Cheat codes are certainly contentious, but they are not necessarily wrong or damaging in the gaming world. There are many instances where using a cheat code is an action that can have a positive outcome. Here are some of them:
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Marketing
Cheat codes get people talking. That is especially so if the codes had remained a secret for a long time. If someone runs into such a code, they will be excited to announce their finding in a game hacking forum such as the Guided Hacking Forum. At that point, it will still be just a rumor, and gamers will want to try and prove its existence.
Those who succeed in proving it subsequently upload videos showing them playing the game after implementing the code. That markets the game by increasing its visibility.
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Dealing With Bugs
Looking for bugs is in fact the primary reason why cheat codes were originally created. Perhaps you are a QA tester tasked with finding bugs in a 120-hour game. You may not have time to go through the entire game, since you likely have other responsibilities you are tasked with.
Game hacking and cheat codes ensure that a QA tester can make changes to scenarios at any point in the game, whenever necessary. With that, you can quickly see what could go wrong and whether it is possible for one to break the game.
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Replay Value
With cheat codes, you can skip parts you have done before. Having to complete the same tasks multiple times because you were unable to clear a certain level eventually becomes monotonous and boring. With a cheat code, you can skip the parts you have been through multiple times.
This allows you to go straight to the newer, more interesting areas of the game you are really looking forward to. That incentivizes you to play the game more, while saving you the time you would otherwise spend navigating the boring sections.
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Accessibility
Just like the general population, not all gamers have the same degree of motor skills, eyesight or hearing. Some people may have a visual, hearing or limb impairment that makes it difficult for them to navigate the game as intended.
Cheating codes can level the playing ground. They allow you to circumvent hurdles that would otherwise be difficult if you followed the normal path of play.
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Cosmetic
There are cheat codes that do not change the game in a material fashion. For instance, if you can make a target’s head bigger or vary the colors in the gaming environment. That does necessarily make the game any different from a play perspective, but it does make it more fun – which can only be good for the gamer and the developer.
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Increase Complexity
Cheat codes do not necessarily have to make a game easier. You can also use them to make a game more challenging. That is especially true if it is a game you have already mastered or played for a long time, attaining the highest level again and again. Cheat codes can add new complexities that makes the game interesting again.
These complexities could include increasing the number of enemies, making targets harder to kill or reducing available ammo. The rationale for increasing complexity is that if a game is no longer challenging, then it will soon be no longer worth playing.
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Chaotic Fun
Some cheats give the player agency that allows for a more unintended type of chaotic fun to occur. Think about introducing chaos such as a loss of gravity or changing the weather.
Of course, while you could be doing this purely for fun, or it could have the unintended consequence of increasing or decreasing game difficulty. And depending on your gaming objectives, either outcome could be a good thing.
See the Good
The next time you run into a cheat code for a game you love, do not dismiss it as something immoral or wrong. It could be good for you, the other players and the game developer as well.
