What happened to user-created mods?

[96Firebird]

I'm remembering back when Trauma Studios came out with Desert Combat, the POE team came out with Point of Existence, etc... Even the custom maps made for COD:MW. Maybe I am just out of the loop, but are these days long gone? I haven't heard of any mods for BC2, nor MW2 or Black Ops. Are the days of user-created mods gone with the wind?

 

[Red Storm]

If you limit your scope strictly to the top few most popular shooters, then yes, it would appear that modding is dead. However, PC gaming is so much more than those 3 games, and there is plenty of modding going on to this day, even for games released years and years ago.

 

[96Firebird]

I realize there are still mods for the older games, but why not the new ones? It seemed to me, when BF2 came out, there were mods already in the works a month after release. BC2 has been out a year now and there is nothing. Perhaps the devs didn't release an SDK, like I said I haven't really been reading up on this. But if that is the reason, why not release one? It seems mods only help to popularize a game...

 

[biostud]

It's our AAA title don't make free stuff for it, how else can we sell lots of overpriced expansions?

 

[Red Storm]

I realize there are still mods for the older games, but why not the new ones? It seemed to me, when BF2 came out, there were mods already in the works a month after release. BC2 has been out a year now and there is nothing. Perhaps the devs didn't release an SDK, like I said I haven't really been reading up on this. But if that is the reason, why not release one? It seems mods only help to popularize a game...

Again, you're only mentioning a few popular multiplayer shooters.

Mods are most prevalent in the RPG and RTS scene, but you can find them in all kinds of PC games both new and old.

I guess what you're really asking is why the new shooters don't have as big a mod scene as some of the older ones? To that I don't know what to say, as the only FPS I really play is Team Fortress 2, and it's modding community is alive and well.

 

[gorcorps]

Bethesda games seem to be modded to high heavens. Just Cause 2 has several mods people like. I've seen videos of several L4D2 mods.

I don't see what you're seeing. Mods are everywhere.

 

[Elcs]

Cities in Motion has several mods and it was released on 22nd Feb this year...

One quick example I can think of, besides the Dawn of War 2 mods (2009/2010 game with the latest one being released this week, 1st-4th)

 

[paperfist]

Cities in Motion has several mods and it was released on 22nd Feb this year...

One quick example I can think of, besides the Dawn of War 2 mods (2009/2010 game with the latest one being released this week, 1st-4th)

Can you share some?

I have it installed, but haven't had time to play it

 

[96Firebird]

I guess what you're really asking is why the new shooters don't have as big a mod scene as some of the older ones? To that I don't know what to say, as the only FPS I really play is Team Fortress 2, and it's modding community is alive and well.

Yeah I guess that is more of what I am asking, thanks for clarifying. However, I will be looking into the other mods pointed out in this thread. I'm not into RTS or RPG, but I do have Just Cause 2 and enjoyed it a lot.

 

[Vdubchaos]

Modding is happening....we have come to a day and age where "popular/overhyped" games are no longer relevant to PC gaming community (even if they really sell well).

I always say this, Sales #s don't mean ANYTHING and certainly don't define how great the game is.

Toyota Camry is a perfect example of this, just because it sells well doesn't mean it's GREAT.

Sales # only have a meaning to CEOs and Wall street/Shareholders....NOTHING else

 

[mindcycle]

http://www.moddb.com/

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Companies realizeed if they made their games unmoddable they could charge 5-15$ for what people were willing to make for free out of love of their game.

 

[lozina]

Paradox games are always heavily modded, and even sometimes on new development they utilize stuff from user mods - such as the map they used in Victoria 2 was for the most part from a user made mod. And on top of that some of those modders also get called in to help beta test or even alpha test the game, some of whom become regular contributors with scripting, research and/or graphics.

Very neat to see the progression and the great cooperation there

 

[96Firebird]

Thats what happened to Trauma Studios. They were bought by DICE for work on BF2, but then they shut it down soon after.

 

[Dumac]

STALKER has a lot of mods as well, iirc.

 

[motsm]

More games are getting locked down internally than they used to, so if no SDK is released, which is also rarer these days, modding will be nearly impossible. Not to mention more online games lack LAN or even dedicated servers, so there's no real modding potential there either.