I came across this <url=http://www.blog.radiator.debacle.us/2011/04/death-of-mod.html>interesting blog post yesterday. Robert "Radiator" Yang, the author, is one of the most prolific and central members of the mod scene, and he argues that modding is dying and how it's actually a good thing. His main argument revolves around the fact that mods emerged because it was too difficult to make your own game from scratch. But because of accessible engines like <url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unity_3D>Unity and <url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unreal_Engine#Unreal_Development_Kit_.28UDK.29>UDK, mods are increasingly becoming irrelevant.
Here are some excerpts I wanted to highlight.
Then there were just a few random 3D engines (Ogre3D, Cube, etc.) but no widespread adoption because they were difficult to use. Want a level editor? Code it yourself!... So, we modded. Besides, mods only got publicity on fan sites anyway; our work was worthless, inferior to the professionals. Who would ever pay for it? Unmarketable. We were just fans and amateurs, working with the permission of the big boys.
There are new, powerful standalone 3D game creation packages (Unity, UDK) with integrated engines and toolsets that have physics, IK solvers, heightmap terrain editors, etc. Our "amateur" work can be sold on Steam, the App Store, the Android Market, or even by ourselves. Popular blogs readily publicize / discuss these "indie" efforts. In general, it seems amateurs are just more disciplined and more skilled with the practice of game development.
In this sense, "modding," as we know it, is dead... Because we aren't merely fans or amateurs anymore. We're now "indie," we're somewhat independent of the commercial game industry that spawned modding: we now have a shared culture, publicity engine and distribution mechanisms that happily exists outside of them. Which is great.
There will still be many mods, of course, but they are definitely no longer the center of innovative design practice by non-professionals.
I clicked on the blog post preparing to disagree, but I can actually see his point. What he is arguing is that total conversion mods (not mod as a means to customise and improve a game) are on their way out, since all that effort can now be used to make standalone marketable games.
There are still huge issues with making standalone games as opposed to mods: you have to create assets from scratch and actually learn programming (as opposed to just basic scripting for mods), there is no existing framework to experiment on etc. I don't see modding going away, maybe just a major shift within the more professional modders.
Thoughts?
Here are some excerpts I wanted to highlight.
Then there were just a few random 3D engines (Ogre3D, Cube, etc.) but no widespread adoption because they were difficult to use. Want a level editor? Code it yourself!... So, we modded. Besides, mods only got publicity on fan sites anyway; our work was worthless, inferior to the professionals. Who would ever pay for it? Unmarketable. We were just fans and amateurs, working with the permission of the big boys.
There are new, powerful standalone 3D game creation packages (Unity, UDK) with integrated engines and toolsets that have physics, IK solvers, heightmap terrain editors, etc. Our "amateur" work can be sold on Steam, the App Store, the Android Market, or even by ourselves. Popular blogs readily publicize / discuss these "indie" efforts. In general, it seems amateurs are just more disciplined and more skilled with the practice of game development.
In this sense, "modding," as we know it, is dead... Because we aren't merely fans or amateurs anymore. We're now "indie," we're somewhat independent of the commercial game industry that spawned modding: we now have a shared culture, publicity engine and distribution mechanisms that happily exists outside of them. Which is great.
There will still be many mods, of course, but they are definitely no longer the center of innovative design practice by non-professionals.
I clicked on the blog post preparing to disagree, but I can actually see his point. What he is arguing is that total conversion mods (not mod as a means to customise and improve a game) are on their way out, since all that effort can now be used to make standalone marketable games.
There are still huge issues with making standalone games as opposed to mods: you have to create assets from scratch and actually learn programming (as opposed to just basic scripting for mods), there is no existing framework to experiment on etc. I don't see modding going away, maybe just a major shift within the more professional modders.
Thoughts?
