Why do I get punished for using cheat codes?

[Envious]

While I find your argument understandable, I just don't have it in me to condone "dumbing down content" because you can't handle it easily or simply don't want to. There are many personal reasons for or against allowing "cheat codes," and all of them are valid. After all, videogames are a past time, not a chore.

[NotoriusBEN]

I know exactly when cheating became the 'hate filled bile mongering' it has become. Dont get me wrong, single player cheating I got nothing against. That's you and your computer's thing.

Cheating became anathema during the first Modern Warfare. It was one of few games outside of dedicated servers that tracked YOUR SKILL. and it tracked it over any server, any match. But the big part of it was that it was the most popular of that game type. There were "RPG elements" added to it. You got stealth at this level, or that gun at that level. Weapons that performed better than the basic loadout.

Im sure Im being very speculative, but I guess people cant handle a game, with emperical data on their gameplay, showing that they do indeed, suck at games. your Kill : Death ratio is 1:55? is a horrendous motivator to do something, anything to be "Better". Along with that, if you perform 'better' at the game, you moved up the level treadmill faster and recieved more rewards.

I dont play competitive multiplayer anymore because of the rampant cheating. I remember times when you had a good score, people were awestruck at your prowess. and indeed, I was GOOD at Modern Warfare. My roommate and I were considering going Pro in Vegas for a little while.

Now with all the cheating, if you are a legitimately good player, you are branded a cheater because "no one is that good". cheating has reached a 'social awareness' that it detracts from the value of a game. (all though the sales of MW3 show nothing of the sort, considering the butt**** players got with MW2. I think Im the only person I know that said I will not buy MW3 and have not bought it)

[yobo]

As long as it is a single player game, I don't see the problem with cheating. When I'm gaming (which becomes more and more rarely), I'm relaxing and not seeking challenges. And if a cheat adds to my enjoyment of the game, then I will cheat. Pure and simple really. If that makes me less of a gamer, fair enough, I can live that. :-)

[Mason]

I don't have a problem with how other people play their own game. If developer feels like flagging a save as a cheating save and disabling achievements on that save, that's fine since achievements have a community aspect to them. But disabling someones ability to save? Wow, that's extreme and unnecessary. Charging for cheats is distasteful to me as well. I'll never buy them, but as long as people do, some publishers will sell them.