The Unofficial Game Features: Bugs and Glitches in Gaming

Any developer will tell you, the only consistent aspect of the code that they write is its ability to break for no apparent reason. Sleepless nights have been spent fixing a line of code that worked the previous day, and in most instances, the fix simply miraculously appears out of thin air, much like the problem that caused it. In the field of gaming, bugs and glitches are pretty much a given, and some players spend their in-game time hunting these bugs and finding ways to use them either for entertainment purposes or for more malicious intent.??

The Three Certainties: Monetization, First Day Server Failures, and Bugs?

In the long history of computer programming, bugs have cemented their place as a constant that haunts every developer’s nightmare, and in most instances, it is not their fault, but simply the wide array of variables that could lead a code to fail and collapse on itself to create unexpected results. In gaming, these results can be quite unpredictable, and frankly, sometimes hilarious. One of the most infamous glitches that has surfaced across multiple games is known as the “launch glitch,” and this causes the players or NPCs to get launched into the stratosphere after completing a series of conditions that cause it. In the same spirit, there’s the “endlessly falling” glitch where a player phases through the map and is perpetually plummeting into the endless chasm. Another type of glitch that rears its ugly, or funny head in this case, is AI failure where NPCs start behaving wildly and ignore what they’re supposed to do. Of course, there’s also the engine failure where assets start to levitate or crash into one another, or the graphics mess up and terrifying textures cover the screen.?

On the other hand, there are more deplorable bugs that are known as “game-breaking bugs”. As the name suggests, this type of bug completely destroys the game’s ability to run, and it halts the players’ progress until it is fixed by the issuing company. One of the most recent examples of this is Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, we won’t name the boss to avoid spoilers since this is such a recent title, but killing and dying to this boss simultaneously can lead to a bug that makes it immortal, so the only option to progress through the game is to start over from scratch. Not cool EA.?

Bounty Hunting?

As we’ve previously mentioned, bugs are a certainty when it comes to games, and developers can’t fix everything prior to launch, and this could be associated with many reasons, but we won’t delve into it as we’ve previously discussed this topic extensively. However, one solution that they can employ is to organize bounty hunts where players intentionally look for bugs that make the game unplayable or less enjoyable for others and report their findings. In return, they can be rewarded with real-world money or in-game cosmetics. Smite did that back in its Beta, and anyone who was part of it got the “Beta Tester” avatar which warrants some bragging rights.?

Independent Hunting?

Though most responsible gamers report the bugs to the developers so that they can roll out fixes, some players just want to watch the world burn, and instead, they abuse these glitches for their own entertainment. Indeed, watching the game engine implode on itself and spit out hilariously unpredictable results has become the favorite pastime of many a player. Also, these minor bugs do not impact the game in a significant manner. In fact, phasing through invisible walls or obstacles is the best way to uncover easter eggs or content that was cancelled but still concealed in the “forbidden areas.” Finding those is both exciting and rewarding for players.?

That said, other more unscrupulous players use it to gain an unfair advantage over others, especially in online games. Abusing bugs and glitches in competitive scenarios is a practice that is highly frowned upon. Not only does it reflect a player’s unsportsmanlike conduct, but it also makes for a hilarious anecdote to tell your friends if you can take them out, or better yet, if you happen to be recording and catch that godlike moment. An example of an infamous abusable bug that falls under this category is known as “wall glitching,” where a player intentionally goes into a wall and they’re able to shoot others while being invulnerable to bullets and explosions themselves. Bad sports.?

Conclusion?

All in all, bugs and glitches are unofficial game features that can make the experience a whole lot more fun, frustrating, or unfair. What’s for sure though is the fact that players have grown accustomed to them as they’ve infested the gaming scene ever since video gaming emerged. Often, both the community and the developers are okay with fun glitches and don’t bother patching them, but when they get bothersome or game-breaking, they usually warrant a response and a fix from the publishing studios.??

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