Winning the war at any cost

 

Last night was one of those nights. Playing a  quick game of Gears of War 2 and I had a moment of genius when I stood alone against all five opponents and managed to kill them all to trigger much “whooping” and “yeah-ing” in the post round chat room. The same situation presented itself in the next round and as I took a shot at an incoming opponent my bullets ricocheted off as if there was a shield present. Unable to take any damage off I promptly died and began apologising for what I assumed was my rubbish connection causing issues. “It’s not you Crunchy, they are glitching” was the response which made my heart tremble.

You see, glitching like this is the first sign of an arms race between developers and those who follow the mantra of “It’s in the game, so it’s allowed” and like all good arms races the only people who lose are the honest consumers who make up the majority. Be it flicking the standby switch on your modem to lag everybody except you out, finding ways of escaping maps but still being able to shoot or making your entire team vanish to your opponents eyes in Fifa (also a recurring nightmare for football managers everywhere) this notion of pushing the limits of the game in order to win is rampant in multiplayer gaming. Developers release a patch and the first instinct of some isn’t to enjoy the newly patched game bug-free game but to search long and hard for the exploits in the new patch.

For me the problem isn’t the oft discussed issue of whether or not it constitutes cheating considering it’s not overt (i.e it’s part of the game, albeit probably a bug ergo if it’s part of the game code is it a cheat), it’s more a simple question of why? These glitches and bugs when exploited undoubtedly ruin everyone’s enjoyment as more often than not it’s a case of use them yourself or have an extremely frustrating experience. Consequently it can absolutely kill the communities surrounding certain games.

By the end of the original Gears of War’s online lifespan people were constantly glitching, leaving the map and making online play unplayable. Is the lust for victory online so irresistible that it’s a case of winning at any cost giving no regard to other people or is it just a challenge aspect as the arms race between developers patching the game and gamers searching for exploits is one that’s ever evolving? I’m as competitive as the next person but cheating to win devalues the win itself. The worst part is as long as this continues, random matchmaking online will lose honest gamers who just want to have fun whilst idiots will reign supreme. So next time you find a glitch that gives you an advantage online think about why you are using it and how it’ll affect everyone else.


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6 responses to “Winning the war at any cost”

  1. Laura avatar
    Laura

    Glitches can be funny to try out but most people know what’s fair and what’s unfair. Yes it’s part of the game, just like camping and over balanced weapons but there is a line and if a player doesn’t realise it or just downright exploits it they are a twat who can’t make headshots and I hope they RROD.

  2. Lordstar avatar
    Lordstar

    uuugh! I despise this sort of thing. Anyone whos played Vs on left 4 dead will tell you about the top of mercy hospital lift shaft has a narrow exit. point is anyone whos a boomer can move some of the objects in the game and block that exit. But still the zombies have no problem climbing up over it and droping down. its not so much a glitch but a design flaw, but every time I get on that level and your fighting your way to the lift sahft and I find it a little too easy I have to ask myself is there a boomer F’n about on the top floor trying to block my exit. every other time they are.

  3. TequilaClint avatar
    TequilaClint

    COD 5 on the PC has Less glitches but its full of God damn Hacks!
    Aim bot.
    Wall hacks.
    ESP.
    Auto mele.
    And many more.
    Whats the point?
    What do they gain!?!
    Im all about earning the unlockable guns n perks through skill and persistance… oh and my pack of dogs!

  4. John.B avatar
    John.B

    The joys of console gaming, hacks are SLIGHTLY more difficult to come across. On the PC they are pretty easy to do yourself though.

  5. MrCuddleswick avatar
    MrCuddleswick

    I totally agree with all that’s been said. It’s also the attitude of a suprising number of users on live that often puts me off. It degenerates into an argument all too often, it’s unbelievable how the anonymity seemingly gives some people carte blanche to spout racism and general bile.

  6. NorfolkNChance avatar
    NorfolkNChance

    This is the bain of my life these days, keeping one step ahead!

    When I do go online at home I tend to play private games with friends. The only time I go out into the wild is COD4 and Halo 3.

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