Get a handle on games

Since the dawn of competition, people have cheated in a bid to gain an extra advantage. Video games are no different, and cheat codes have become part and parcel of the trade.

So what are these codes? Basically they come in the form of a password or sequence of combined key presses that reveal a hidden menu.

The menu will offer options not found elsewhere, such as the ability to switch on special powers that would normally have to be earned, the choice to skip a level altogether or most commonly, a ‘god’ mode where the player is granted all weapons and tools and is also granted invulnerability in gameplay.

Initially it was all so innocent, just entering pokes on your Spectrum to get some extra money in Football Manager, or pressing a combination of buttons on the Megadrive’s controller to skip levels in Sonic The Hedgehog.

Often such cheat codes were implemented by the developers for testing reasons to enable beta players to properly investigate the game. And often, these were done with a knowing sense of humour – for example typing dog in the console is the cheat for god mode in the Medal of Honor games.

But over time, cheat codes weren’t just slyly implemented by the programmers, but sneaked in by skilled amateur bandits to tilt gameplay.

With the rise of online gaming and modding, the concept of unfairly balancing games became an increasingly nefarious affair, and, naturally, gamers and developers have become increasingly concerned about the problems it can cause.

But why is it such an issue? Well, on a basic level, when playing against opponents from around the world, it’s important that the games are played on a level playing field – think of it as the digital equivalent of running the Olympic 100m sprint against a group of athletes reared on steroids.

Despite this gloom, the games industry has evolved to become a global trade that has near enough eclipsed the music and film sectors, with large financial implications. And while it’s bad news that cheating is a serious problem on game servers, the good news is that there have been many moves to combat these activities.