Over at GameSetWatch, guest writer and psychologist Jamie Madigan wrote an interesting piece about the common dilemma facing players of online multiplayer games; to cheat, or not to cheat?

The basic conceit that players have to consider whether or not to perform exploitative glitches in a multiplayer environment where cheaters gain the upper hand is nothing new, but seeing it expressed in psychological terms is certainly interesting. I could complain about his interchangeable use of “cheater” and “glitcher” in some instances, but I think it’s OK to let this one slide.

Here’s a sample from the article that refers to the infamous “javelin glitch” in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

But in the meantime, the javelin glitch presented players with an interesting dilemma assuming they weren’t outright bent on griefing: they could either abuse the glitch to boost their own rankings and unlock new perks, or they could abstain and preserve the game’s fair play. Of course, the problem is that if they abstain, someone else may abuse the glitch and dominate the match. The middle ground is when everyone glitches, but the resulting pandemonium isn’t as much fun as fair play.