Poll: Is modding a game illegal?

[Orinon]

Obviously downloading the game from a torrent site is illegal. Now I'll try to avoid inserting my opinions on Piracy, mostly as my opinion isn't very solid at the moment.
But the Question I ask is different.
Example:I own Skyrim it was bought legally (Brand new even) and I love the game and the few criticisms I have are buried beneath the mountain of praise I give it.
However it's a known fact that there are a few glitches and bugs, which are annoying (some are funny some some aren't)
Now I can't fault Bethesda, they couldn't possibly have the time to comb over every single bug in their game, now let's say I'm, a pretty hotshot programmer (i'm not but let's use imagination) If I find several ways to remove some glitches with a small patch, lets call it the unofficial Skyrim patch. it fixes certain glitches that get in the way of the game.
Would the people of Bethesda really be allowed to object, I bought the game from them legally. heck In my Imagination they might actually be impressed I was able to fix a bug instead of just whining on a forum.
Now in this scenario I probably couldn't share the patch and I definitely can't try to sell it as that would be illegal.
SO the original question is
Is the alteration (aka modding) of a game illegal by itself, I'm the only one with this particular mod installed I don't show anyone else how to do it. I just altered the product I legally purchased so I could better enjoy it.

Spoiler: The Poll

In case if your wondering yes the last two are a joke.
though each do refer to perhaps the most extreme opinions, the pirate one implies you have no objection to modding or even piracy, while the reference to EA (because from what I've learned EA really hates it when you tamper with their products) translates to a NEVER

 

[Eri]

Bethesda encourages modding so I'm not sure I gather what you're talking about.

 

[Twilight_guy]

Altering their source code is illegal since in order to get it you have to illegally decompile their code. There is a reason they give you a binary and not a text file after all. Using editing tools that they provide you to alter the game, like saying using an editor to add levels to the game and produce mods, is obviously not illegal since they gave you the tools. Any other type of hacking and moding the game is on a sliding gray scale depending on the action and what the developer thinks as well as local laws. If you doing something for yourself as a non-commercial product, nobody is ever going to call you out on it or bother you so the matter of legitimacy is moot. If you want to distribute what you did, it gets more iffy. One of the key points here is that when you buy a game you don't have access to the "idea" or the things that is copyrighted. The "idea' or intellectual property behind the game is protected and by altering the code your altering that idea. How to interpret that and to what extent that is bad is an issue that the court grapples with all the time.

 

[Wolfram23]

They released the Creation Kit and Steam Workshop. They have modding forums on their website.

I think the answer is pretty obvious.

That said, there are games that specify modding is against the EULA... I think. Nothing from Bethesda though.

 

[Orinon]

I may as well admit that perhaps Skyrim isn't the best example but it was the only game I have that has some glitches (that were unavoidable) but is still an awesome game, also Skyrim's just plain awesome.

 

[hazabaza1]

That whole creation kit thing? Yeah, I think that was made solely for modding.
It's cool brah.

 

[Kvaedi]

Almost every sane developer encourages modding when at all possible. Look at Mount and Blade. Half the reason people buy those games is for the awesome mods. The only reason I even considered buying Skyrim is because of all the mods I've used in Morrowind and Oblivion that made the game fun long after I beat the game. In fact, I won't buy a game from a developer that throws a tantrum about modding. We're changing a game we bought; if a dev can't handle that, they deserve to not sell a single copy so they can have plenty unmodded versions lying around for their appreciation.

 

[Corven]

I don't understand how you even came close to thinking that modding a game is even in the same realm of existence as piracy, just for the base fact that developers dont lose money due to mods, hell PC games can have a extremely long shelf life due to the inclusion of mods for the game.

I'll give an example, name me one person who has bought a copy of elder scrolls morrowind on the xbox in the past 6 years, and then name me the amount of people who bought morrowind on the pc in the past 6 years, pc will be a lot higher due to the fact that to this day morrowind is still getting new mods released for it on PC, and you know someone buys it whenever it goes on sale on steam or whatever.

Also on the point of some developers not liking mods on their games, they can go suck an egg, as long as any mod that I install does not give me some unfair advantage in an online setting, there should be no reason why I can do whatever I like to the information stored on my PC.

 

[StriderShinryu]

While a lot of modding is probably technically illegal, it's not something you're ever going to get called out on. The real issue is distribution. If you try to charge someone for a mod that you make, or try to compile mods that others have created in a "mod-package" that you bundle together, you're going to run into trouble.

In the example given in the OP:
- unofficial Skyrim patch made? Maybe illegal, but they probably don't care
- unofficial Skyrim patch made but comprised of your glitch fixes and some other dudes graphics update included without his permission? You got problems
- unofficial Skyrim patch made, and then sold? You got huge problems

 

[DustyDrB]

I think it's fine as long as you're not trying to sell it. Key words: "I think". Because I'm really talking out of my ass about something I know little about.

 

[Talshere]

People who do not allow modification and adaptation of their game do so in order to suppress those that use their game in order to sell them things that the group would otherwise have made and given away for free.

Infinity Ward Im looking at you!

 

[Midnight Crossroads]

It's a grey zone. Most companies are either apathetic or encourage modding.

That's changing now as DLC and online play become more pervasive. The last couple of Total War games, for instance, were highly locked down in comparison to Medieval 2 and Rome.

 

[evilneko]

Gee I thought this was going to be about modding your console.

There's absolutely nothing, nada, zilch, zip, illegal about modding a game.

 

[Loop Stricken]

it's absolutely fine.

Selling a mod is more of a moral issue than anything else. Yes, you're selling your time and effort, but you're more than likely just using the assets already in place to earn a quick buck.

 

[DoPo]

Unless specifically addressed in the EULA, it's all good. I'd imagine that as long as it's nothing something questionable, like for example getting unfair advantage in an online game, (say, double clip capacity in CoD or something), you are free to do it. Fix bugs in a single player game and so on, go ahead. Heck, part of the reason why Bloodlines is still alive today is because of the fan support it has - Activision is literally cashing on other people fixing bugs and improving the game.

And besides, there are already unofficial patches for both Morrowind and Oblivion, I don't see a reason why there wouldn't be one for Skyrim at some point.

 

[Rude as HECK]

Off the top of my head, I would say it depends on the following issues, at least:
-The EULA of the software in question. Breach of contract a possibility.
-Whether or not you make your mod publicly available (which can constitute transmission to the public)
-What the mod is- does it contain copyrighted material from other sources, etc.

In other words, this isn't a question of absolutes.

 

[Graywind1]

I think it's fine, because some games, once they are beaten, become boring. Modding can help expand the game's longevity.

 

[burningdragoon]

In the example given in the OP:
- unofficial Skyrim patch made? Maybe illegal, but they probably don't care
- unofficial Skyrim patch made but comprised of your glitch fixes and some other dudes graphics update included without his permission? You got problems
- unofficial Skyrim patch made, and then sold? You got huge problems

I think that sums it up nicely. I think also adding that if there is an online component and you are using mods to take advantage of the online, then also some problems.