Is This Cheating? - Katy,TX

LOL good question, and I love Aileene's answer. My husband threw in a FB gift card in my mother's day gift and I asked what it was for. He said it was for gaming. I was like "huh"? And he said that he knows I play Candy Crush and got it so that I could buy boosters, points, whatever. I laughed and said "never, I play on my own merit!"

Anyway...I don't think there's anything wrong with it and it's what keeps the games in business, but to me there is just something more "noble" about not buying my way through a game. And I feel kind of sheepish that I even spend any time on these anyway; to spend money on them too would just make we want to wear a cloak of shame...

Wow - all I can say is WTH to 8kids and shake my head that (as of right now) at least 5 people sent flowers for that response.

It's probably not cheating, but it doesn't ring fair. I don't do it, but if I'm going to spend my iTunes gift cards, I want it to be for something FABULOUS, not just the next level. ;)

....only cheating yourself, James, as your mother would say.

;)

All I can do is LMAO at 8kidsdad's response, how absurd! lol

But to your question, it may technically be cheating, but if you are only in competitions with yourself does it really matter?

J. - I don't view it as "cheating" but it's a cop-out. Instead of doing the work, you buy your way to the next level.

Does that help?

Great job that your son is a strict rule follower!! You can explain to him that the developers put that "purchase" option in there, not as a way to cheat, but as a way for compensation for them...as the games are typically "free" or you only pay once...

yeah, cheating.
i play words with friends on my kindle, and absolutely refuse to look up weird words. there's an app you can buy, apparently, and a lot of my cowardly opponents 'beat' me by plugging it in.
it's a weird geeky thing to take pride in torturing my own vocabulary to play, but it's just how i roll.
:) khairete
S.

I see it like the last presidential election.

Obama people voted more than once. Obama people lied and cheated and told the polling places they registered in time to vote when they didn't and the pro-democratic pollster allowed them to vote anyway. Obama lied about the IRS and told them to target tea party groups. The IRS didn't let the pro-republican political groups get the same favorable tax treatment as the pro-democrat groups. Then there is the bias of the media . . .

Did Obama win the election? Yep. Did he do it fairly. No Way. Your son and Romney play by the rules. You and Obama buy all the "extras" to ensure you win.

ETA: For those Obama worshipers that didn't like my election analogy, (I guess I hit too close to home) try this . . . its like going to Disneyworld and hiring a handicapped guide. Disney allows handicapped people to bypass the long lines and move right up to the head of the line. Those that are with the handicapped person get to accompany the handicapped person and skip the long lines. They PAY the handicapped person to be their "guide" so they bypass the long lines like you PAY the game company so you can win.
Good luck to you and yours.

You're not as good as him. You need extra help.
Tell him that. You'd probably make his day! :))

Oh, it's about a game, I thought I was going to get an earful about something else...like your neighbor, or a friend or grandma. My goodness you have an amazing ethical son! Congrats.

Nah, cheating is something that is, by definition, against the rules. If there are points or boosts or whatever available for purchase from the game creators to help you, that is not cheating. It's sort of like the difference between running a race with good shoes or crappy shoes.

But don't listen to me. I voted for Obama in the last election. Only a couple of times, though. Just kidding! :)

Well, since you're playing against yourself, it's not cheating. But if you were playing against someone, and you used it to win, yeah....it would be cheating.

I don't know whether I am more amazed that people will fork over money to "fast-pass" their way to the next level on an on-line game or that 8Kids found yet another way to weave his narrative into this seemingly innocuous question.

Pondering this is distracting me from your original question. Sorry, J., I've got to get some sleep!

ETA: Okay, using the "fast-pass" analogy, it's not cheating. At Disney, you don't want to wait in line, you buy the "fast-pass" and you get to ride quicker. Not cheating. It's allowed via the rules in both cases.

Tell him that his position greatly influences dogma.

In this instance he has no money, so he sees the solution that doesn't involve money as morally superior. Because that is the only solution really open to him.

As he becomes a teenager who has some money, he may still see the moral highground, but will likely build in a few exceptions to the rule for himself.

And when he becomes a dad, he will see the morally acceptable reasoning that a reward may be purchased, allowing the purchaser to spend valuable time on other pursuits.

And then of course just tell him that the rich get richer, it's capitalism and if he wants to buy points then McDonald's is hiring. Nanna nanna booboo. :)

Well, my husband is a gamer and one of his philosophies is that if you buy your way up, you miss out on the actual informative experience.

To me, it's kind of the difference between a kid putting together their science fair project and presentation step-by-step, painstakingly and the kid whose parents do some of the work for him.

Is it cheating? Fuzzy gray area. Did you *earn* it fair and square? nope.
FWIW, one of my husband's friends played up an Everquest character for a few months, got it lots of experience points/powers/whatever the heck (I'm not a gamer-- could care less) and sold the character for $500 to some guy who didn't want to take the time. The guy who bought it killed the character off very quickly because of the lack of experience, even with all those powers. Not saying you are going to spend that sort of change on this, but just to prove my point, that it's really the benefit of experience that you miss out on.

(oh, and thanks for not making this one of those mindbending "is this cheating" marital questions!)

I had no idea you can do this. I have never played one of those games on my phone or on fb.

To me...if you can buy yourself a win...it ain't winning.

It's not cheating per say...but I agree with your son, it's not the same as getting to the next level by your own skill.

I love the idea of just admitting that you are not as skilled as he is & that you need the help wherever you can get it!

Kind of like the rest of life--takes skill or money, I guess.

No, not cheating. Changing the program is cheating. It's an option built into the game and part of the game so not cheating. BUT, for HIM it might be cheating because he wants to EARN the level as opposed to purchasing. His personal code and how he plays would consider it cheating, but according to the rules of the game itself and how it was made, you're not cheating.

Personally, I don't give money to the game companies for the next level. I'd rather just play for it or not have it.

This is a hoot! I'm so glad this question is about smart phone video games and not a cheating spouse!!!! I'm also thrilled that I'm not the only one who plays that stupid game!

Almost every video game on the planet has "cheats"- my teenage son and his friends go online to get "cheat codes" to help breakthrough to the next level of their games. The same concept applies here but Candy Crush allows you to buy the cheats and they call them boosts or lives, or whatever.

Well - they refer to them as cheats in the industry - so I guess it is cheating. I don't but the extra lives or "boosts" for a few reasons - 1) I refuse to spend even .99 on dopey games (that, yes I'm addicted to), 2) I think by not using the boosts I'm building my tenacity, patience and stick-to-it-iveness; 3) if forces me to put the stupid game down and do other stuff - you know like work, cooking, laundry, read a book, etc.

To me it's kind of scary to think that our generations coming up won't be able to deal with real life since they'll be too busy trying to beat level 56 (or whatever) on Candy Crush...

If it's presented as a viable option, then I think that it's fine. It's strategy. His is different.

It's like swapping tiles in Scrabble. I used to be adamantly against it and would force myself to figure something else out or pass. Then, I decided to try it out. I think of it as somewhat of a copout, but it's an option that the game offers.

I would imagine the only people who would call it cheating are those that can't afford to do it. Ya know, sour grapes and all that.

As much as I am dying to purchase "cheats" for that stupid and addictive candy crush game...I just keep playing figuring I have to beat the level eventually...cause I can't really justify spending even $5.00 on a "free" game that is just a time waster..

great question...and whew I am also glad no ones marriage is in trouble!! ;-)

Ha! This question makes me laugh because I have been SO tempted to buy the extra life point packages on SimFreePlay but I haven't yet because, like your son, I feel like its cheating! So I say yes, it is a cheat, but its your game and I won't judge! ;)

Haha! don't know if it's cheating, but it makes me wonder...what is the point of even playing? Isn't a game supposed to be played just by you, and be a challenge?

I just wouldn't play, if I had to buy points to level up!! I think my husband tends to be a point buyer.

I'm shocked how many people think this is cheating! What rule are you breaking? Whom are you harming? Are you missing out on something? Sure, the experience of solving it yourself. But you're not missing the challenge - that's what frustrated you enough to want to skip to the next level! I have games that when they got too tough, I stopped playing (I won't pay). That means the game designers lost me for potential sequel or related games, any advertisers lost their audience, and they've missed out on potential profit by selling hints or boosts. It's available because they want you to have it as an option! Thus, not breaking rules or harming but rather taking the bait and giving them profit. Silly!

And what kind of insanity is it that makes a tea bagger relate this question back to an totally unrelated conspiracy theory political rant with no bones?!? I guess I can top that with Bush v Gore. At least that had evidence. Time for your meds!

To me it is cheating. You didn't advance on your own merit and skills.

Yeah, it sort of is. I'd just tell your son that you do it just to keep up with him but you like his values!

Yet ANOTHER question that's TOTALLY not what I expected.

Does buying the extra point enhance YOUR personal playing experience? Then it doesn't matter if it's cheating or not. Those extra points are for sale for a reason...

I like to read movie spoilers online. I don't like to invest the time and money to sit through all those movies, but I want to know what happens in them so I can talk about them *somewhat* intelligently with my son (who DOES invest the time and money). Is THAT cheating?

To me, it would be cheating. Any time someone "buys" their way rather than "earns" it, is cheating in my book.

It's cheating if you tell your son, I am doing better than you, I am on level whatever and you are not!

Otherwise, it's in the eye of the beholder. How bad do you want to be a stand up guy the eyes of your son?

Is it Jurassic Park Builder or Candy Crush? Love those games.

No, it's not cheating to buy extras on games. You're just increasing the profit on the companies that make the games.

You can always tell your son that you need the extra help because your skills aren't as good as his, which is probably the truth anyway.

Your son is a very smart boy! It is cheating! Someone else recently told me he does this b/c he wants to advance to the next level, but it is cheating.

What a sweet morally good boy you are raising! His future wife will be very lucky!

Ah the ethics of online gaming!
Is this a game you play on your own or against your son? If it's just you I would say you're only "cheating" yourself so no moral implications, but if you are buying points and beating him because of it then I WOULD call that cheating, and say "shame on you daddy!" LOL!

I don't play these games but found out that my aunt, who is always complaining about not having "any money" that she was doing this on facebook. I was SHOCKED that you could use real money for these online games. I think it was for Farmville or something. Just left a bad taste in my mouth as a HUGE waste of money. I mean, $5 here and there can really add up. And I thought the whole point of playing was for fun and a challenge. Not so much if you pay to get there faster. So yes, cheating IMO.

Cheating :)

I too have Candy crush and have not resorted to buying anything additional yet but I am now at level 35 and I have to pay a buck to continue and I have just kept playing level 35 for weeks now because I hate to part with that $-how sad.

I also have the four pic game and I do admit to buying cheats for that stupid game so the free game probably cost me $3-5 by now--arrggghhh.

When I was getting my manicure the woman next to me was stuck at level 75 and used her facebook friends to get extras but was still stuck for a couple of weeks she said.

I don't think it is cheating but i try to get past mine by myself. I will admit I am about to buy whatever I need to move past this stinking level on candy crush. LOL
what a great and fun question
many blessings

In my eyes it is, but others don't think so. I like to just do the work to get there myself, others like to take the easy way and buy the extra points. But I'm like this with a lot of things. For example, when my husband takes me fishing he uses a "fish finder". In my eyes using a fish finder is kind of like cheating, but I'm not a serious fisher-woman. I prefer to sit on the dock or on the boat throw a worm on a hook and see what happens. He has all the expensive lures and a fish finder and has to fish in a "certain spot" because that's where the fish are.

Cheating, a short cut. Aren't they kind of the same thing? LOL! I say, who cares? It's a game :-p Cheat away!

Not really cheating, but a real big waste of money.

It may not feel like cheating for you, depending on the particular needs/motives you have for playing the games in the first place. Your son is clear that it feels like cheating to him. He probably doesn't have the financial resources to do the same thing, and so you gaming the system seems unfair… especially if he compares his outcomes to yours – how outrageous for "wealth" to win over hard work, patience and persistence! I guess I'd be concerned about the example I'm setting.

From another angle, this strikes me as a bit like a trip around the world – do you want to do it for the destination photographs, or for the experience of travel?

A game is no longer fun if you can never get anywhere. A lot of those games are set up so that the only way you can truly get past something is to spend real life money on them. These games have to make money somehow.
I don't see it as cheating if you do it every so often to get past something that is just giving you a hard time. Odds are the game intentionally made it harder than it needs to be in order to get you to spend money on it so they get more profit from it.
We will pick up an iTunes card now and again to use a bit here and there on apps to help us along. We see nothing wrong with it at all. If you can afford it, all the power to you!

ETA: Games today are not even close to games of Yesteryear. They are designed to be profit centers on a continual basis as opposed to a one time purchase. "Cheating" on today's games is nothing like "cheating" on games I used to play.

Not cheating but a short cut.
It can expensive if you do it a lot.
These game places make their money one way or another and I'd just as soon not be anyone's source of income if I can possibly help it.

No, it's not cheating. It's part of the gaming system and is expected. In fact, they would rather it be done so that people won't get so frustrated that they stop playing the game.

That being said, I don't play the games. I just watch my kids do it. Playing a game on a phone seems so boring to me... LOL!

it's a cheat but we all do it some how

My husband does the same thing you do. Although I tease him and call him a "cheater," I don't think it's cheating if it's allowed under the rules. In other words, it's a legitimate way to move up to the next level so it's not technically cheating. If you were to somehow hack or manipulate the game to get more points, on the otherhand, that would be cheating.

Sounds like a profitable way to let customers "cheat" :) I'd say it's not really cheating, just playing into the company's hands....cheating would be more like hacking and illegally getting an advantage..?..but I have no idea how those games work or what I'm saying....so...you guys are both right imo! It's cheating and not cheating.

It's their way of getting you to spend money. They like when you do this. It's not cheating. It's part of the game play.

the only game i cheated on was ninja fishing and it was my sons itunes card that he used for it. Well i used he uses me as the one who will get to the hard parts and obsessively play until i get him to the next level and he plays til he gets stuck again then hands it off to me. He's 8 but he likes seeing all of the fish caught :)

I had to get rid of candy crush because everytime I shut my eyes I saw the damn candy and kept playing it in my head. After one night of 10 minutes of sleep i had to get rid of it.