Is the game worth winning if you're breaking all the rules?

Broadway reference aside, I think we've all (at least those of us who grew up playing video games) used some cheat codes or glitches, or bent the rules to suit us in a game among friends for the rest of you.

Recreationally, does this in any way inhibit the satisfaction you get from winning a competitive game? Do you prefer to win, or do you prefer to know that you were defeated in a fair fight?

Professionally, take steroids for example. Does the 'unfair' advantage offered by juiced up players on one team break the game? Or does it just provide more extreme physical accomplishments to entertain the viewers, which is, when you get right down to it, what professional games are mostly about, and why the athletes are paid so much.

There is also the risk to consider if you are caught breaking the rules. Recreational ostracization from your friends, and lack of trust from them in the future? Professionally one could lose their job and dwindle into obscurity or infamy.

Does the risk make it more acceptable? Is cheating harmless, or does it severely dock the satisfaction you get from participating in, or watching an event?

To put it another way: If a composer found reams of music in a treasure chest, and stole a few bars to tweak his own symphony, is the resultant music truly any less beautiful for the fact that he was slightly dishonest in claiming it?

That depends on your views. Take Manny Ramirez for example. He got caught faced the consequences and came back to the game. He got caught again and just retires. Does he feel he did something wrong? Only he knows >.> For me personally, I think cheating is really lame. Playing video games online is stupid if all your opponents cheat. Turbo controls for playing street fighter, codes and cheats for FPS to dominate, forcing PK on mmo's. People that cheat online just ruin it for everyone. Obviously people cheat because it's available to them and such views are nonexistent. Cheating does nothing but destroy the whole experience imo. The small people feel big after winning through cheats. Whatever makes your happy because can't stop people from cheating. The only reason I would cheat is because the game is just too difficult >< but as far as online competition... I think it's just lame. Profesionally? It makes you look weak. You're getting paid to perform to your maximum potential and you shoot up? Nah that's some bitch ass shit.

An interesting philosophical quandary indeed.


consider rules of war. if two equals are facing each other, rules are fine and usualy fair to both sides. if one side is numericaly and/or technologicaly superior to the other, should the same "rules" apply to both? what one side may call cheating or dishonorable, may be the only viable tactic available to another.

there seems to be a human tendancy to claim using tactics or stratadgies different than ones own is cheating. in early american football, the first use of the forward pass was contested as cheating, but there were no rules specificly against it. was that cheating or were the others just being sore losers?

You can do whatever you want as long as it doesn't fuck with others.

Im A Sore Loser So I Usually Cheat Flash Games And Flash Games Only. But I Would Have To Admit, Although This Makes The Game A Little Easier To Play, It Just Defeats The Purpose Of Playing The Whole Game.
I Am A Cheater, Not A Hacker. I Think That Hacking Is Worse Than Cheating, But Since The Question Is "Is the game worth winning if you're breaking all the rules?", I Will Not Elaborate. So To Sum Up, The Game Is Not Even Worth Touching If Someone Is Cheating.

On topic though: I have personally avoided the need to cheat in any form of entertainment. I follow the rules laid before me and make little attempts to change the rules as I may make a change that could ultimately ruin the fun and experience for me and for others.

In sports, just don't cheat. Period. The use of steroids is questionable but for the most part, cheating is just all around horrible. It's like claiming your the fasted person in a race when you have rockets attached to your feet.

On S4 League, there isn't a day you have to deal with hackers. They get annoying as fuck in that game, considering some hacks are worse than others. Cheating just takes the fun out of everything, for everyone. Today, people are more obsessed with WINNING, rather than PLAYING, that they get the mentality that they want to win and will do the gayest stuff to do so.

Rules are established for many reasons. Whether they are to limit the players to specific actions and choices, or defend against things which are harmful to the player and or other players.

In the case of recreational games, cheating only increases the odds of winning as opposed to "playing" the game. So joy can only be derived from victory not from the actual game (unless the joy is from the grief of others). Any victory achieved is then hollow.

For professional games, the notion of love of the game wains when pay checks become involved (not to say that professionals can't still love the playing). Their salary and employment is typically dependent upon their success as an individual, and depending on the game, the team. In this case it is the respectability of the individual and the integrity of the game which is most in danger. For example; steroids can be dangerous for a person long term health, but the popularity of the sport increases with the athletes super-human feats. Though any organization that would blindly turn an eye or even encourage their players to put themselves into harms way should not be respected or supported.

As Mr.Shaggnificent mentioned about war. The rules of war simple, defeat the enemy and win. Anything else we add is merely to help us feel that the murder of another human being is justified and stay in good faith with those we are not fighting.

If you break the rules of a game to win it, you lose the bigger game.

I hate using cheat codes in games, and if I ever do use them, I don't say that I've truly "beat" the game unless I do so without any codes. That's part of the reason the GTA games are so boring to me; if you don't cheat, you miss out on most of the fun shit.

I don't say that I've beaten a game if I used cheat codes because I have pride. It's personal pride, and it doesn't matter to anyone else, and I don't brag about it. It's just for me, but it's important to me. I love being able to say, if only to myself, "I beat that game without cheating" or "I completed that game 100% all by myself."

With something like professional sports, that's a different matter. That shit involves money. Even eliminating morality, whether to cheat or not can be a tough decision. If you cheat, you can make more money, but if you get caught, you can be forced to pay money or even lose your job altogether. I'm not an athlete and never will be, so I can't claim to know anything about pride as an athlete, but the money argument is what I'd use to determine whether I'd cheat or not, and I'd decide to not cheat out of fear of getting caught and ending up losing more than I gain.

As for the feelings of viewers, it's hard for me to talk about sports (because I'm not a sports fan and don't understand the appeal), but I can say that watching a guy playing a video game with a bunch of cheat codes entered isn't interesting at all, even if he's doing the most stupendous stuff possible. It's only interesting if he's doing something spectacular. I guess, anyone can use cheat codes, and anyone can pump up using steroids, so neither one makes for an interesting spectacle.

It's only cheating if you get caught.

Where exactly is that "few bars" line drawn?
How "deep" are the "tweaks"?(remix trololol)
But yeah, from cut-edge technology to everyday interactions, everything and it's nan cheats that way.
BUT...
What are your gains after winning the game?
What effects your cheating would have your close environment?
What are your chances to get away with it?(RL mostly)
From a personal PoV, whether it is worth it or not... depends on a lot variables.(ethical/economical/health/environment related etc)
From a gamer's PoV, finishing games with cheat/glitches always left me with a bitter taste in my mouth.
All n all, game rules are to protect both the player and the game, cheating screws both.

It definitely feels worse to win from cheating! I know I'm a pretty moral person, so I feel bad when I attain a reward in a way that was unfair or uncouth.

Not nearly as satisfying as getting something done by having worked hard for it.

I like to play it fair even if others don't. Including everything and anything in life. Recently, I went to the bank and there was no one waiting in line for the tellers. Banks have rope posts to guide people to the tellers. Anyway, I proceeded to follow the path to the tellers then I saw a person cut through the sides and get in front of me. I'm a reasonable person but I'm confrontational. "Excuse you, you know you cut in front of me, you saw me here, don't pretend I was invincible." The look on the tellers' face gave away their thoughts "Oh great one of THOSE people". I don't mean to be one one of THOSE people but what else was I to do? Suck it up and say nothing? The latter option would mean I gave way to my doubts and that would make me disappointed in myself.


I don't think cheating of any kind is right, such acts should be pointed out and mocked. When a person cheats on something, you can't look at just the act, but the person themselves. What did they gain? What did they lose? How high were the risks? Not all cheating is the same, I wouldn't judge a person negatively for wanting improve their life by cheating. I knew a person that got a managing position on a job by cheating. I guess overall, it's the short term frivolous gains of cheating that I look down upon.

No way, it makes it too easy to win. I don't like cheat codes because it takes out all the fun.

Depends on what the cheating is specifically. Some cheats aren't as "advantageous" as others, and some cheats aren't even cheats and is merely taking advantage of how the mechanics of the game are.

Either way umm, like I said if the cheat in question doesn't make you "insta-win", you can easily beat said cheater, I've done it plenty of times.

No, That's why I don't cheat in online video games like Call Of Duty or buy a modded controller.

Better question: Is the game worth winning if you follow all the rules?

I would take a guess and say... it all depends on your perspective at that time.

I agree with most of what you are saying. I hate cheaters and hackers in video games. MW2 became unplayable when you had invulnerable people sniping from the stratosphere or other crap like that. I expect a certain level of integrity from the people I'm playing with/against.

With that being said, professional sports is a different animal.

"Hello?! You play to win the game!" -Herman Edwards, former NFL player/coach

And to win this game, you need an edge. Either its extra practice time outside of what is permitted (Michigan football), secretly recording practices of opponents (New England Patriots, "spygate"), or having a near limitless payroll for the purpose of signing the best players all the time (The Yankees). All that matters at the professional level in sports is winning. Winning with integrity is a very very distant second.

Individually, if I was a mediocre professional baseball player and I knew I could become an all star by taking HGH, I would do it. Why? The amount of money I would get would from being an all star would be too big to pass up.

Two things are generally true in professional sports: Winning = Money and Elite Level Player = Money

One of my favorite quotes I've recently heard:

"If winning doesn't matter, why keep the score?" -Mike Ditka, former NFL coach/player

Ironically, its this same mentality that I have in almost all real life situations. If I need to cheat or lie on my resume to get that job, I will. No hesitation.

I think video games are the one of the last sacred places where integrity is valued as much as skill.

I don't really need to expand upon this, but just thought it was worth pointing out.