What happened to cheat codes?

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

Cheats like the urns of power in GoW 2 that need to be earned and are only usable on your second playthrough are somewhat ok i suppose...although i still find the extra challenge more fun than beating everything with no problems....cause that's called the easy mode...and i never play my games on easy lol.

 

[ImStarKiller]

Cheat codes died when games became so easy that there was no need for them. Unless you have some sort of learning disorder.

Oh and GTAIV has cheat codes, never used them but I hear they suck.

 

[Najos]

I pretty much only play PC games...so I get to cheat whenever I feel like it.

 

[mark_n_b]

Well this is an interestingly vicious thread.

There have been two answers so far on this thread that have answered the "why you don't see them so often" question.

Cheat codes were originally debugging tools. Because it is clear that a lot of folks don't understand, allow me to elaborate. If you want to test a boss's AI in a platformer, and your boss is at the end of level two, a level jump code and an immortality code saves the debugger the problem of having to play through levels 1 to 4 and replaying level 5 every time they taqke five seconds to jot a note instead of jumping over fireballs.

In the eighties and ninties because a lot of testing had to be done on the actual hardware to make sure the system could handle it, a lot of these codes were built directly into a system produced game. Then testing on the console could be easily managed. Because of the risk of potential bugs caused by removing the cheat code, budgets, and timelines, most developers just left them in the game.

Because of the differences in game development between then and now, this practice is not as common. And because of the potential bugs that could be left in by leaving testing tools in the game, any that may exist are removed (best practices, larger budgets, and the cost of a potential bug make this the new reality) also already pointed out.

Cheats make fantastic easter eggs, I remember them well. And as nifty as beating Contra on 3 lives is and that wonderful sense of achievement you feel for doing it is great. But cheats don't deny that experience to anyone but they do allow you to do things like explore the game world more completely and at your leisure which, for someone who is interested in games as more than a Thursday evening waste of time, is really cool.

But with tighter time-lines and more complex game dynamics it is harder to find appropriate easter eggs like that and fit them in, a good 3/4 of the games out there today are effectively unfinished and easter eggs come last.

Almost all other discussion on this thread is silly because it is unrelated to the question or just wrong. Achievements got rid of cheats? Developers don't want cheats because it messes up the thing they spent so much money on? Ai yai yai...

 

[khululy]

"Winners never cheat and cheaters never win" that's what guybrush taught me but then again he's a pirate.

I used to use cheats these days... I find using cheats boring games aren't as knuckle grind hard anymore and way too short to breeze trough with godmode.
Cheats mostly still excist in game code. because for testing and de bugging purposes only.

 

[Unknower]

It seems lots of people don't get cheating. It's fun. Simple as that. But that's after beating the game without cheats. That's funnier in "yay me for accomplishing something" way. Cheating is fun in "let's fool around" way.

Then there's some cheats like this:

HelpUsObi 1

g_dismemberment 5

I think everyone who knew about it used it in Jedi Knight 2: Outcast. Is self-explanatory why it was fun and it doesn't even damage balancing or anything.

EDIT: No, wait, it did damage the balancing. But the pros outweigh the cons!

 

[Splitter]

There are still some fun cheats in recent games (though these are last-gen examples as I don't own a current-gen console).
I never really use cheats in order to beat the game, and I'm pretty sure thats not what the author was talking about.
In the ratchet and clank series when you beat the game, and I think unlock certain numbers of skill points you can have access to cheats such as having your wrench replaced with a lightsabre (no additonal damage, just looks cool), have a weapon shoot squid instead of rockets, all characters have big heads... etc.

The timesplitters series also features such unlockable cheats, big heads, rotating heads, cardboard cut-out characters, silly hats, slow motion deaths. None of these make the game easier, and some actually make it harder.

 

[hardcore max]

cheats dont seem to of died its more cheaters that have

 

[Death Magnetic]

yeah. i did enjoy cheats. it was really fun. dont worry, saints row 2 will have something!

It's a pity it's going to be a terrible game.

 

[ike_luv]

cheats dont seem to of died its more cheaters that have

Yeah I was gonna say, cheats haven't died! We just all grew past it! I used to cheat all the time, and now I prefer to actually TRY the game!! My little brother cheats all the time, on EVERYTHING!

 

[Robert0288]

I've only used cheats once in a game without feeling guilty. It was in one of the jedi knight games where you have to jump around inside of air tubes/elevators, which after the first 20 min made me angry enough to use noclip and just skip it. I did it because 1 it was annoying has hell. 2) did nothing to contribute to the story.

Cheats that I do like: Guns on GTA series, where all you want to do is cause some mayhem. and other silly extras that I don't have to unlock by doing something stupid like getting 100 headshots in a row, or beat level XXX in 2:35. Might be a cool looking achivement, but is it really worth replaying the level over 9000 times just to unlock the cheat that makes your bullet holes look like paint balls?
No.

 

[jebussaves88]

My guess is it would over complicated achievmennts/trophies in any modern console games. There are still some kicking about, but many have lost their power.

 

[Kahuna-Kurt]

Cheating is fun if it's used just to goof-off. In gta my friends don't even bother with the story, they just go ahead, put in some cheats, and have a great time.(gta is just my example)

Cheating for the sake of beating a game in 2 min. is just wrong.

Some games need mods and cheats in order to be fine tuned*cough**cough*oblivion*cough**cough*

 

[GothmogII]

Huh...god mode, all/weapons inf. ammo, noclip and level skips. True. These can make the game easier. And, are only really fun for a while. Big Heads, low gravity, extra bloody, these too are cheats, and don't really impact the game in terms of difficulty as much, but are more fun to use.

So, while I won't really miss the former, the loss of the latter is a real shame.

Also, barring multiplayer, the purpose of a game is for one's own -personal- entertainment. Even if the designer has intended it to be challenging and engaging, that means little if you're not having fun. So, it's your's to play in the way -you- see fit. Cheat or don't, only your own enjoyment matters. After all, you paid for it.

 

[f1r2a3n4k5]

I'm like a cheat addict. Always taking the easy way out. Plus, some are purely for enjoyment value or make it fun to play through a second time.

 

[L4Y Duke]

I find cheats to be the epitome of the phrase 'The games that are the most fun are the ones where you make the rules.'

Nowadays, I try to finish a game legit before I cheat the ever loving crap out of it.

 

[Hawgh]

I cheat whenever I feel like being an unstoppable & wrathful god of war.

And to make my car fly in GTA.

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaagle!

 

[memejoey]

Some people don't get that feeling of accomplishment from beating a game. I'm one of those people. Its just a game, i'm not actually accomplishing anything by winning! There are better things in life to strive hard to be good at... If I finish a game with godmode, I feel just the same as when finishing a game without it.

Usually I play a game until I get stuck and then if I have to play an area multiple times (I hate having to do that because its so repetitive) i'll find cheats online or a trainer and use infinite health to get past it. If I encounter a puzzle I'll IMMEDIATELY go to gamefaqs to find out how to get past it because I hate figuring out puzzles too.

Everyone has different ways of playing games, I play games mostly to shoot stuff and/or for the story, and just generally to mess around and have fun - other people play for challenge and to get really good at the game. Sometimes people in the latter catagory seem to get mad at everyone who doesn't play the way they do, and its stupid. Get over the elitist attitude, they are JUST games and everyone should be allowed to play them how they want. UNLESS its affecting other people, ie. when people cheat in multiplayer games.

Its annoying that games dont really come with codes anymore. I miss them! But if you're on the PC theres usually a trainer eventually. And games using the source engine always seem to come with lots of cheats.

 

[hem dazon 90]

i like cheats san andreas chaos mode comes to mind