Modding: gaming's love language
A community where you can find some of the most passionate and talented gamers
Hello,
Sorry for no article last week. It was my birthday, and I needed a much-needed break from things. Now we’re back and better than ever.
Today we’re talking about modding, the act of customizing a game or game hardware to make a differentiated game experience. The legality of it is a grey area, but it is definitely a community that brands should pay attention to. Gamers involved in the community are ultra engaged in what goes on within it.
Unofficial Patching
A patch is the closest thing video games have to proofreading. They don’t change the core experience of a game, but they do smooth out the rough edges it might have.
An unofficial patch is when normal people fix game bugs that the developer missed or translate games into languages that they weren’t officially released in. It’s a scummy move by developers to release an unfinished product, but fans will sometimes come to the rescue. It has helped games like Mass Effect: Andromeda, Fallout 76, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim go from mediocre to great.
Modders usually make these with little fanfare which is a shame, because some patches have been downloaded millions of times.
Game Hacking
Game hacking is a step up from an unofficial patch. Instead of improving smaller things, it is when players change core aspects of a game’s experience. It’s the ultimate creative way for a modder to tell a story.
People have added their own characters to games, changed the themes and settings of games, and created whole new sections for existing games. Popular franchises like Pokemon have hundreds of fan made hacks.
Making a hack takes a lot of time and effort, but for the creators that make them it’s worth it. It lets them hone their game making skills, pay homage to something they love, and the people who play them are usually super supportive.
Physical Modding
Physical modding is when people modify the hardware they use to play games. Think controllers, and game consoles. Physical mods can be as simple as applying a bit of paint, or as complex as taking the whole console apart and putting it into an entirely new casing.
Hardcore fans use physical mods to stylize their consoles and make fun gimmicks. It adds personalization to a mass-marketed product. The best ones show up at auctions and sell for much higher than a console’s average retail price.
What to take away:
Modding is a labor of love. There are some super talented people who are doing some amazing work for free. Brands should celebrate and tap into the community when they can.
What’s to stop a paint brand from sponsoring a hard modder’s next project, an eyeglasses brand from promoting graphical patches, or a brand from making their own hacked experience of a popular game.
Gaming news that caught my eye:
Engadget: The popular rapper, Logic, is going from the studio to the couch. He’s releasing his last album today, and just signed a 7 figure deal with Twitch to stream games exclusively on their platform.
Kotaku: A sex worker has turned to Animal Crossing to pay the bills. For 20 dollars, customers can spend 30 minutes on her island. It’s an interesting way for people to fill their need for human connection.
Washington Post: The US army discontinued its esports program after viewers kept asking about war crimes in their video game live stream. Ooft. I guess I need to change the subhead of my article about them.
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