We all have seen them. We make a turn in a racing game and the car goes through a wall. They are called glitches. But what actually causes these glitches? Is it software or hardware based? This has been the big debate over the years.

First off, a glitch is basically just a short-lived error. There are many causes of them, but a couple main reasons are due to hardware errors such as overheating, or just missing the glitches in quality assurance testing. Many systems have been plagued by overheating errors, such as the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii. These are usually not seen until the systems are sold, and nothing can usually be done to stop them until it is too late. Other times, glitches can occur from not being able to detect them in the software during the testing of the game. These errors are usually not bad and at times can be comical. Nonetheless, companies do all they can to prevent them.

Glitches can be comical or can ruin a game. It's up to the company to try and find and correct these errors before the system or game can be shipped to he consumer. But no company is perfect, these glitches cannot always be caught or fixed until it is too late. Therefor, glitches undoubtedly can end up in the system. Whether it be due to a hardware error or something so simple as a blocky figure on a piece of software, glitches are a facet of games which will likely always exist in some form.