Editing Video game modding (section)

{{Short description|Modification of a video game}}
{{Video game industry}}

'''Video game modding''' (short for "modifying") is the process of alteration by players or fans of one or more aspects of a [[video game]],<ref name=Poor>{{cite journal |last1=Poor |first1=Nathaniel |title=Computer game modders' motivations and sense of community: A mixed-methods approach |journal=[[New Media & Society]] |date=24 September 2013 |volume=16 |issue=8 |pages=1249–1267 |doi=10.1177/1461444813504266|s2cid=39280896}}</ref> such as how it looks or behaves, and is a sub-discipline of general ''[[modding]]''. A set of modifications, commonly called a '''''mod''''', may range from small changes and tweaks to complete overhauls, and can extend the replay value and interest of the game.

Modding a game can also be understood as the act of seeking and installing mods to the player's game,<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Olson|first1=Cheryl K.|last2=Kutner|first2=Lawrence A.|last3=Warner|first3=Dorothy E.|last4=Almerigi|first4=Jason B.|last5=Baer|first5=Lee|last6=Nicholi|first6=Armand M.|last7=Beresin|first7=Eugene V.|title=Factors Correlated with Violent Video Game Use by Adolescent Boys and Girls|journal=[[Journal of Adolescent Health]]|date=July 2007|volume=41|issue=1|pages=77–83|doi=10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.01.001|pmid=17577537}}</ref> but the act of tweaking pre-existing settings and preferences is not truly modding.<ref name=Poor/>

Mods have arguably become an increasingly important factor in the commercial success of some games, as they add depth to the original work,<ref name="auto3">{{cite journal|last1=Postigo|first1=Hector|title=Of Mods and Modders|journal=[[Games and Culture]]|date=October 2007|volume=2|issue=4|pages=300–313|doi=10.1177/1555412007307955|s2cid=143727901}}</ref> and can be both fun for players playing the mods and as a means of self-expression for mod developers.<ref name=Olli2010/>

People can become fans of specific mods, in addition to fans of the game they are for, such as requesting features and alterations for these mods.<ref name=Olli2010/> In cases where mods are very popular, players might have to clarify that they are referring to the unmodified game when talking about playing a game. The term ''[[Vanilla software|vanilla]]'' is often used to make this distinction. "Vanilla ''[[Minecraft]]''", for example, refers to the original, unmodified game.

As early as the 1980s, video game mods have also been used for the sole purpose of creating art, as opposed to an actual game. This can include recording in-game actions as a film, as well as attempting to reproduce real-life areas inside a game with no regard for game play value. This has led to the rise of [[Video game art|artistic video game modification]], as well as [[machinima]] and the [[demoscene]].

Popular games can have tens of thousands of mods created for them.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dey |first1=Tapajit |last2=Massengill |first2=Jacob Logan |last3=Mockus |first3=Audris |title=Proceedings of the 2016 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play Companion Extended Abstracts |chapter=Analysis of Popularity of Game Mods |date=16 October 2016 |pages=133–139 |doi=10.1145/2968120.2987724 |isbn=978-1-4503-4458-6 |s2cid=12003615}}</ref>