Video Game Cheaters

As a gamer, I must admit that I cheat at times. Well, many gamers do, and this Wired article takes a look at the types of cheaters, and if it’s really immoral or not.

A small hardcore group are die-hard purists, like my friend. They don’t use any cheats or guides, because they consider it “cheating yourself” of the subtle pleasure of getting stuck in a game — then suddenly spying the way out.

The next group is the walkthrough folks, like me. We regard guides as a form of travel literature; I’d never have located all the cool, secret areas in Final Fantasy XII without a FAQ. (In contrast, the hardcore crowd seems to relish the idea that they’ll miss out on stuff, because it’s part of the mystery of game.) But I almost never use cheats or manipulations of code to grant myself “unearned” power. I like the idea that if I’m born into this virtual world, I’ll abide by the fictions that govern its reality.

Then there’s the final group of gamers — the “by any means necessary” crowd, as it were. Like the ancient gnostics, or like Morpheus in The Matrix, they know the world around them is just code — and the fun is not in obeying it but mucking with it. Single-player worlds are toys, to be hacked with any available Easter eggs, exploits or hardware mods; you can’t have the truly l33t experiences if you’re not tricked out with sick amounts of weaponry and skillz.

I view cheating as part of a game - if it’s too difficult, and if there are cheat codes then why not use them? What are your views on the subject?