When will consoles embrace modding?

[Hungry Donner]

I know there are a few console titles with built in modding tools ? and from what I can tell these are generally quite popular. But by in large the big three seem scared stiff at the idea of a comprehensive level editor, the sort of thing you find with Half Life 2 or Oblivion. The ?can?t manage this with a gamepad? excuse no longer applies, it?s easy enough to plug in a USB keyboard and mouse. Concerns over memory restrictions may have some weight, there are a lot of games out there that already push consoles to the limit and throwing a pile of mods on top could be problematic, but is RAM really so expensive that they can?t throw in a little extra? If you really need to offer it as a peripheral ? the basic console comes with X but you can purchase a plug-in that increases it by 50%.

I?m not expecting anything with the current console generation, but I was really hoping we?d hear something about this at this year?s E3. Console gamers seem to be clamoring for mods whenever a multi-platform release gives PC users this option but can?t extend it to consoles. I have to imagine whichever console finally embraces this will find a tremendous amount of support behind it ? it could easily be the ?motion control? of that generation with the other too rushing to include this as well.

 

[Dr. Feelgood]

I think the main reason modding won't be embraced by consoles is the negative connotation of the word. As we all know, modding implies cheating. Console gamers are more focused towards winning, rather than having fun, in my opinion. It's a little sad. I think map editing is the closest thing we'll be seeing for a while.

 

[Nihilm]

Never, think of all the money game devs would lose by not getting payed from DLC as much, it is probably worth it to them enough to pay microsoft and sony to exclude future modding options on future consoles as well, hope you have fun on those consoles of yours

 

[Worgen]

probably never since consoles are pretty closed compared to the open nature of pc's

 

[Valkraye]

Companies are trying. Bethesda is putting appeals (I don't think that is the right word) to allow mods to be used on the console versions of their games. If modding isn't used this console cycle, I think it will definitely be next cycle.

 

[Pat8u]

I think the main reason modding won't be embraced by consoles is the negative connotation of the word. As we all know, modding implies cheating. Console gamers are more focused towards winning, rather than having fun, in my opinion. It's a little sad. I think map editing is the closest thing we'll be seeing for a while.

please stop stereotyping gamers by there choice of platform just... stop

ot: I like playing games without mods its just better

 

[Madara XIII]

I think the main reason modding won't be embraced by consoles is the negative connotation of the word. As we all know, modding implies cheating. Console gamers are more focused towards winning, rather than having fun, in my opinion. It's a little sad. I think map editing is the closest thing we'll be seeing for a while.

Doesn't mean we're not having fun. Sometimes people like challenges and restrictions. You can only sandbox so much till you get tired of it.

Never, think of all the money game devs would lose by not getting payed from DLC as much, it is probably worth it to them enough to pay microsoft and sony to exclude future modding options on future consoles as well, hope you have fun on those consoles of yours

WTF is that supposed to mean? Jesus Christ is every PC gamer trying to be pretentious about this issue?

Big whoop we don't MOD. Maybe because we like it that way and prefer challenges at times? Also there's still the existence of cheatcodes.

Honestly I'd prefer the exclusion of Modding from consoles. It runs the risk of making the game a bit clunky at times

 

[PettingZOOPONY]

I think the main reason modding won't be embraced by consoles is the negative connotation of the word. As we all know, modding implies cheating. Console gamers are more focused towards winning, rather than having fun, in my opinion. It's a little sad. I think map editing is the closest thing we'll be seeing for a while.

Doesn't mean we're not having fun. Sometimes people like challenges and restrictions. You can only sandbox so much till you get tired of it.

Never, think of all the money game devs would lose by not getting payed from DLC as much, it is probably worth it to them enough to pay microsoft and sony to exclude future modding options on future consoles as well, hope you have fun on those consoles of yours

WTF is that supposed to mean? Jesus Christ is every PC gamer trying to be pretentious about this issue?

Big whoop we don't MOD. Maybe because we like it that way and prefer challenges at times? Also there's still the existence of cheatcodes.

Honestly I'd prefer the exclusion of Modding from consoles. It runs the risk of making the game a bit clunky at times

What the hell are you talking about? Modding is not cheating and has never been about it, it comes from non informed gamers that modding is cheating.

 

[Madara XIII]

Ya know what? This really irks me.

I'm getting really pissed about all these PC gamers sticking their noses up in the air and looking down on the Console gamers as if they're some sort of primitive form of life.

Just because we don't have Mods doesn't make PC games any better than Console games. They both have their strong points.

And if I get suspended for speaking my mind out about this (While not being vulgar) well so be it.
Tired of PC gamers acting like they're so GOD DAMN superior. It's awful!!

 

[PettingZOOPONY]

Ya know what? This really irks me.

I'm getting really pissed about all these PC gamers sticking their noses up in the air and looking down on the Console gamers as if they're some sort of primitive form of life.

Just because we don't have Mods doesn't make PC games any better than Console games. They both have their strong points.

And if I get suspended for speaking my mind out about this (While not being vulgar) well so be it.
Tired of PC gamers acting like they're so GOD DAMN superior. It's awful!!

But PC games are so God Damn superior its not a joke, they do everything better. Everything.

 

[synobal]

Ya I doubt there will ever be any sort of modding for consoles. It's just competition for their DLC and since most consoles lock you into their store you'd have no way to download mods from third party fan sites.

I find the amount of people that don't understand what modding is pretty amusing as well.

 

[bob1052]

What the hell are you talking about? Modding is not cheating and has never been about it, it comes from non informed gamers that modding is cheating.

Lets face it there is a fair number of mods that amount to cheating. Every single item creation one is a form of cheating. Then you have the mass quantity of graphical/nudity mods which for somebody like be add zero value at all. There is only a small portion of mods that actually add something to a game and lets face it they might not be for everybody.

A cool thing about a modding community is that not everybody uses every mod.

Saying "I don't want mods" is just plain stupid.

Gaining the ability to mods gives people the potential to alter the game in any way they want to, or not at all if they don't.

On topic: PCs are a much more open system. Consoles are much more closed, and the companies behind the networks the consoles run on have made it clear that they want their stamps on everything (i.e. the reason there are no TF2 updates on Xbox360 is because Microsoft would not allow Valve to do free updates, but rather wanted it to be free DLC so Valve scrapped the idea of updating the 360 version altogether).

 

[ZeroMachine]

Rumor has it, Skyrim will.

Keep your fingers crossed, boys and girls.

 

[Madara XIII]

I think the main reason modding won't be embraced by consoles is the negative connotation of the word. As we all know, modding implies cheating. Console gamers are more focused towards winning, rather than having fun, in my opinion. It's a little sad. I think map editing is the closest thing we'll be seeing for a while.

Doesn't mean we're not having fun. Sometimes people like challenges and restrictions. You can only sandbox so much till you get tired of it.

Never, think of all the money game devs would lose by not getting payed from DLC as much, it is probably worth it to them enough to pay microsoft and sony to exclude future modding options on future consoles as well, hope you have fun on those consoles of yours

WTF is that supposed to mean? Jesus Christ is every PC gamer trying to be pretentious about this issue?

Big whoop we don't MOD. Maybe because we like it that way and prefer challenges at times? Also there's still the existence of cheatcodes.

Honestly I'd prefer the exclusion of Modding from consoles. It runs the risk of making the game a bit clunky at times

What the hell are you talking about? Modding is not cheating and has never been about it, it comes from non informed gamers that modding is cheating.

I meant cheatcodes in the sense of altering the game, such as GTA for example.

 

[cjbos81]

They will embrace modding whenever more people are cloud gaming than gaming locally or when the majority of gaming takes place on non-traditional platforms. ("Extra credits" did a video on this phenomenon.)

Once this happens, the console makers will have nothing to lose.

 

[Madara XIII]

Ya know what? This really irks me.

I'm getting really pissed about all these PC gamers sticking their noses up in the air and looking down on the Console gamers as if they're some sort of primitive form of life.

Just because we don't have Mods doesn't make PC games any better than Console games. They both have their strong points.

And if I get suspended for speaking my mind out about this (While not being vulgar) well so be it.
Tired of PC gamers acting like they're so GOD DAMN superior. It's awful!!

But PC games are so God Damn superior its not a joke, they do everything better. Everything.

See there? That attitude right FREAKING THERE. It's disgusting and what really drives me batshit insane. It's as if all PC gamers believe that a console gamer is nothing more than a knuckle dragging neanderthal who can only get his entertainment from AAA games.

What's really sad and I mean really sad is that the Fanboy War Between PS3 and XBOX has come to a near stop while PC gamers and their stuck up attitudes find it beneath them to touch a controller. I like PC games, however my PC is not meant for gaming (Wanted to play Amnesia too). It's meant for School Work and Video editting for my youtube channel.

Hell, being an American on The Escapist is bad enough, but I didn't know I had to defend my preference of gaming on a website dedicated to ALL TYPES of gaming.

 

[CCountZero]

You know the only thing you are doing is proving how insecure you really are about your platform of choice. Besides that people like you are everything that is wrong with gaming today. If I had my choice I would hit every single prick like you in the head with a shovel.

... The man states what some believe to be an opinion and others would call an objective fact, and you proceed to call him insecure, followed by expressing a desire to seriously injure everyone like him.

How does that add up?

Big whoop we don't MOD. Maybe because we like it that way and prefer challenges at times? Also there's still the existence of cheat codes.

So, first you complain about mods taking away from the challenge, and then you proclaim that consoles have built-in cheat codes in their games?

And even with that, very few mods take away from the challenge.
In fact, a vast majority of the mods I've encountered in my long life as a gamer, both Console and PC, have made games HARDER than they were before, exactly because they were designed to be playable on a console in the first place.

Bottom line is that I call massive bullshit on you. You're talking out of places you shouldn't be.

 

[Atmos Duality]

"When will consoles embrace modding?"

In the eyes of the Big Three, "Never." Or if they do, "In an environment that we legally own and control."
The whole reason they shunted most of the mainstream gaming market onto consoles over the last 10 years was strongly BECAUSE you can't mod the game.
There would be much less of a DLC market if you could mod the game yourself. Mods are, in a way the original DLC.

Giving any control of development to the customer threatens the job security of those who own and develop for that system. That threatens profits, and we can't have that.
Even Blizzard with their Starcraft 2 Map Editor comes with so many outrageous (and borderline illegal) stipulations. They own anything you create with it, and you can ONLY those maps with their Bnet 2 service.

But PC games are so God Damn superior its not a joke, they do everything better. Everything.

See there? That attitude right FREAKING THERE. It's disgusting and what really drives me batshit insane. It's as if all PC gamers believe that a console gamer is nothing more than a knuckle dragging neanderthal who can only get his entertainment from AAA games.

Not directed at me, but I'll comment anyway.
GAMES are not the same as the GAMERS who play them.

PCs, are unquestionably technologically superior because Consoles are nothing MORE THAN ANOTHER FORM OF COMPUTER. They are a collection of electronics and mathematical logic processors that can play video games.

This is NOT arrogance or an opinion. It's a certifiable fact.

From a strictly technical level, there is not one thing that a console can do that PCs can't do. They are popular because they are easy to use and uniform in design. They are also strictly proprietary. Because of those traits, they are easy to control and market for.

 

[Madara XIII]

You know the only thing you are doing is proving how insecure you really are about your platform of choice. Besides that people like you are everything that is wrong with gaming today. If I had my choice I would hit every single prick like you in the head with a shovel.

... The man states what some believe to be an opinion and others would call an objective fact, and you proceed to call him insecure, followed by expressing a desire to seriously injure everyone like him.

How does that add up?

Big whoop we don't MOD. Maybe because we like it that way and prefer challenges at times? Also there's still the existence of cheat codes.

So, first you complain about mods taking away from the challenge, and then you proclaim that consoles have built-in cheat codes in their games?

And even with that, very few mods take away from the challenge.
In fact, a vast majority of the mods I've encountered in my long life as a gamer, both Console and PC, have made games HARDER than they were before, exactly because they were designed to be playable on a console in the first place.

Bottom line is that I call massive bullshit on you. You're talking out of places you shouldn't be.

I meant Cheat Codes as in the sense of GTA. Adding features to it or as you said, some cheatcodes and some mods add to the challenge. Such as a Kombat Kode in MK allows both players to die in one hit making the fight either easier or harder depending on the person.

And at what point did I say that I personally didn't want MODS? I said we didn't Mod. My view on it is that sometimes I just like to play a simple game how the developers intended. Doesn't mean I don't want em. I'm just neutral to the point. What gets me mad is that the PC gamers have to act all high and mighty about their superior system.
Honestly it's just going back to the XBOX and PS3 fanboys who constantly quarreled with one another because one system had certain features the other one didn't.

 

[Luthir Fontaine]

Question for an answer when well people stop using such things to cheat....answer to that never