The art of cheating

Cheating can come in many forms and cheating rarely needs definition but in the realm of video games, using a 'cheat' and actually cheating the system are two entirely different things. So, lets say John Doe goes out and buys a game. He is excited about playing this game and enjoys himself until he gets to a certain part in the game that he just can't beat no matter what he does. The game remains unbeaten and he scours the community for help. He uses his vast network of gaming buddies but can't seem to find an answer until he's pointed towards one of many websites online that offer 'cheats' for video games. He decides to use this information to beat the part of the game he can't pass and continues on his merry way. Does this make John Doe a cheat?

Enter JohnDoe2. JohnDoe2 thinks he is smart and knows a way to modify his XBL Gamerscore by using a variety of methods. He understands that he's probably abusing the terms of use for his XBL account, but he doesn't care. The lure of the greatest gamerscore in the community is too strong so he reads all about how to 'hack' his gamerscore and voila, achievements unlocked. There's no need to ask the question because it's fairly obvious that JohnDoe2 is a cheat.

Abusing terms and conditions is pretty much like breaking a law. You agree to adhere to the rules of the services you use. So hacking your Xbox Gamerscore by using external tools is definitely cheating. But what about John Doe's situation? John Doe isn't breaking any rules or laws by using 'cheats' in his game, but does that make him any less of a cheat if he's beating something he can't beat on his own without help?

I've come to accept that there are reasons for gamers to use 'cheats'. But it doesn't detract from the fact that without them, there'd be alot of gamers out there who wouldn't have beaten the game without help from another source.

Are cheats OK to use in games? And what do you think about people who have exploited games to beat them or cheat the system just to gain a better gamerscore? Is a cheat these days still a cheat?

Image via VideoGamesBlogger