In its special report on computer games, Forbes.com has a great overview on the manifold reasons why computer gamers cheat. Author and academic Mia Consalvo takes the reader through four of the primary motives which her extensive research has highlighted: "they're stuck, they want to play God, they are bored with the game or they want to be a jerk."
Ultimately, Consalvo argues that cheating - from looking up the next moves on an FAQ to buying levels in an online game from eBay to streaming data about an opponent's poker hand - isn't necessarily bad.
As counter-intuitive as it may seem, cheating can sometimes be good for you. It can keep you active and involved in a game, reward game play and allow expert players to teach others. It can indicate to developers when games are too hard or flawed, and it can even help a community form.
The whole thing can be found here. More extensive coverage will be forthcoming in her book Cheating: Gaining Advantage in Videogames.
