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Are in-game cheats good for the industry? Whether you were stuck in one godforsaken level or just couldn't beat a particular boss, everyone has cheated at one point or another. But, cheats deprive you of your natural gaming experience and lessen the value of a game.

In the Beginning

Passwords for Thought

It all started off innocent enough. The introduction of a password system in an 8-bit game to let you to save acquired items and game progression. But even in those early days, you would trade the passwords to gain advantages game developers otherwise didn't plan on you having.

As the burgeoning game industry grew, more games started instituting cheats in one form or another. Some cheats were intentional and meant to accompany the titles gameplay, while others were left in as relics of the game development process. However, as the gaming industry grew to accept game cheats, many gamers have started to abuse them, which has lead gamerdom into a muddled mess of gaming morality. Are in-game cheats good for the industry?

Whether you were stuck in one godforsaken level or just couldn't beat a particular boss, everyone has cheated at one point or another. Cheats have become invaluable for the casual gamer. When used properly, cheats can heighten the experience of gaming and further engross you in the progression of the game.

Wait . . . Rappers can box?

Some gaming companies deliberately include cheats in their games to extend coverage of their games in the media. Publishers will release official cheat faqs to media outlets several months after the game launches to get their title some additional face time with the public through magazines, online game sites, and TV gaming shows.

No one can argue that some games have been dubiously hyped and the quality control on such titles can be found lacking. When poor game testing leads to logic gaps and balancing issues in gameplay, in-game cheats maybe the only way to bypass a specific gaming bottleneck.

Nevertheless, cheats also deprive you of your natural gaming experience and lessen the value of a game. Cheating leads to gaming skill stagnation and eventual "pwnage" at the behalf of other virtuous gamers. Additionally, if you're going to spend a significant amount of time and money on a game, you should get the most value out of it.

Commercialism

What's even more disturbing is the trend of insidious subliminal marketing in cheats. While cheats can unlock content that augment gameplay --such as hidden characters, items, and levels --in-game product placement has become a full scale trend in the gaming industry with codes to unlock Burger King car skins, Nike athletic apparel, and even electronic versions of celebrities. The encroachment of in-game advertising is a deliberate violation of the sanctity of videogames.

Doesn't it just scream out, "I'm a tool."

Additionally, cheats have grown to have the opposite effect than what the game publishers intended. Cheats have become a negative force on game development. The casual gaming market is still hugely influential in gaming trends and casual gamers tend to breeze through games in a weekend or two with the help of faqs and cheats, and then subsequently selling the games back to the retailers. The pre-owned games shorten the shelf life of game titles, which in turn lessens the amount of money many titles earn. With game developers and producers losing money, game quality and development take the hit, and the industry and gamers eventually lose out.

In the end, there really isn't any answer to the gaming cheat dilemma. Videogame developers have recently been curtailing the inclusion of cheats in their games, but no one can stop a player from finding a way to beat the system. It's up to the personal gamer to find out where their gaming morality lies.

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