fascinating experience. You will never realize the value of a thing when you had it so easy. Remember that karma is now digital and can bite you hard in the ass.
Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
About the Author:
Alrdich I. likes to spend his time lurking in the interweb to read about games, technology and social networking. He has a wide-range of interest but writing is his first love. In his free time, he likes playing strategy and word games on his iPad.
