Modding as threat?

Perhaps one of the most important questions that is asked of a modding community these days is whether such fundamental changes made to someone else's intellectual property are illegal. While in theory the answer is yes, as very rarely any sort of consent is given to the modders, it is also incredibly rare for game developing studios to actually purse an official course of action. One could ask why? Technically, a lot of money can be made winning those lawsuits which can only benefit a company - technically.

The reality of today's gaming business is actually quite different. Most often video game developers not only acknowledge the modding community but also provide them with the necessary tools in order for them to be able to alter the game. The idea behind such actions is that any sort of changes can refresh the game's appeal and spark additional sales, or simply give the developers new and innovative ideas about the directions in which any possible sequels could go.

Naturally, we also need to be aware of the different categories of mods: partial mods, total conversions and fixes/patches. While partial mods only alter a certain aspect of the game without interfering with the basic premise of the title, total conversions spin the entire product on its head: the one I am most familiar with is ESF mod for HL that not only changed the rules of the game, but also the game's genre.

HL

ESF

ESF brought Half Life to life (:P) years after the initial game was released and as such revamped the sales and allowed for a new, innovative approach to the game mechanics.

The third type of modding that we need to look at is fixes/patches - a time when the game developers aren't interested in fixing their broken products and the community is taking charge and as such also increasing the revenue for the original designers. Perhaps one of the best examples of such dedicated community work is the amount of dedication Jowood community showed when the third part of the most amazing RPG on the planet (in my opinion - and yes, I also helped with the patches) hit the shelves: Gothic3. The first two games and the expansion pack established the most immerse, detailed, and intriguing world I have ever seen in an RPG, and when the third part moved from a niche market and tried to appeal to a large number of american consumers (Piranha Bytes - the makers of the first two games were from Germany) the game clearly lost its appeal to the hardcore fans. 

 

Gothic 3

After months of fixing the game was brought up to the level of its predecessors with new dialog options, new fighting system and new talent trees. It even offered completely new options such as Balanced AI which made the game a lot harder and hence more appealing.

Yes, modding changes things, but in the end, everyone profits from it - the makers, the consumers, the modders - I believe that in order for any PC game to be successful these days its makers need to recognize the potential of the modding community and instead of trying to fight it - they ought to embrace it.