Editing Cheating in online games (section)

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{{short description|Practice of subverting video game rules or mechanics to gain an unfair advantage}}
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{{Multiple issues|{{original research|date=April 2013}}
{{speculation|date=January 2017}}}}
[[File:FriendlyHack.png|thumb|A video game cheat menu]]
[[File:AssaultCube wallhacks (cropped).png|thumb|Typical [[extrasensory perception]] (ESP) cheat showing the health, name and bounding box of a character that is not otherwise visible]]

On [[online game]]s, [[cheating]] subverts the rules or mechanics of the games to gain an unfair advantage over other players, generally with the use of [[Third-party software component|third-party software]].<ref name="TypeOfGameCheater2">{{cite news |author=Clive Thompson |date=2007-04-23 |title=What Type of Game Cheater Are You? |publisher=Wired.com |url=https://www.wired.com/gaming/virtualworlds/commentary/games/2007/04/gamesfrontiers_0423 |access-date=2009-09-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Stuart |first1=Keith |date=24 February 2021 |title=Medal of dishonour: why do so many people cheat in online video games? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/games/2021/feb/24/medal-of-dishonour-cheating-video-games |access-date=5 July 2021 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref> What constitutes cheating is dependent on the game in question, its rules, and [[Consensus decision-making|consensus]] opinion as to whether a particular activity is considered to be cheating.

Cheating is present in most [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]] online games, but it is difficult to measure.<ref name="Pritchard-Gamasutra">{{cite web |last=Pritchard |first=Matthew |date=2000-07-24 |title=How to Hurt the Hackers: "The Scoop on Internet Cheating and How You Can Combat It" |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/how-to-hurt-the-hackers-the-scoop-on-internet-cheating-and-how-you-can-combat-it |access-date=2009-09-15 |website=[[Gamasutra]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Granados |first=Nelson |title=Report: Cheating Is Becoming A Big Problem In Online Gaming |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/nelsongranados/2018/04/30/report-cheating-is-becoming-a-big-problem-in-online-gaming/ |access-date=2021-07-05 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> Various methods of cheating in online games can take the form of software assistance, such as scripts and bots, and various forms of unsporting play taking advantage of exploits within the game. The Internet and [[Darknet|darknets]] can provide players with the methodology necessary to cheat in online games, with software often available for purchase.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Consalvo |first1=Mia |last2=Vazquez |first2=Irene Serrano |title=2014 47th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences |chapter=Cheating, Social Network Games and the Role of Platforms |date=January 2014 |pages=1687–1694 |doi=10.1109/HICSS.2014.216 |isbn=978-1-4799-2504-9 |s2cid=1900780|doi-access=free }}</ref>

As methods of cheating have advanced, video game publishers have similarly increased methods of anti-cheating, but are still limited in their effectiveness. Punishments for cheaters also have various forms, with legal measures also being taken against those who create or use cheats. While some countries include laws that prohibit and punish cheating, video game companies have a history of citing copyright infringement in lawsuits against cheaters.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/console/south-korea-cracks-down-on-cheaters-with-law-targeting-illicit-game-mods|title=South Korea cracks down on cheaters with law targeting illicit game mo|date=December 2, 2016|website=Game Developer}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Firm |first=On Behalf of The Russell |date=2022-01-06 |title=Can cheating on a video game be copyright infringement? |url=https://www.russellfirmip.com/blog/2022/01/can-cheating-on-a-video-game-be-copyright-infringement/ |access-date=2022-04-04 |website=www.russellfirmip.com |language=en-US}}</ref>