Published on June 6th, 2014 | by Guest

Being ethical in gaming

Gamers all over the world are faced with issues pertaining to gaming ethics daily. Ethics are the acceptable standards and modes of operation. They aim to provide a level playing field for all so that the sharpness of the brain or the better guy wins without advantage.
Gaming needs to be ethical and fair to all. This need has become more pronounced in recent times with the rise of internet gaming and competitive gaming where money could be lost. Having an unethical player on a competition is the worst that could happen if there is money to be moved around and probably gambled.

In gaming, there are different situations that could lead to breaking of the ethical practices and confer undue advantages to some players. The main issues are those that enhance the abilities of players and their chances of winning. Take the case of a shooting game where one player has unlimited ammunition but the other player has to keep looking for munitions the player whose ammo does not run out stands a better chance of winning than the other players.
Gaming controllers can also be hacked and enhanced to boost their functionality. Some people may adopt controllers that improve the game experience or that have extra functional buttons.

The other unethical practice in gaming is using walkthroughs. A walkthrough is where a player records their gameplay and then the other players can follow their actions. While a walkthrough is handy in helping you pass a difficult level that has given you headaches for days or weeks, it remains unethical. A player who watches a walkthrough lacks creativity. They will hardly explore other options of winning but will follow what others did. This is unethical sine the other players struggle to pass a certain stage or level unaware that the player who passed it used a tutorial in the form of a walkthrough.
Have you ever used a cheat code? If you have, that was unethical. Some gamers use cheat codes that enhance their capabilities (read powers) or reduce the capabilities of other players. Cheat codes are used to unlock different tools or weapons in games. Some can also be used to increase the survival rates in games.

A good example of the use of cheat codes is in the famous Grand Theft Auto games have a cheat code that adds your life and even provides you with armor. Another cheat code keeps the police away from you. Using such tricks, you become virtually indestructible and will stay in the game for longer periods. Cheat codes should not be confused with Easter Eggs hidden in games. The Easter eggs will open new races or weapons that may not be applicable to the main game but on special levels only.

There are some types of games that may have static environments that cannot change over time. An example is a game where the enemy is always stationed at a specific place in the game environment. If you play the game once, you will memorize the positions of the opposing forces and the best weaponry to take them out with. This type of experience needs to be disclosed when you are playing against other people so that they know who they are up against. If you do not disclose such information and proceed to win such a game, you simply become a cheat and liar. If there is money involved, you could be accused of stealing.

Gaming can be used to teach responsibility and the need to play by the rules in. fairness and equality should be exercised on the gaming field. Ethical gaming presents a test to the morality of the players and the game creators. Game creators should not design games that tempt the players to use unethical means to win, and neither should the players go looking for shortcuts to win.

About the author:

The author is a game designer and programmer who works on Essay Jedi as a freelance programming consultant. He has created software that is in wide use today since he became a programmer.

Tags: cheat code, ethical, gaming, walkthrough