User-generated Content

[Edward M]

As a PC gamer, I couldn't disagree with you more.    User created mods helped define PC gaming.   Look at halflife. When you look at the stats of what people are playing online, 99 percent of them are playing user mods, and not the original half life death match.   Awesome games like Day of Defeat, Counter Strike, and Team Force classic, made Halflife's online legendary, and helped the game sell over 7 million copies.  Some of those user mods were so successful, they would later become retail games.  On top of that, there were many awesome user created single player episodes to download, with many interesting themes, such as stopping a zombie invasion, or escaping from a space station.  Many of them were as good as the original game.  Infact right now there is a user mod in development for Jedi Knight 2 which is gonna have twice as much content as the original game.

Now UT 2007 is gonna allow user content to be downloadable for free for the PS3, and this can't be anything but a good thing.  I understand that most of the stuff will be created is crap.    But there are review sites that review mods and are able to pick out the cream so people dont have to download myfirstlevel.map.  Many user mods are better than the original game.  If you'd buy halflife for the PC, and download some of the user mods for it, you'd see for yourself.

[ActRaiser1]

[QUOTE=The Video Game Critic]I'd like to debunk a concept that the media is latching onto as the future of video game entertainment, and that is user-generated content (example: LittleBigPlanet).  These games take advantage of the Internet to allow people to share levels they've created with each other.  Some "experts" assume that since sites like Myspace and Youtube have taken off due to user content, this same formula will drive games.

I don't think so.  For the most part, the developers of the game will be able to generate stuff far more compelling than normal players, since they know all the ins and outs of the engine.  What you'll get from typical gamers are either boring, generic stages or extreme, unplayable stages.

Next, video games are now so ubiquitous that they're practically disposable.  People don't need enough content to last them for 10 years.  If a game holds their attention for a few weeks, that's more than enough.

Finally, some game companies have actually contemplated "selling" this user-generated content for extra money.  So they'll sell you the game, make you do all the work, and then sell your own stuff back to you.  Companies are always looking for easy money like that, and it stinks.

I'm not saying user-generated content will be a total flop.  I'm sure some people will find it interesting, but it will not be the new trend. 

I do think that brand new games created by gamers have some potential, which Nintendo is pushing by opening up their architecture.  But I wouldn't bet the house on that one either.

What do you think??

[/QUOTE]

I am so completely against what you just said.  The ability to make a custom map to be shared by other console playing friends is huge!  FarCry was worth it just for that benefit alone.  Sure, alot of maps suck, but alot of maps are fantastic as well.

Now, expand that out to games for the Halo franchise and you've got a game that's expandable even more than it is now.  I've been playing with friends weekly for years on a LAN and if we actually had the ability to create our own maps it would liven things up immensely. 

Now, having said all that unless you're actually online and gaming well the modding community won't do anything for you, as half the fun is sharing what you've put together and experiencing what others have worked on.

[VideoGameCritic]

Umm, guys I was talking strictly in context of console games (as with everything else on this site - duh!).

Yeah, a lot of things are commonplace in the PC world, but that doesn't mean they're going to win over the console crowd.  Remember, gamers continue to desert the PC gaming scene in droves in favor of the consoles.  If you try to force the PC model on console gamers, you'll just turn them off.  You talk about "downloading user mods" to a typical console gamer and their eyes will glaze over.

[Mephisto]

Check out this funny mod for CS:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=asOdrj2-7kI

My buds made it a while ago.

[Edward M]

[QUOTE=The Video Game Critic]Umm, guys I was talking strictly in context of console games (as with everything else on this site - duh!).

Yeah, a lot of things are commonplace in the PC world, but that doesn't mean they're going to win over the console crowd.  Remember, gamers continue to desert the PC gaming scene in droves in favor of the consoles.  If you try to force the PC model on console gamers, you'll just turn them off.  You talk about "downloading user mods" to a typical console gamer and their eyes will glaze over.

[/QUOTE]

I think that if a mod as good as Counter Strike or Team Fortress Classic shows up for Unreal Tournament 3 for the PS3, I'm sure people will download it and install it.   Most mods now have programs that can auto install so it should not be too hard or messy.  I can see user mods on consoles really picking up.   I can't wait for Unreal Tournament 3. The people who don't want to download it won't though.   They shouldn't be disappointed either, because the Unreal games always have a ton of content.

[Mephist]

Unreal III is also coming out for the PC... I'll probably create some mods for it...

[Mephisto]

Yeah, Unreal does have a bunch of content, but think of the mods the PC will be able to provide it with... This will last atleast 150+ hours of gameplay; especially if you play online.

M

[Mephisto]

Ed,

If you come back to this thread I wanted to ask you if there are any online games that you play? If so, want to play sometime? (Games like CS)

M

[Edward M]

[QUOTE=Mephisto]Ed,

If you come back to this thread I wanted to ask you if there are any online games that you play? If so, want to play sometime? (Games like CS)

M


[/QUOTE]

I never was big on Counterstrike, I was more of a Team Fortress and Unreal Tournament kind of guy.  I loved the spy and engineer classes and can't wait for Team Fortress 2.  Too bad if you played as the spy too much, people would catch on.  I just reformatted and haven't installed steam since, but its probably a good time to do so without all the new awesome mods out.   I could play counterstrike, but don't expect me to be any good at it.  Email me if you want to play by clicking on my name.   But not today, im bout ready to go to bed. 

[Mephisto]

I still play the original Unreal & I've heard of Team Fortress and I probably should look into getting it. =)