Not so long ago, they were ubiquitous in gaming magazines: whether it was to beat an overly complicated level or for fun after beating the game, cheat codes were the norm.
All you had to do was hit the right button combination on your controller or enter the right password on your PC to become invulnerable, reveal a secret level, or get as many weapons as possible. But that’s pretty much ancient history, just a few games, starting with the Sims – continue to offer these cheat codes.
A code against censorship
The history of cheat codes begins in 1986 with the famous Konami Code. Created by Kazuhisa Hashimoto, who was in charge of the Nintendo NES port of the shooter Gradius. Considering it too difficult, he decided to include a code in the game to increase the ship’s powers.
Actually, Hashimoto didn’t create the Konami Code for fun, but to progress through the game faster and catch bugs. This is how cheat codes will really emerge in the 1980s and 1990s.
“I added cheat codes to help me develop games,” summarized Scott Miller, founder of the 3D Realms studio (Wolfenstein 3D, Duke Nukem, etc.). Clearly, the programmers put code mainly to debug games, at a time when there were no patches or updates.
Then these cheat codes obviously ended up in specialized magazines, so it became almost inconceivable not to put any on your cartridge or CD-ROM. In 1992, the developers of the controversial game Mortal Kombat even came up with the idea of creating a code (ABACABB) that would unlock the most violent scenes in the game.
irreducible
The turn will come in the early 2000s with the advent of the Internet. Therefore, bugs in the game are more easily fixed by offering patches to download. Above all, publishers have a brilliant idea for their finances: charge for additional content, such as hidden objects. It is not necessary, therefore, to offer weapons or levels to unlock with a code, since it is enough to sell additional content.
The other reason for the scheduled end of the cheat code is the development of the online game where cheaters are now a plague.
Finally, the difficulty level of video games has radically changed: publishers often favor more detailed stories that are experienced as playful experiences that must be completed like a movie must be completed. Since then single player games have become much simpler. Too simple for a “god mode” that allows the character to become invulnerable.
There are still some die-hard studios that remain attached to the cheat code culture. Starting with the giant Rockstar, which still offers them in its games (gta, Read Dead Redemption…), among the best sellers in the world.
Source: BFM TV
