Video game modding: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 03:04, 29 August 2025

Revision as of 23:31, 29 August 2025

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Valve used WorldCraft, a fan-produced tool for ''Quake'', to design ''[[Half-Life (video game)|Half-Life]].<ref name="auto3" />''

With the increase in popularity of the modding scene, video game companies began to capitalize on the appeal of creating [[user-generated content]]. By the mid-1990s, PC games were commonly bundled with modding tools, external software which allows users to create mods for their paired games.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Burger-Helmchen |first1=Thierry |last2=Cohendet |first2=Patrick |date=October 2011 |title=User Communities and Social Software in the Video Game Industry |url=https://hal.science/hal-02302912 |journal=Long Range Planning |volume=44 |issue=5–6 |pages=317–343 |doi=10.1016/j.lrp.2011.09.003}}</ref><ref name=":15" /> Games that launched with these tools were noteworthy in review<ref name="auto2" /> and often contributed to their commercial success; in 2003, eight of the top 10 selling PC video games were bundled with modding tools.<ref name=":32">{{Cite journal |lastlast1=Moshirnia |firstfirst1=Andrew V. |last2=Walker |first2=Anthony C. |series=DiGRA Digital Library |date=2007-01-01 |title=Reciprocal Innovation in Modding Communities as a means of Increasing Cultural Diversity and Historical Accuracy in Video Games |url=https://dl.digra.org/index.php/dl/article/view/291 |journal=Proceedings of DiGRA 2007 Conference: Situated Play |language=en |doi=10.26503/dl.v2007i1.291}}</ref>

[[Steam (service)|Steam]], a video game digital distribution service created by [[Valve Corporation]], was specifically designed for the proliferation of successful, stand-alone mods.<ref name=":23">{{Cite web |last=Au |first=Wagner James |date=2002-04-16 |title=Triumph of the mod |url=https://www.salon.com/2002/04/16/modding/?utm_source=website&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ogshare&utm_content=og |access-date=2025-08-22 |website=Salon.com |language=en-US}}</ref> The platform offered a US$995 licensing fee plus [[Royalty payment|royalty]] for modders to distribute their games.<ref name="auto3" /> With a beta release in 2002,<ref name="steam-announced">{{cite web |date=March 22, 2002 |title=GDC 2002: Valve unveils Steam |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gdc-2002-valve-unveils-steam/1100-2857298/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140717003347/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gdc-2002-valve-unveils-steam/1100-2857298/ |archive-date=July 17, 2014 |access-date=September 7, 2006 |work=[[GameSpot]].com}}</ref> Steam included a retail-version of [[Day of Defeat|''Day of Defeat'']], originally a [[Video game modding#Total conversion|total conversion]] mod for Valve's ''Half-Life'' whose rights were purchased by the company.<ref name=":23" /><ref name="GameSpot Valve & Activision">{{cite web |author=GameSpot staff |date=April 4, 2003 |title=Valve signs with Activision, exclusive Day of Defeat screens |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/valve-signs-with-activision-exclusive-day-of-defeat-screens/1100-6024608/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225235043/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/valve-signs-with-activision-exclusive-day-of-defeat-screens/1100-6024608/ |archive-date=February 25, 2014 |access-date=February 25, 2014 |work=GameSpot}}</ref> [[Gabe Newell]], the founder of Valve, noted that his perception of video games shifted from viewing them as entertainment to embracing them as "productivity platforms".<ref>{{cite web |last=Boudreau |first=Ian |date=March 29, 2020 |title=Gabe Newell tried gold farming in World of Warcraft to test a theory about games |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/world-of-warcraft/gaben-gold-farming |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200329144743/https://www.pcgamesn.com/world-of-warcraft/gaben-gold-farming |archive-date=March 29, 2020 |access-date=March 29, 2020 |work=[[PCGamesN]]}}</ref> Since then, the client has become one of the largest online marketplaces for games. The platform introduced full support for finding and playing mods for Valve's [[Team Fortress 2|''Team Fortress 2'']],<ref name=":19" /> a game that itself originated as a mod for [[Quake (video game)|''Quake'']].<ref name="gamespot 1998-06-01">{{Cite web |last=Dunkin, Alan |date=June 1, 1998 |title=''Team Fortress'' Full Speed Ahead |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/team-fortress-full-speed-ahead/1100-2463316/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323205856/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/team-fortress-full-speed-ahead/1100-2463316/ |archive-date=March 23, 2014 |access-date=June 12, 2006 |work=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref> The [[Steam Workshop]], introduced to the platform in 2012, allows players to mod Steam-hosted games directly within the interface.<ref name=":19">{{Cite journal |last=Rosen |first=Zvi S. |date=December 6, 2018 |title=Man, Mod, and Law: Revisiting The Law of Computer Game Modifications |url=https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3309904 |url-status=live |journal=IDEA: The IP Law Review |language=en |volume=59 |issue=1 |ssrn=3309904 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250319204545/https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3309904 |archive-date=2025-03-19 |access-date=2025-08-01 |via=SSRN}}</ref>

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Mod development involves the use of external [[Software development kit|software development kits]] (SDK) that are not included in the original game, distinguishing mods from in-game creations such as character creation in [[The Sims|''The Sims'']] or levels designed in [[Lemmings (video game)|''Lemmings'']].<ref name=":15" /> Early commercial mod-making tools include the ''[[Boulder Dash Construction Kit]]'', released in 1986, and ''[[The Bard's Tale Construction Set]]'', released in 1991, which allow users to create games using the engines of their predecessors.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 12, 1988 |title=Antic Magazine Volume 6 Number 11 (Next Generation Game Machines) |url=http://archive.org/details/1988-03-anticmagazine |via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref name="scorpia199202">{{cite magazine |author=Scorpia |date=February 1992 |title=Scorpion's Tale |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1992&pub=2&id=91 |accessdate=24 November 2013 |magazine=Computer Gaming World |pages=38}}</ref> In 1983, ''[[Lode Runner]]'' was released with a [[level editor]] in which users could make and save levels to share with other players on the same computer. It is considered one of the first games to support user mods.<ref name="routledge chp31" /> Released in 1993, ''[[Forgotten Realms: Unlimited Adventures]]'' allows users to construct games based on the ''[[Pool of Radiance]]'' game world''.<ref name="rauschIII">{{cite web |last=Rausch |first=Allen |date=2004-08-17 |title=A History of ''D&D'' Video Games - Part III |url=http://pc.gamespy.com/articles/539/539722p1.html |access-date=November 17, 2012 |publisher=Game Spy}}</ref>''

The provision of tools is seen as the most practical way that a company can signal to fans that its game is available to mod.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Poretski |first1=Lev |title=Proceedings of the 2017 ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing |last2=Arazy |first2=Ofer |date=25 February 2017 |publisher=ACM |isbn=978-1-4503-4335-0 |pages=480–491 |chapter=Placing Value on Community Co-creations: A Study of a Video Game 'Modding' Community |doi=10.1145/2998181.2998301 |s2cid=18600910}}</ref> Many tools use the lightweight scripting language [[Lua]], facilitating a simple and accessible medium to create mods.<ref name=":20">{{Cite journal |last=Wells |first=Matthew |date=2018-06-20 |editor-last=Chan |editor-first=Leslie |editor2-last=Mounier |editor2-first=Pierre |title=Game not Over: End-User Programming and Game System Modding as Models for Extending Community Engagement |url=https://hal.science/hal-01816719 |journal=ELPUBElpub 2018 |___location=Toronto, Canada |publisher=ElPub |volume=Connecting the Knowledge Commons: From Projects to Sustainable Infrastructure |doi=10.4000/proceedings.elpub.2018.21}}</ref> [[Maxis]] released modding tools for ''[[The Sims]]'' before the game itself, resulting in a suite of fan-created mods being available at launch.<ref name=":2">{{cite book |last=Lukkanen |first=Tero |url=https://tampub.uta.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/65431/951-44-6448-6.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |title=Modding scenes: Introduction to user-created content in computer gaming |publisher=[[University of Tampere]] |year=2005 |series=Hypermedia Laboratory Net Series |volume=9 |place=Tampere |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181128211333/https://tampub.uta.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/65431/951-44-6448-6.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |archive-date=28 November 2018}}</ref> The advertising campaign for ''[[Neverwinter Nights (2002 video game)|Neverwinter Nights]]'' focused on the included Aurora toolset.<ref name=":2" /> The [[Warcraft III World Editor|''World Editor'']] for ''[[Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos|Warcraft III]]'' allowed a variety of custom scenarios or maps to be created for the game, such as a number of [[tower defense]] and [[multiplayer online battle arena|multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA)]] maps, including ''[[Defense of the Ancients]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Walbridge|first=Michael|title=Analysis: Defense of the Ancients - An Underground Revolution|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/109814/Analysis_Defense_of_the_Ancients__An_Underground_Revolution.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510135818/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/109814/Analysis_Defense_of_the_Ancients__An_Underground_Revolution.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 10, 2012|access-date=2020-09-07|website=www.gamasutra.com|date=12 June 2008|language=en}}</ref>''<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |date=26 March 2018 |title=How Warcraft 3's modding community paved the way for League of Legends and Dota 2 |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/warcraft-iii/warcraft-3-mods-dota-league-of-legends |access-date=2020-09-06 |website=PCGamesN |language=en-GB}}</ref>'' Bethesda Game Studios offers the [[Creation Kit]], a program containing user-tailored modding tools used to create mods for their games, including ''[[The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2012-03-12 |title=Skyrim: The Creation Kit Experience |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/skyrim-the-creation-kit-experience |access-date=2025-07-30 |work=Eurogamer.net |language=en}}</ref>

Modders also create and use [[open-source software]] tools for creating mods.<ref name="auto4">{{cite book |last1=Scacchi |first1=Walt |series=IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology |title=Open Source Systems: Grounding Research |chapter=Modding as an Open Source Approach to Extending Computer Game Systems |volume=365 |date=2011 |pages=62–74 |doi=10.1007/978-3-642-24418-6_5 |language=en|isbn=978-3-642-24417-9|s2cid=8934352 }}</ref> With games where modding is unsanctioned, these user-developed tools are the only resources available to develop mods. Examples include tools written to view 3D-geometry and programs used to import this data into 3D-applications, such as [[Maya (software)|Maya]] or [[Autodesk 3ds Max]]. Because game developers [[Encryption|encrypt]] their game's files, unsanctioned modding requires [[reverse engineering]] the structure of the game through extracting and decrypting files. This process is facilitated through the sharing of game files on modding forums, such as the XeNTaX community which produced modded versions [[Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain|''Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain'']] starting in 2015.<ref name=":30" /> [[Generative AI]] has been used,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lumb |first1=David |title=Generative AI Is Coming for Video Games. Here's How It Could Change Gaming |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/generative-ai-is-coming-for-video-games-heres-how-it-could-change-gaming/ |access-date=31 May 2024 |work=[[CNET]] |date=4 May 2024 |language=en}}</ref> particularly for assets such as textures and voice acting, which can present a barrier to entry for amateur mod teams. Voice actors have raised [[Ethics of artificial intelligence|ethical concerns]] over their voices being cloned without their consent, and they have denounced pornographic mods using their cloned voices.<ref name="Stokes">{{Cite web |last=Stokes |first=Ian |date=2021-04-20 |title=Witcher 3 mod uses AI to create new voice lines without Geralt's original voice actor |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/witcher-3-mod-uses-ai-to-create-new-voice-lines-without-geralts-original-voice-actor/ |access-date=2024-06-05 |website=gamesradar |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Donovan |first=Imogen |date=2023-07-07 |title=Video game voice actors denounce NSFW mods using AI deepfakes of their voices |url=https://www.nme.com/news/video-game-voice-actors-denounce-nsfw-mods-ai-deepfakes-voices-3466276 |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name="Dinsdale">{{Cite web |last=Dinsdale |first=Ryan |date=2023-12-22 |title=The Witcher Voice Actor Doug Cockle Calls AI 'Inevitable' but 'Dangerous' |url=https://za.ign.com/the-witcher-3/188055/news/the-witcher-voice-actor-doug-cockle-calls-ai-inevitable-but-dangerous |access-date=2024-06-05 |website=IGN Africa |language=en-za}}</ref>

Websites for hosting and sharing mods are widely used by the modding community. [[Mod DB]] was founded in 2002, with over 300 million mod downloads as of 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nelson |first=Will |date=2021-10-11 |title=Changing the game: an interview with Scott Reismanis - the founder of ModDB |url=https://www.nme.com/features/mods-are-still-a-pillar-of-gaming-after-decades-an-interview-with-the-founder-of-moddb-3062921 |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.moddb.com/about |access-date=July 26, 2025 |website=Mod DB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Downloads |url=https://www.moddb.com/downloads |access-date=July 26, 2025 |publisher=Mod DB}}</ref> Since its beginnings in 2001, [[Nexus Mods]] has become one of the largest modding websites; as of 2024, the website has over 47 million members and hosts a total of 539,682 mod files, developed by 128,361 mod authors. The website accrued a lifetime total of 10 billion mod downloads for 2,683 games the same year.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Wolens |first=Joshua |date=2024-02-08 |title=The world's biggest mod site pops the cork on 10 billion downloads and $7 million-worth of payouts: 'If every download were a footstep, you could walk to the Moon 11 times' |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-worlds-biggest-mod-site-pops-the-cork-on-10-billion-downloads-and-dollar7-million-worth-of-payouts-if-every-download-were-a-footstep-you-could-walk-to-the-moon-11-times/ |access-date=2025-07-27 |work=PC Gamer |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hall |first=Charlie |date=2020-10-01 |title=Nexus Mods bans political content in the lead-up to the November election |url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/10/1/21497735/nexus-mods-bans-political-content-us-election |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}</ref> Other websites are dedicated to the modding scenes of specific games. Large mod teams often host their own websites to showcase the development of their mods. These websites feature detailed database and advanced search functionality that allow users to easily find mods for their games, becoming social centers for modders and their shared knowledge.<ref name=":27" /> Additionally, video-hosting websites, blogs, and official game discussion forums provide channels for users to discuss and discover mods.<ref name=":21">{{Cite journal |lastlast1=University of Economics in Katowice |last2=Hofman-Kohlmeyer |first2=Magdalena |date=2021-03-15 |title=Brand-Related User-Generated Content in Simulation Video Games: Qualitative Research Among Polish Players |url=https://journals.kozminski.edu.pl/pub/5922 |journal=Central European Management Journal |volume=29 |issue=1 |pages=61–87 |doi=10.7206/cemj.2658-0845.41}}</ref>

Free content delivery tools, known as "mod managers", are available to streamline the mod installation process and aid players who are less technically literate. These tools manage downloads, updates, and mod installation. Steam offers the [[Steam Workshop]] within the game launcher itself, allowing a users to share mods for simplified download and installation in supported games.<ref name=":3">{{cite news |last1=Letzter |first1=Rafi |title=Online communities are changing video games to make them better, weirder, and much more wonderful |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/video-game-modding-2015-7?r=US&IR=T |access-date=22 February 2019 |work=Business Insider Australia |date=21 July 2015 |language=en |archive-date=22 February 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190222152029/https://www.businessinsider.com.au/video-game-modding-2015-7?r=US&IR=T }}</ref> Vortex, a mod manager released by Nexus Mods, is an external tool that supports modding over 65 games and is designed to work with the website.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vortex |url=https://www.nexusmods.com/site/mods/1?tab=description |access-date=July 26, 2025 |website=Nexus Mods }}</ref> Game developers also create official mod managers either alongside their games, such as the Paradox Launcher for games created by [[Paradox Interactive]],<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=2018-03-15 |title=Paradox Interactive Launches Modding Platform For Xbox One And PC |url=https://gameinformer.com/2019/02/20/paradox-interactive-launches-modding-platform-for-xbox-one-and-pc |access-date=2025-08-03 |magazine=Game Informer |language=en}}</ref> or within the games themselves, such as in [[Baldur's Gate 3]] as a part of an update in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lorich |first=Megan |date=2024-12-21 |title=Baldur's Gate 3 is Living Proof That More Games Need Official Mod Managers |url=https://gamerant.com/baldurs-gate-3-mod-manager-support-official-player-content-good-why/ |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=Game Rant |language=en}}</ref>

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==Types==

In the context of video games, the words "mod" and "modification" are not primarily academic terms and are sometimes used in conflicting ways to encompass and distinguish varieties of alterations to video games. Generally, as defined and used by players, mod makers, and gaming press, the definition of video game modding is the alteration or addition of content to an existing video game with [[user-generated content]], particularly on PC. This understanding can significantly differ between game genres.<ref name=":31">{{Cite journal |last=Walsdorff |first=Finja |date=2022 |title=Video Game Modding and Money. From Precarious Playbor to Reimbursed Labor of Love |url=https://www.gamescoop.uni-siegen.de/spielformen/index.php/journal/article/view/23/18 |journal=Spiel{{!}}Formen |volume=2 |doi=10.25969/mediarep/19008}}</ref><ref name=":27">{{Cite book |last=Sotamaa |first=Olli |url=https://researchportal.tuni.fi/en/publications/the-players-game-towards-understanding-player-production-among-co |title=The Player's Game: Towards Understanding Player Production Among Computer Game Cultures |date=2009 |publisher=Tampere University Press |isbn=978-951-44-7650-1 |pages=91-9891–98 |language=English}}</ref>

===Total conversion===<!-- This section is linked from [[First-person shooter]] -->