The Internet has made life easier for many people by bringing people previously difficult to obtain items and information, often at little or no cost. One of the most popular uses of the Internet is to look up cheat codes and walkthroughs for video games.
Before the Internet, if a gamer was stuck on a level and couldn't find a way to proceed, there were really only two options. That gamer could call a friend and hope that person had found a way to overcome the problem or they could go to the store and shell out 20 for a game guide. The game guides were seen as a viable expense because a good one would contain detailed walkthroughs and cheat codes. However, after spending 50 on a game, only a rare few would not grumble about spending and additional 20 for a book that tells you how to play the game. Some games seem to have been purposely engineered to necessitate the purchase of a guide. Final Fantasy VIII is a good example. Without the guide, players were not clued in to the importance of a particular item that was essential to completing the game.
Enter the Internet. Sometime in the late 90s, as the Internet was reaching its current state of ubiquity, gamers began a small underground movement to post walkthroughs and cheat codes on websites that offered frustrated players all the information they could desire without separating them from a 20 bill. No longer did the game publisher have exclusive rights over the subtitles that kept a gamer from realizing the full potential of the gaming experience.
Today, walkthroughs and cheat codes are no longer only found on people's personal sites. Many sites, such as Game Spot, Neoseeker, and IGN all offer sections devoted to walkthroughs and cheat codes. And while some of these sites may ask a user to register before granting access to the desired information, they rarely ask for money. Even if a financial transaction is required, the gamer gets access to cheats and walkthroughs of a laundry list of games for much less than one game guide costs.
Surprisingly, game guides are still published. The people that still buy them (we can assume people still buy them as they are still published) is largely unknown to this author. The assumption is that they are people who do not possess and Internet connection or are strict purists when it comes to their games, not trusting the information from a non-sanctioned author. Regardless of who buys them, the fact remains that game guides are still published, even though the Internet has removed the justification for them.
Whether a person obtains his or her cheat codes from a book or from a website, the purpose of them is the same. Players want to explore every bit of the world that the developers have created for them. Often times, this includes using an invulnerability cheat to get past that really tough boss or using another cheat and skipping an area entirely. Often, developers will place small bonuses within the game. When a player has collected all that needs to be collected or has performed a certain number of tasks, access may be granted to behind-the-scenes images or movies. New playable characters may be introduced. Even new costumes for the existing characters. The more a player can uncover, the greater the sense of accomplishment. In fact, these aspects are often placed within a game to enhance the replay factor and keep the game off of the used shelves.
Cheat codes are a great way to move through a game to get to the juicy conclusion of a well-written storyline. As video games become increasingly cinematic, the use of cheat codes is likely to increase as well. As the game progresses and players become engrossed in the trails and tribulations of the main character, gameplay takes a backseat to storytelling. And, just as you know the hero of a movie will survive all the dangers that are thrown his way, you know the video game character will survive as well. As the story takes precedence, the player becomes less concerned with his or her skill and more concerned with the plot, at least during the initial playthrough. Thus, cheat codes allow players a certain level of control over the game so that each individual can focus on what he or she is playing the game for.
When cheat codes were first employed during the heady 8-bit days of the Nintendo Entertainment System, they were seen as a delightful extra that rewarded the players for being dedicated enough to find it. Now, cheat codes are expected by gamers and are included in every game known to this writer. Cheat codes allow for a level of enjoyment that would not be possible otherwise and it leads to far more completed games. Without cheat codes, gamers would often become too frustrated by difficulty or just plain getting lost to complete many of the games they had purchased. So, in the interest of giving the player the most for the money, cheat codes are now considered a necessity.
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