Are Cheat Codes a Thing of the Past?
Game development has moved forward in leaps and bounds, and looking back to the early days of video games reminds us just how far we have come. From the likes of Pong and Space Invaders, we are now able to enjoy multiplayer virtual reality gaming experiences with people from all over the world.
Online and mobile gaming has driven the industry in recent years, and the gamification of the betting industry has also had an impact. Betting expert Viraj discusses the importance of providing a variety of high-quality games to consumers when creating a no KYC casino list. These platforms support classic casino games as well as meet consumer demand for more entertaining slot games.
As the industry marches on, gamers of a certain vintage will often look back at the things they loved most about video games as they grew up. One thing that always springs to mind is cheat codes.
The idea that you could enter a pre-determined sequence of clicks on your joypad and experience a secret benefit was a thing of legend. Sometimes rumors would turn out to be false, but every so often a game would give players access to that hidden extra and cause unprecedented levels of excitement.
Many codes came about during the development stage as a way for the developer to carry out certain commands or checks. They were left in at the final editing stage to minimize the risk of bugs developing.
In other cases, they were added as a bonus to players like easter eggs in movies. This not only improved the experience for players but could also help to generate a bit of buzz about the game.
Some of the most famous examples include Konami Code which was present across a number of Konami game titles. Players would have to press ‘up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A’ to access the cheat which differed depending on the game you were playing. Some games that the code worked on included Tetris, Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness, BioShock Infinite, and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.
Another popular cheat code appeared on the Sega Genesis for Mortal Kombat. The controversial game came in for a lot of criticism for its depictions of graphic violence. Because of this the Super Nintendo and Genesis versions did not feature blood.
However, Genesis players that entered ‘A, B, A, C, A, B, B’ would get the version that included blood.
Sadly, cheat codes are becoming a thing of the past as game developers are encouraged to include profit-generating extras like additional downloadable content and in-game currencies as an alternative.
In-game currencies, NFTs, and crypto gambling operators are all making a dent in the current market and offer a different experience for the modern consumer who might see cheat codes as a bit old-fashioned.
However, trends tend to come back around every few decades and we might see future releases include cheat codes as a nod to their retro forefathers.
