Kotaku: Cheating

Star Wars: The Old Republic Factions Learn to Work Together to Exploit the PVP System

Mike Fahey — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:30:00 EST

Star Wars: The Old Republic Factions Learn to Work Together to Exploit the PVP System" alt="Click here to read Star Wars: The Old Republic Factions Learn to Work Together to Exploit the PVP System" src="http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/images/9/2012/01/small_ca47dfc7bec43b29e32e81cd838d3872.jpg"/>

Now that BioWare has instituted fixes limiting the number of Republic and Imperial players taking part in each instance of player-versus-player planet Ilum an uneasy truce has been formed. Now both sides can take turns killing each other for credit! More »

What's Wrong With Exploiting Design Flaws in Online Games?

Mike Fahey — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST

With players dancing their way out of trouble in BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic, commenter Raso719 wonders what's the big deal about taking advantage of sloppy programming to gain an advantage in today's Speak Up on Kotaku. More »

UK Woman Drives Over Boyfriend Twice Because He "Cheated Her at a Computer Game"

Max Abrams — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:00:00 EDT

Love hurts. Sometimes video games can hurt more. In 2009 a UK woman, Erin Slingsby, 20, had a heated argument with her boyfriend, Kane Charles, 20, over a computer game, an argument that ended in her storming out. More »

Stand Up And Be Counted, Video Game Cheaters

Mike Fahey — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:40:00 EDT

In today's episode of Speak-Up on Kotaku, commenter Phantomlink wants to know all about your deeply buried video game cheating past. Were you a cheater? Are you a cheater? Don't be shy. More »

How To Stop The Simplest Form Of Video Game Cheating

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 03:30:00 EST

While spit-screen gaming is the ideal means for two people to truly share a multiplayer experience, it's not without its problems. Like cheating. A problem these two industrious souls have managed to overcome. More »

Autistic Boy Branded A Cheater By Xbox Live [Update]

Mike Fahey — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 17:20:00 EST

Julias Jackson is an 11-year-old boy living with autism, whose only real social interaction comes from playing online multiplayer games on Xbox Live, an activity that became more difficult when the Xbox Live team labeled him a cheater. More »

Papa Smurf Is Not Amused By Your Sweatshop Tactics

Brian Crecente — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:40:00 EST

Last week famed indie-developer Jenova Chen explained how to cheat your way through iGame Smurf Village. This week Papa Smurf caught wind of the underhandedness. He was not amused. More »

Rampant Cheating Results In Sonic Scoreboard Reset

Owen Good — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST

Hackers and cheaters figured out how to post redonkulous (and bogus) times in Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1; Sega has informed the community that the game's scoreboards are all being reset. Seriously, cheating at Sonic? More »

Rockstar Is In The Mood To Ban Red Dead Cheaters

Stephen Totilo — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:51:27 EDT

The creators of his Western Red Dead Redemption "will be swiftly and indefinitely banishing from the world of Red Dead Redemption multiplayer all Gamertags and PSN IDs we've detected with hacked game saves" a week from today, they warn. More »

Rockstar Has Low-Down Dirty Red Dead Redemption Cheaters In Its Sights

Mike Fahey — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:20:00 EDT

Just because the Old West was full of no-good cheatin' scoundrels doesn't mean Red Dead Redemption's online multiplayer has to be. Rockstar plans to roll out a title update that will end cheating and griefing once and for all. More »

No One Has To Know You're Using Strategy Guides On Steam

Mike Fahey — Thu, 20 May 2010 17:30:00 EDT

Steam and Prima have teamed up to free you from the shame of purchasing strategy guides at retail, with a selection of downloadable guides you can launch directly from Steam's UI overlay. More »

Lessons Of The Mario Kart Cheaters

Stephen Totilo — Mon, 17 May 2010 18:00:00 EDT

The more people play Mario Kart online with their friends, the less often they cheat — at least under their own name. That's the finding of an expert on the psychology of games and the group tracking online Mario Kart. More »

Accused Game Cheater Gets Knife Through Head and Survives

Mike Fahey — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EDT

An argument between Counter-Strike players at a Chinese net café over suspected use of a 'wallhack' cheat led to a 17-year-old boy being stabbed through the head with a foot-long knife - and living to tell the tale. (Graphic Photo) More »

Infinity Ward To "Eliminate" Cheaters In Call Of Duty 4

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 23:00:00 EDT

Call of Duty 4 has had its fair share of cheaters over the past 18 months, but if Infinity Ward's claims are to be believed, then their "days are numbered". More »

Cheat At Killzone 2, Lose Your PSN ID

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 23:30:00 EDT

Like any other popular online shooter, Killzone 2 has its share of cheaters. And, like many other popular online shooters, the developers are prepared to take drastic steps to stop said cheating. More »

Cheating Second Life Husband: The Movie

Mike Fahey — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 10:20:00 EST

The Canadian Broadcasting Company documentary on cheating spouses in Second Life has aired, featuring a look at the women in the life of Dutch, the Second Life cheating husband we've come to love. More »

Blizzard Versus Glider: A Pyrrhic Victory?

Maggie Greene — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:30:00 EDT

Lest anyone missed this little gem among the E3 hubbub, Blizzard has scored a victory against WoW bot maker Glider. Don't remember that whole kerfluffle? Blizzard sued Glider over EULA infringement for copying code, as well as the ancillary issue of pissing WoW users up and gobbling up resources. Glider shot back with 'But grinding your way to level 70 is boooooring.' Probably unsurprisingly, this argument did not go over very well in court and Blizzard won its summary judgment motion. All's well that end's well ... or is it? Over at PlayNoEvil, there's some interesting analysis on what this judgment could mean and why it may not be all that it's cracked up to be: More »

Blizzard Versus Glider: The Motions

Maggie Greene — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EDT

Last year, Blizzard decided to go after Glider (the botting program that lets you skip past the grind and get to the good stuff); Michael Donnelly, the guy behind Glider (who has apparently made nearly $2.8 million off of it) is fighting back, and now both sides have filed motions arguing their case. The summary judgment briefs and analysis have been making the rounds the past week or so: Blizzard claims that Glider infringes on the EULA of WoW by copying portions of code and is pissing of WoW players (as well as gobbling up resources), while Glider is saying that grinding to level 70 is boooooring and they're just helping players get to the fun bits. Both sides are seeking to be declared victorious without having to go through a protracted legal battle. We'll see what happens and who comes out on top. More »

Banning in Resistance: Fall of Man

Maggie Greene — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 18:30:31 EDT

PS3 Fanboy explains the new banning policy in Insomniac's Resistance: Fall of Man: offensive clan and user names will get you banned permanently, which actual cheating (lag cheats etc.) will merely get you suspended, on an increasing basis (first suspension is 24 hours, second is 48, and so on and so forth). More »

Blizzard Sues WoW Glider

Mike Fahey — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 14:45:51 EST

It was only a matter of time before Blizzard and Vivendi took up arms against the creator of WoW Glider, a program that basically turns your character into one of those annoying bots you see running about Felwood, getting all the essence of water so you can't make your damn Robe of the Archmagi (now obsolete and useless), and that is just what they've done, filing suit against MDY Industries and Michael Donnelly in Arizona this past Friday. Blizzard states that WoW Glider infringes their IP, allows cheating, encourages players to break the EULA and circumvents copyright protections. More »

Cheating Eve Online Dev Comes Clean

fdemarco — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 11:00:00 EST

Earlier this week it was revealed that there was some alleged cheating going on in Eve Online. The kicker was, the cheating was being credited to the game's development team. Yesterday, on EO's developer's blog, a dev known only as CCP t20 comes forth and admits that he/she was actually the perpetrator of the nefarious deed. More »

Microsft Cracks Down on Achievement Cheats

fdemarco — Sun, 05 Nov 2006 20:20:47 EST

Is Achievement cheating the new gold farming? There are quite a few websites out there offering ways to up your Xbox Live Achievement scores through cheating (I could tell you what they are but that would be unethical), mostly dealing with the uploading and sharing of saved games. More »

Blizzard Bans Entire Guild For Cheating

Michael McWhertor — Sat, 04 Nov 2006 12:20:04 EST

After the Overrated guild—their name, not my opinion—decided to install wall hacks to make the raid to Temple of Ahn'Qiraj boss C'Thun a little bit easier, Blizz decided to issue some bans. So they banned the whole guild. More »

Brain Age and DS Lite Sales Skyrocket Due to Spokesman's Marital Infidelity

egauger — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 17:40:13 EDT

Chris Tarrant, British radio personality best known for hosting Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, has also appeared in advertisements for Brain Age. More »

Clips: Brain Age Pwned?

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 12:21:50 EDT

There are tons of these vids floating around the Intertubes, making me think that there either a lot of people really good at math or a lot of people good at cheating. Regardless, I'm amazed the game can read this guy's chicken scrawl, because mine causes it to go haywire. That, and when I say "blue." Brian Ashcraft More »

Interview with the Cheater

egauger — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 17:20:41 EDT

Aeropause recently had the misfortune of joining a More »

Battlefield 2142 Already Infested With Shitweasels

egauger — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 18:40:09 EDT

Battlefield 2142's beta has been out for all of not-quite-a-month, and already the servers are filthy with vermin: More »

Gran Turismo Kid: Savant or Cheater?

brownlee — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 16:40:33 EDT

The disgruntled rumblings over in the YouTube comments section indicate that this adorable three year old acing a Gran Turismo map should be thrown right in the dirty cheater's orphanarium. They postulate a masterful adult stands behind him with a controller. Me? I dunno — listen to that adorable baby smack talk her starts burbling afterwards. He's just pleased as peaches with himself. More »

Much Needed Motivation For PC Gamers

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 15:22:32 EDT

Let's face it. We all need some inspiration, some get up and go, some words of wisdom. Game blog Aggro Me created a gallery of posters that do precisely that, but mixes in the funny. Classic! Brian Ashcraft More »

Reminder: DS Lite 'Critter Pack' Give-Away

brownlee — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 13:40:47 EDT

Quick reminder that you've got until tomorrow afternoon to enter our DS Lite Critter Pack Giveaway contest. If you've got the answer to the riddle, send it in! More »

Encyclopedia of Halo 2 Multiplayer Glitches

brownlee — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 11:40:34 EDT

We've all been in that situation in Halo 2 deathmatch, running around on a killing spree, feeling like jade shimmering gods, when all of a sudden sniper bullets will start raining down from the heavens. Who is that asshole countergravitationally skating across the sky box, killing everyone with impugnity? Jesus? Some no good hacker? And more importantly, how the heck do I get up there to pull the same low down trick? More »

A "Bungie Waaahmbulance" Chaser: How the Cheaters Do It

egauger — Sat, 27 May 2006 20:40:00 EDT

GamesFirst just posted a plainspoken followup to Bungie's Waaahmbulance article, explaining exactly what those sad specimens were doing to get banhammered. More »

Unlimited Mario 1Ups The Video

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 19 May 2006 20:48:42 EDT

Earlier this week, Crecente posted how to get 99 lives in New Super Mario Bros. For the visual learners out there, here's a clip. Pretty cool, huh? —Brian Ashcraft More »

Tetris DS Hacked for Instant Win, But Why Bother?

brownlee — Fri, 19 May 2006 09:40:17 EDT

What is the point of cheating like this? We can understand griefing — there can be a delicious thrill in frustrating someone to the point of mouth-foaming homicide. But in a wifi Tetris DS match, it takes about ten seconds to figure out that someone is using a hacked DS to cheat, in which case, all you do is immediately flip your console on and off. It's not even particularly obnoxious... the hacker is cheating himself out of a fun experience more than he's cheating you out of one. - Florian Eckhardt More »

Sonic Cheatbook for Cheating Cheaters

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 03 May 2006 16:24:30 EDT

DS Cheating

Brian Crecente — Wed, 03 May 2006 10:00:23 EDT

A Kotaku reader writes to clue us in on the latest craze sweeping high schools: Cheating with your DS. More »

Cheating At MMORPGs, Korean Style

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 14:40:29 EST

In Korea, not all online gamers sacrifice work and sleep for play. ~~Most players~~ Some cheat their way through MMOs using programs like Joy Mac reports The Korea Times. "People do not want to do such monotonous, routine things for hours," says a 28-year-old gamer. "But Joy Mac does it without complaining. It is an essential tool." More »

Library of PSP Saves

Brian Crecente — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 16:30:02 EST

PSP Cheats is a site that, well, lets you cheat on your Playstation Portable. Fortunately, this site's particular flavor of cheating just involved game saves. So if you'd rather not play through the games you own, but want to suck up Memory Card space, this is the place for you. Of course, there's nothing stopping the site from filling the Death Jr. save with bits of memory-crunching virii, either. More »