Modding

Modding:
To Modify.

Wikipedia Extracts:
Mods are made by the general public or a developer, and can be entirely new games in themselves. They can include new items, weapons, characters, enemies, models, textures, levels, story lines, music, and game modes. They also usually take place in unique locations. They can be single-player or multi-player. Mods that add new content to the underlying game are often called partial conversions, while mods that create an entirely new game are called total conversions.

Playing a mod might even become more common than playing the unmodified original. In those cases, players might have to clarify that they are referring to the unmodified game when talking about playing a game. In some cases the term vanilla is used make this distinction, "vanilla Battlefield 1942", for example, refers to the original, unmodified game.

Something to think about. Modders or Hackers?:

Modders The term 'modder' is sometimes used to refer to a person who creates a mod. The term modder is usually used poorly in it's context, as it defines an entire group, both legit and cheating, as one entity. This is especially true in cases where someone in a multi-player game is using a mod to give them an unfair advantage. Examples might include an auto-targeting modification in a shooting game or a mod which allows the player to move faster than others. Colloquially, within the gaming community, such modders are often called "hackers". Such mods are generally considered cheating, especially if the match is ranked or will affect the statistics of the players disadvantaged.

However some mods can have an effect on all of the players in a multiplayer game. Such mods give every player the same increase ability and/or extra item(s) and therefore is sometimes not considered cheating, although it is possible that only the modder would use the changes especially if the changes are subtle. Though in many, many cases, the changes are not that subtle at all. Take example for Battlefield 2. Mods such as Project Reality or Forgotten Hope 2 try to change gameplay as far as the game engine will allow them. Racing games also have an inumerous amount of mods, shown in Papyrus's Nascar Racing 2003 Season and ISI's rFactor.

Most modders do not consider themselves to be "hackers." A modder makes mods in order to increase the entertainment value of a game through making new maps, levels, power-ups, and weapons that can be used by all players.

Cross-medium 'Mods':

Modifying a game is not simply restricted to 'in' game activities, nor do they necessarily have to effect the game play.

"[Video games] cannot be regarded as a consistent medium" -Tom

Machinima:
Game Engines which are used to create CGI using the video game engine.

RED VS BLUE:

CS FOR KIDS:

The availability of modding tool kits has ramifications for a plethora of communities as it:

-Gives gaming 'fans' and fan communities an entirely new level of interactivity. This seperates gaming fans from other fan communities as it allows them to edit, add and share 'mods' within the specific medium itself (whereas other fan communities cannot directly change a movie, add to the text of a book etc). It directly allows the consumer to produce.
-Increases the lifespan of a game
-Increases the gameplay/variety in a game (free stuff)
-Involves the gamers on a deeper level
-Political activism (if allowed; Star Wars, Aliens, Fox and America's Army had low tolerances for modding)

If you have time go to
http://journal.fibreculture.org/issue8/issue8_nieborg.html

Genre:

Games are sectioned off into a 'genre' based on the type of activity in a game (Strange Agency)

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1806/tomb_raider_and_the_genre_of_.php?print=1

Benefits of classification?

Gamers know what they're buying
Game producers know what's expected of them

Game producers:

Time releases against other gaming releases of similar genres
Target the market based on the 'genre life cycle' (different genres have a different distribution of players with varying skill)

New Player (Newbs)

Mature Player (genre addicts)

"...a core audience of experienced players coalesces around the genre. They’ve mastered the basics and demand that new games both honor their existing skills and offer them greater challenges to master."
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20070515/cook_03.shtml

The article implies that it is the amount of 'mature players' that exist that will make or break a game as they are the ones most willing to promote, pay, teach etc.

Niche Player (burnout)

Niche players is the final stage of the genre/game life cycle. It is at this stage that the game either disappears into nothingness depending on the long-term affect of the game. Niche players are separated into:

Keepers of the flame -percentage of players who never lose their lust for the genre
Lapsed players - players who have 'more exciting games that take up their time'
New players without support networks - gamers who are discovering the game for the first time who lack the support of 'mature' players and media exposure to perpetuate their interest.

Examples of successful genre games

Tying in genre and modding

The study of genres and their 'life cycle' is what helps to determine what games should be produced based on the current market and demand. What perpetuates a game to sport the 'platinum' sign on its case as opposed to being relegated to the bargain bin is the long term popularity and success of the game. This in part is determined by the current market and 'mature' players and their continued interest (although the quality of the code and game itself usually overrides the market needs). It is with this particular type of gamer is the importance of multi-player modes and modding increasingly vital as it allows the mature player to not only feel increasingly tied into the game (by producing content), but also to allow him to set his own challenges.


However:
Legal ramifications of modding? Ownership?