Gaming the Game
The wages of sin may be death but that toll is rarely exacted on cheaters in multiplayer gaming. The worst that can happen is the cheater gets banned from the game and their copy invalidated. The gaming equivalent of an execution for the sin.
Of course someone so inclined could bring about their own Lazarus moment by simply buying another copy of the game and getting a new email address. For the determined this is a common tactic and it seems the game industry can do (or will do) little to combat the issue.
With popular titles a game hack or cheat can be available the first day of release. Sooner if the game reuses an already popular game engine. It's gone far beyond the hacker who spends sleepless nights to gain an advantage, it's a business.
Try this out, do a Google search with your favorite title and just add the word "cheat". In between leaked developer console commands and memory modifiers you'll find ads for services that promise domination of your online competition.
So it was with Johnb32xq ( from here on known as John) from Canada a seemingly normal guy who succumbed to the temptation to cheat Battlefield 3's multiplayer. He was paying a m monthly fee to Artificial Aiming ( a game hacking group) to gain access to their cheats. When discovered by his gaming friends and confronted about it he chose the cheat over them. In signature style he invoked a cheat that instantly vanquished all of his former compatriots before being banned from the gaming clan server.
John claims that there was no nefarious motivation for his actions. He used the cheats simply as an "anger outlet" to relieve stress from his unfullfilling job as a mobile device tech.
Look a bit closer at that last sentence. It's about John's needs and the fact that other players are affected by his actions seems to be of no consequence to him. However, the outrage expressed by victims of cheaters like John has less to do with the game itself than violating the social aspects of it.
In games like Battlefield 3 accolades come only after a significant investment of time and effort. The rewards have less to do with a better gun than a higher position on the leader board. Earning a higher rank or receiving an award for a skill brings online prestige. So it's no surprise that some would chose a shortcut to elevate their status.
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