It’s more likely because cheat codes were development / QA tools to make testing the game easier. They got left in because they were behind hidden, strange button sequences etc, removing the code risked breaking something that would be harder to test without the codes, and they can be fun.

With better development tools, debuggers/profilers, and easier ways to distribute builds, they stopped being left in the game. And with the gamification from achievements/trophies, cheats would devalue/trivialise unlocking achievements etc and break their purpose.

I haven't really seen this trend like... at all. Even Assassin's Creed style games where you can buy XP packs or certain items or whatever is not really the equivalent of old timey cheat codes.

If anything I would probably argue the introduction of online Achievements probably halted the prevalence of cheat codes.

A lot of cheat codes were back in yonder days for testers and Q&A. Need to check something on stage 9, instead of playing through the game use the code to jump there to test. Got stuck but need to test further, noclip to go through terrain then test again for replication purposes. They weren't intended for us but were a very nice and welcome addition. Now they don't have extensive Q&A anymore to need such.

Is this r/im14andthisisdeep from 2011?

No, they removed them because ~console dev modes were easier and more flexible to use. Cheat codes mostly just existed for testing purposes, with the occasional silly one thrown in just because.

I'm not aware of any game where you can buy literal cheat codes, though.

Cheat codes were a byproduct of flimsier game development standards.

Main reason why game development times inflated so much were due to today's gamers have higher standards when it comes to balancing. Some indies even have to rely on volunteer testers, just so they don't get bomb threats from Asmonfan1488 due to not all weapons were perfectly balanced.

Most cheat codes got removed because game devs got better at separating debug tooling from game logic, but especially because publishers and console verification are very strict about what games are allowed to ship with. Shipping with debug tooling is one of the easiest ways to fail validation.

I just ordered an amiibo emulator off AliExpress.

My wife is like "isn't that cheating" and I'm like "yeah, but it's pay-to-play, so I'm okay with that".

It's less cheating than a game genie...

Odd take.

I can't think of a single thing that used to be a cheat code that is now a microtransaction.

Want easy mode? It's now a menu. Infinite lives are the default. Immortality modes and slow motion aiming are often under accessibility options.

None of these can be purchased.

Old games had cheats because they were hard as nails, and a game where you can't get past the second level wasn't going to hold a kid's interest for long.

The most devious of their schemes are the "skip the grind" kind of micro transactions. The sleaziness of making your game a slog just so you can sell the solution to the problem they created is diabolical.

Uhh, that doesn't add up. Cheat codes started getting used less, as far back as the PS1 generation - long before dlc existed. It was a pretty rapid shift from that point on.

It's weird hearing incorrect things about history from people who were evidently not born yet, when I was there. How do I go back?

And they forced you to be always online for verification so modders couldn't do it for free.

Also end game special objects.

Sometimes when you beat a game you get a special skin or object for a rerun.

Nowadays that's a preorder-dlc.

What game are you playing that lets you buy cheats from their own store?

I thought cheat codes were there originally for debugging and playtesting

The gaming industry didn't remove content from games because it takes too long to develop, they removed it so they could sell us DLC and a half finished game.

The first time I ever paid for access to cheat codes was in 1990.

Did they? Do you have widespread examples, as I can't think of any? You must have loads.

Most cheat codes of the past were literally just shortcuts for QA and other testing. They don't need them now so they don't program them in. Though if it's on PC and has a command console, they do still have ways of using it to cheat. I do hate when an Unreal Engine game disables the console entirely, tho. I know it has one, and a lot of commands are the same across all games on it. I even found it interesting that the Oblivion Remaster uses Unreal's command console, but all the original GameBryo commands work. Even Ref and ItemIDs are identical.😃

The only thing close to cheat codes I've seen are the bonus modes you unlock in Uncharted, like Slow motion, and mirror mode. Which are not DLC.

Provide examples if that is the case.

Cheat codes were originally for testing and, occasionally, for fun. Sometimes they became Easter eggs. I can't think of a single game where your assertion is true today or in the past.

There are so many free apps out there that will give you an endless list of cheats. There's even a free app that will let you hack the games yourself. I'm surprised you've not heard of any of these.

We were never meant to have cheat codes at all.