One of the major appeals of PC games is the ability to modify or ‘mod’ the games themselves. This is a process whereby the player can change the characters appearances, voice, music, landscape and even alter the gameplay itself. Modding is an industry unto itself with thousands upon thousands of mods produced by fans and enthusiasts and pros too. Some mods are simple things like changing a character’s appearance but some mods are total conversions whereby the entire game is altered and sometimes to the point of creating a new game altogether.
Fans love the modding. Entire websites and networks are built just to accommodate the modding community. High brand shelf games have become greater legends because fans could change things around. The Star Wars games in particular. Players that always wanted to be Jedi Knights can mod some games to make the lead character look like them and sound like them. The modders can add family and friends and their own soundtracks, sometimes composed by themselves.
Now what has this got to do with PC games in regard to the console games? Everything. Many modders have done such spectacular jobs they’ve gone on to careers in the video game industry. Some becoming legends in both the fandom and profession. It’s this cooperation that has saved many a career and launched major extra sales in big brand games and launched obscure games into stardom.
However, not all is going well as some companies don’t want modding. They’re being stingy and blocking fans from tweaking the games. It’s gotten so bad that fans are dropping games that do so. Some even boycott such games. Modding can turn a game that has gotten boring into dozens of new games and a continued and growing fan base such as with Half Life 2 and the GTA series. These games will never die as long as they make PCs because fans can’t stop playing them.
It’s good training ground that has young people studying and learning way ahead of their educational curve and they learn about business and marketing as well.
So games for the PC should include some modding options but it’s understandable if some companies are afraid of their properties getting ripped off but that’s the way of the game.