Video Game Cheats: Do They Hurt The Game Play

I pose this question to you: Does video game cheats hurt the game play? I think this is a very important question. At one time, there were not any cheats in the first generation of video games. A game player had to play the game from beginning to the end without any short cuts. But in the process the game player became an expert in the game. Now days there are codes and certain sequences that unlock game play or in some cases allow the gamer to enter levels that they have not won. But does this help the game play???? On one hand, some of the recent games are so difficult that is would be very hard to get to certain levels. So, maybe it is good to provide codes so that everyone can experience the FULL game. But I say this is only a way for the game manufacturers to get the gamer to finish the game and focus them to go out and buy another game. They now that gamers usually concentrate on one game at a time. And once the game is beat, then and only then will the gamers leave the game only. But once again I ask does this help or hurt the gamer. But this is just one side of the story.

Here is the other side...

Others believe that game cheat isn't really "cheating". Others prefer to think of it as "discovering shortcuts, tips and tricks," or video game hints.

Video games have gotten so complex, since the days of Pong and PacMan, that the game authors have purposely thrown in some back doors and other shortcuts to aid the weary player. The problem is, most of these back doors are so well hidden that these same authors have to leak the game cheats or no one would ever find them on their own.

This is exactly my point. Game authors know that the games are difficult and without the cheats most would not finish this generation of games.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that it's just the handhelds either. If you play a video game online, like XBOX Live, for example, there are a whole slew of video game hints available.

Of course, video game cheat codes and game hints are sort of useless if you don't own any video games. And that's where video game web sites come in...

So, my main point to all of this, I looked for video games to test me when I first started playing them back in the 80's. But with cheats being so accessible today's games are becoming less challenging. Thus, children are given life lessons of finding ways around problems then just working through them. So, yes I believe game play is hurt by cheats.

Kenneth Elliott is the owner of XBOX Tech Talk. I would love to hear your opinion. Visit today!!!