Great video and insight! There's a couple of points for cheating I'd like to say: -In early console era, video game rental was HUGE. So, making your game extra hard with limited lives/continues as per arcade versions was still a good financial choice as hey, if gamers are renting out the game an extra day or two to finish it you're making money (You could probably graph the rise of better checkpoints/continue points in gaming versus decline of game rental industry). However, as a kid with limited disposable income/influence over parents you're definitely going to tempted for cheat codes for finishing the game in the hard time limit. -Game cheating was *absolutely* encouraged by game developers for one very specific reason: premium hint lines. Make The Secret of Monkey Island hard as nails and include a card in the box with a number to call for hints was *massive* revenue stream. Kinda fell out of favour with rise of internet and GameFAQs like you mentioned (even with the overlap of selling Official Licensed Game Walkthrough guides by Prima/Brady) but developers absolutely encouraged cheating... as long as you were paying them for the privilege. Sierra definitely more so with their moon logic/"dead man walking" approach to puzzle design. - You and the two guests also talked about the different experiences wanted when it comes to cheating. Absolutely agree- do you want gameplay challenge or is the game's narrative the real appeal? I know folk who would happily cheat single player games solely for the story first time round then go back to play it "properly" for the actual gameplay mechanics. Two different experiences, two different mindsets for it.
This was so good! It's got me thinking about how I miss the culture around cheats and easter eggs even more so than the actual benefits. There was something special about how things were passed around through word of mouth and the interaction between devs and players.
Yes!! That connection is really special, I think it could (and should) come back. Also extra shout out to you for recommending that book about games and agency, great read and gave me a dynamite quote to end on
You had this such a great quote towards the end, along the lines of "It doesn't matter if I'm only doing 50% as well as I did yesterday, if my goal for tomorrow is to just do 5% better than today." I feel that's gonna stick with me - it's such a kind way of thinking about developing any skill, or just mental health in general. Which is something I fully was not expecting from a video about the history of cheat codes in video games, but I'm glad that's what I got. You really went the extra mile with this whole thing, thank you for your incredible work!
I played Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 when I was around 10, which is definitely younger than they intended their audience to be, but they immediately became some of my favorite games. To this day I still replay them every few years, just to hang out with the characters and explore the sword coast again. At the time I didn't really have other friends who play games, but I do now, and the number of times seasoned gamers and smart people have told me "yeah, I know they're classics, but the fights just got too difficult so I didn't finish it" is genuinely mind-boggling to me. Like, I was 10, I wasn't a master tactician, I just liked the story and I had the internet so I figured out a way that was more fun for me. I get and respect that there are some people who have more fun by avoiding cheats, even in single player contexts where it has no bearing on anyone else. But from my perspective, it just looks like so many people missed out on so much joy by setting an arbitrary limit on how they were allowed to interact with their own unique experience of a game.
great video! hearing a gaming psychology take on cheating was super fascinating, thanks for taking the time to deepen your analysis with that interview :) sometimes it feels like the jockification of video games makes people forget that games are supposed to be... fun?? i do very much Get the appeal of the skill-building grind, but when it becomes genuinely tedious, it honestly feels like i just clocked out of my regular job to do a second, more meaningless job that i'm not even getting paid for. we have one wild and precious life on this planet earth and i don't want to spend it being frustrated and bored by something that's supposed to bring me joy--when it comes to something as inconsequential as video games, i personally love taking a shortcut and learning nothing
Whoa, great essay! I really felt engaged the whole time; It was so cool seeing you bring on guests too! I'm not particularly a cheater, but it's more of a fear of... not experiencing a game the original way? Like I want to grow at the pace intended, almost? A fear of losing something pre-emptively. I usually never adjust difficulty mid-run either, as it feels like it disturbs the referential weight of challenges in the game? Like a boss suddenly being weaker than a previous boss, or even their mobs. Just feels weird to me. When I do cheat, I usually just use a separate save file. Or have a just-for-funs run after completion to extend my play time if I really enjoyed the game! Love these deep dive videos, Katie!
Thank you Kiersted, and thank you for sharing your thoughts on cheating! I can totally understand that. Authorial intent can be core to an experience!!
That was really interesting! I like the way you tied in the decline of cheatcodes with the rise of certain aspects in modern videogame design (microtransactions, online play). I do feel like I struggle sometimes with a "I am not allowed to cheat" mentality even when the thing I'm considering doing doesn't even count as cheating (for example I was playing Hollow Knight recently and I got stuck for hours trying to beat a side challenge and it took me hours of frustration before I managed to convince myself that it's actually fine for me to return to the challenge later, when my character is better equipped).
Really good insights. I'd heard about the marshmallow experiment many times, but never a contemporary take on it. Appreciate the effort to seek out and interview people with actual knowledge on the subject! I believe the knee-jerk reactions around cheating are mirrored in the discussions on easy modes, because on a surface level it feels like someone didn't put in the same work you did. Kind of like a fantasy meritocracy of gaming experiences and achievements. So it's very appropriate that Hades' God Mode was brought up.
great video!! saw it posted on bsky months ago & saved it for later the revelation in the last few seconds... i KNEW there was something off with that story and the time period you were describing also 15:15 i would never experience an uncontrollable laughing fit just from anticipating the mentions of Gradius III, Gradius IV, and Gradius V... couldnt have been me
Looking back to my journey to video games, all single player games should have codes for invincibility, infinite resources, level select, developer console, what ever applies to the genre. They could be menu options, there's no difference how they technically work, but cheat codes are just cooler because they feel secret even though they really aren't. Cheat codes allow you a zero risk environment to get used to the controls and how games generally work without feeling patronising. And that is important for beginners and especially children. I played games and had fun with them from a very early age even if I was well into my teens before I started engaging with the challenge presented by them without cheats. And that allowed a smooth transition because I had well established foundation so the challenge felt fair and overcomeable.
Hello! I just want to pop in here and say I enjoyed all the things I learnt in this video, but the little story about you in the gym parking lot resonated with me a lot! I have definitely been in situations like that before, feeling the same things. It inspired me to look into my neurology more too! So thanks for that.
Jockification is an interesting term to use because the time period you describe *does* sync with the videogames industry going mainstream and therefore the casting of a wider net demographically, including jocks. You didn't bring it up but it seems obvious. Was that intentional? Regardless, and personally, developers can keep their achievements and cosmetic microtransactions, I just want cheat codes back. I'm fine as is because I know how to mod, and hack, and use all sorts of tools, but a lot of people don't and they deserve to have fun too.
Lol as my grandpa always said, “if you ain’t cheatin’ you ain’t tryin hard enough.” I would much rather cheat and win than lose but have more character. I’m Goofus not Gallant fr fr
It's always nice to find a vtuber video essayist that grew up around when I did. Good essay. Informative, explores a good bit of history, and views I found myself agreeing with.
A developer feeling strongly that a game shouldn't have an easy mode and not including one is totally fine. A modder feeling the opposite and hacking one in anyway is also fine. A developer feeling like robust assist tools are important and putting tons of effort into them is fine too. A player of that game insisting on playing on the hardest difficulty is, of course, also fine. There's no wrong way to play games as long as everyone playing together is having fun. So I say, go forth! Challenge yourself or summon infinite ammo and go nuts. Hell, fire up CheatEngine and make the enemies TOUGHER. Bust out an emulator and play a 20 year old game on your phone. Use save states and fast forward to get through the annoying bits and replay your favorite parts over and over. Games belong to their players! They always have, and they always will.
"I would eat that marshmallow, yes I would." Is one of the most relatable things I've heard. Sitting there for 15 minutes?? Insane. Really loved this video
Just so you know - emulators are 100% legal. No "but"s, no "unless", no shenanigans. EMULATORS ARE LEGAL. End of story. The "legaly dubious" bs is there to discourage people from saving money by downloading free emulator and encourage to buy multiple consoles and games instead.
katie this is so good!!!!!!!!!!! i hadn't really thought of a lot of this stuff but man i miss cheating too!!! (in video games) i need big head kratos!!! LOL
My inner fetusberry compelled me to 100% this video... I'm glad I did! Thanks for sharing your thoughts & weaving a thematic thread through cheating, accessibility, psychology, and how Gamer status-symbols have changed over the years! Also, there are so many incredibly hilarious b-roll clips and edits sprinkled throughout this vid... so good. Excited for the next one!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate you watching and I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Also so glad you noticed my little bits. You gotta keep yourself entertained in the editing process lol
Don't listen to FromSoft fanboys as to how to play their games. Some will get mad you for using the wrong weapon or even using magic and then cheese a boss with wonkey terrain. t. FromSoft fanboy
I subscribed and liked the video, because i appreciate your efforts, and the essay is quite enjoyable. But your model is not so fine (please do not be offended). Looking forward for future videos
The model is fine, and is moderately advanced from what I understand of vtuber models. It serves the function well and looks fine. It's got a unique feel to it I don't see elsewhere and I appreciate a more unique style
Great video and insight! There's a couple of points for cheating I'd like to say:
-In early console era, video game rental was HUGE. So, making your game extra hard with limited lives/continues as per arcade versions was still a good financial choice as hey, if gamers are renting out the game an extra day or two to finish it you're making money (You could probably graph the rise of better checkpoints/continue points in gaming versus decline of game rental industry). However, as a kid with limited disposable income/influence over parents you're definitely going to tempted for cheat codes for finishing the game in the hard time limit.
-Game cheating was *absolutely* encouraged by game developers for one very specific reason: premium hint lines. Make The Secret of Monkey Island hard as nails and include a card in the box with a number to call for hints was *massive* revenue stream. Kinda fell out of favour with rise of internet and GameFAQs like you mentioned (even with the overlap of selling Official Licensed Game Walkthrough guides by Prima/Brady) but developers absolutely encouraged cheating... as long as you were paying them for the privilege. Sierra definitely more so with their moon logic/"dead man walking" approach to puzzle design.
- You and the two guests also talked about the different experiences wanted when it comes to cheating. Absolutely agree- do you want gameplay challenge or is the game's narrative the real appeal? I know folk who would happily cheat single player games solely for the story first time round then go back to play it "properly" for the actual gameplay mechanics. Two different experiences, two different mindsets for it.
These are such good points, I had not considered the renting industry and the hint lines, but you are so right!!
I watched this video at 2x speed. I got all the information in half the time.
Just as good as a cheat code. 🖤💚
Also counts as a speedrun *summoning salt music plays*
This was so good! It's got me thinking about how I miss the culture around cheats and easter eggs even more so than the actual benefits. There was something special about how things were passed around through word of mouth and the interaction between devs and players.
Yes!! That connection is really special, I think it could (and should) come back. Also extra shout out to you for recommending that book about games and agency, great read and gave me a dynamite quote to end on
@@KatieAndCatburger Hell yeah (Hell yeah) I'm glad it worked out!
You had this such a great quote towards the end, along the lines of "It doesn't matter if I'm only doing 50% as well as I did yesterday, if my goal for tomorrow is to just do 5% better than today." I feel that's gonna stick with me - it's such a kind way of thinking about developing any skill, or just mental health in general. Which is something I fully was not expecting from a video about the history of cheat codes in video games, but I'm glad that's what I got. You really went the extra mile with this whole thing, thank you for your incredible work!
Thank you!! I'm so glad I could give a helpful kernel, it's been so grounding for me (when I remember it lol)
Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A,
You're playing dark souls, I'm playing chubby bunny, we are not the same
I played Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 when I was around 10, which is definitely younger than they intended their audience to be, but they immediately became some of my favorite games. To this day I still replay them every few years, just to hang out with the characters and explore the sword coast again. At the time I didn't really have other friends who play games, but I do now, and the number of times seasoned gamers and smart people have told me "yeah, I know they're classics, but the fights just got too difficult so I didn't finish it" is genuinely mind-boggling to me. Like, I was 10, I wasn't a master tactician, I just liked the story and I had the internet so I figured out a way that was more fun for me.
I get and respect that there are some people who have more fun by avoiding cheats, even in single player contexts where it has no bearing on anyone else. But from my perspective, it just looks like so many people missed out on so much joy by setting an arbitrary limit on how they were allowed to interact with their own unique experience of a game.
I can so relate, thanks for sharing your tale ❤️
great video! hearing a gaming psychology take on cheating was super fascinating, thanks for taking the time to deepen your analysis with that interview :)
sometimes it feels like the jockification of video games makes people forget that games are supposed to be... fun?? i do very much Get the appeal of the skill-building grind, but when it becomes genuinely tedious, it honestly feels like i just clocked out of my regular job to do a second, more meaningless job that i'm not even getting paid for. we have one wild and precious life on this planet earth and i don't want to spend it being frustrated and bored by something that's supposed to bring me joy--when it comes to something as inconsequential as video games, i personally love taking a shortcut and learning nothing
Whoa, great essay! I really felt engaged the whole time; It was so cool seeing you bring on guests too!
I'm not particularly a cheater, but it's more of a fear of... not experiencing a game the original way? Like I want to grow at the pace intended, almost? A fear of losing something pre-emptively.
I usually never adjust difficulty mid-run either, as it feels like it disturbs the referential weight of challenges in the game? Like a boss suddenly being weaker than a previous boss, or even their mobs. Just feels weird to me.
When I do cheat, I usually just use a separate save file. Or have a just-for-funs run after completion to extend my play time if I really enjoyed the game!
Love these deep dive videos, Katie!
Thank you Kiersted, and thank you for sharing your thoughts on cheating! I can totally understand that. Authorial intent can be core to an experience!!
That was really interesting! I like the way you tied in the decline of cheatcodes with the rise of certain aspects in modern videogame design (microtransactions, online play).
I do feel like I struggle sometimes with a "I am not allowed to cheat" mentality even when the thing I'm considering doing doesn't even count as cheating (for example I was playing Hollow Knight recently and I got stuck for hours trying to beat a side challenge and it took me hours of frustration before I managed to convince myself that it's actually fine for me to return to the challenge later, when my character is better equipped).
Really good insights. I'd heard about the marshmallow experiment many times, but never a contemporary take on it. Appreciate the effort to seek out and interview people with actual knowledge on the subject!
I believe the knee-jerk reactions around cheating are mirrored in the discussions on easy modes, because on a surface level it feels like someone didn't put in the same work you did. Kind of like a fantasy meritocracy of gaming experiences and achievements. So it's very appropriate that Hades' God Mode was brought up.
great video!! saw it posted on bsky months ago & saved it for later
the revelation in the last few seconds... i KNEW there was something off with that story and the time period you were describing
also 15:15 i would never experience an uncontrollable laughing fit just from anticipating the mentions of Gradius III, Gradius IV, and Gradius V... couldnt have been me
Hahaha I'm soooo glad someone appreciated that gag! Thank you so much for watching HI BSKIE!
Looking back to my journey to video games, all single player games should have codes for invincibility, infinite resources, level select, developer console, what ever applies to the genre. They could be menu options, there's no difference how they technically work, but cheat codes are just cooler because they feel secret even though they really aren't.
Cheat codes allow you a zero risk environment to get used to the controls and how games generally work without feeling patronising. And that is important for beginners and especially children. I played games and had fun with them from a very early age even if I was well into my teens before I started engaging with the challenge presented by them without cheats. And that allowed a smooth transition because I had well established foundation so the challenge felt fair and overcomeable.
It's wild how similar your childhood sounds to mine. Sim games and emulators, Broderbund, next you'll tell me you spent endless hours playing Liero.
Hello! I just want to pop in here and say I enjoyed all the things I learnt in this video, but the little story about you in the gym parking lot resonated with me a lot! I have definitely been in situations like that before, feeling the same things. It inspired me to look into my neurology more too! So thanks for that.
That is so cool to hear, thanks for sharing!! Best of luck on your own brain journey
Current me would still fail that marshmallow test, like 15 minutes in a boring room, I’d eat that marshmallow just for something to do.
Jockification is an interesting term to use because the time period you describe *does* sync with the videogames industry going mainstream and therefore the casting of a wider net demographically, including jocks. You didn't bring it up but it seems obvious. Was that intentional? Regardless, and personally, developers can keep their achievements and cosmetic microtransactions, I just want cheat codes back. I'm fine as is because I know how to mod, and hack, and use all sorts of tools, but a lot of people don't and they deserve to have fun too.
It was definitely intentional. On reflection I think the script could have more fun with that... Ah well ya live and ya learn, am I right?
i love how you make videos! This was such a nice watch
Thank you!!!
Lol as my grandpa always said, “if you ain’t cheatin’ you ain’t tryin hard enough.”
I would much rather cheat and win than lose but have more character. I’m Goofus not Gallant fr fr
Goofus uses the slowdown mod, Gallant yells at people on twitter for using the slowdown mod lmaooo
It's always nice to find a vtuber video essayist that grew up around when I did.
Good essay. Informative, explores a good bit of history, and views I found myself agreeing with.
I'm so glad you enjoyed! It was really fun to go through these games that were so important to me when I was young for this piece~
A developer feeling strongly that a game shouldn't have an easy mode and not including one is totally fine.
A modder feeling the opposite and hacking one in anyway is also fine.
A developer feeling like robust assist tools are important and putting tons of effort into them is fine too.
A player of that game insisting on playing on the hardest difficulty is, of course, also fine.
There's no wrong way to play games as long as everyone playing together is having fun.
So I say, go forth! Challenge yourself or summon infinite ammo and go nuts. Hell, fire up CheatEngine and make the enemies TOUGHER. Bust out an emulator and play a 20 year old game on your phone. Use save states and fast forward to get through the annoying bits and replay your favorite parts over and over. Games belong to their players! They always have, and they always will.
This is going to be a good video
I think so too!!!
Oh I'll be looking forward to this
10 mins in and i’m loving this!!! please do more!
You got it~
What a wonderful essay!
My favorite cheat is Stop 'N Swop from Banjo-Kazooie / Tooie. I mean, it didn't actually work, but that just makes the secret knowledge even better!
That reminds me of the ungettable trophy in space station silicon valley
"I would eat that marshmallow, yes I would." Is one of the most relatable things I've heard. Sitting there for 15 minutes?? Insane. Really loved this video
Thank you so much! And yeah, that marshmallow is goooone
Just so you know - emulators are 100% legal. No "but"s, no "unless", no shenanigans. EMULATORS ARE LEGAL. End of story.
The "legaly dubious" bs is there to discourage people from saving money by downloading free emulator and encourage to buy multiple consoles and games instead.
katie this is so good!!!!!!!!!!! i hadn't really thought of a lot of this stuff but man i miss cheating too!!! (in video games) i need big head kratos!!! LOL
GIVE ME BIG HEAD KRATOS!
My inner fetusberry compelled me to 100% this video... I'm glad I did!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts & weaving a thematic thread through cheating, accessibility, psychology, and how Gamer status-symbols have changed over the years!
Also, there are so many incredibly hilarious b-roll clips and edits sprinkled throughout this vid... so good. Excited for the next one!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate you watching and I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Also so glad you noticed my little bits. You gotta keep yourself entertained in the editing process lol
Don't listen to FromSoft fanboys as to how to play their games. Some will get mad you for using the wrong weapon or even using magic and then cheese a boss with wonkey terrain.
t. FromSoft fanboy
VisualBoy? Snes9x? Nintendo, what are you even talking about?
where patreon
I miss big head cheat where is my big head cheat
GIVE US BIG HEAD KRATOS
This video was fucking amazing I'm subbing on both my phone account and pc account
Thank you so much 🥹
i got it and liked it
Oh great! Thanks for watching, glad ya liked it!
Unfortunately, being male is not a cheat code. It's a lot more pressure than privilege.
I subscribed and liked the video, because i appreciate your efforts, and the essay is quite enjoyable. But your model is not so fine (please do not be offended). Looking forward for future videos
The model is fine, and is moderately advanced from what I understand of vtuber models. It serves the function well and looks fine.
It's got a unique feel to it I don't see elsewhere and I appreciate a more unique style