I
s Black Mesa (see p70) a game or a mod? This conundrum
has been bouncing around my head ever since I
finished Crowbar Collective’s incredible remake of
Half-Life. What started out as an absurd pipe dream in 2004
is now a complete redesign of Valve’s masterpiece in the
latest version of the Source engine. It includes an entirely
rebuilt Black Mesa Facility, and a new version of Xen that’s
massively expanded and reimagined.
Given the extent of the work involved, alongside the fact that
it’s available on Steam for £14.99, it’s reasonable
to ask, is Black Mesa really a mod any more? On
the other hand, is calling it a game unfair to the
legion of modders who have worked so hard
across the years to bring this remake into fruition?
Does it even matter? Well, the difference
between mods and games has been contentious
in the past. You only need look back to the paid
mods fiasco of 2015, where Steam and Bethesda
introduced (and then very quickly retracted)
a small number of purchasable mods on Skyrim’s Steam
workshop. The community reacted furiously, on the basis
that mods are enthusiast productions, which should always
be free, and that such a move by Bethesda would open the
floodgates to developers cashing in on their communities.
Regardless of whether Bethesda and Valve were right or
wrong, the line between mod and game is clearly significant,
but that line is also often vaguer than most think. A classic
example is Counter-Strike. It’s one of the biggest multiplayer
games in the world, but it started as a simple mod for Half-Life,
taking the technology and tools of that game and creatingan entirely distinct experience. This is a fairly well-known
story, but by the same logic, one could also argue that Half-
Life is simply a mod for Quake. Half-Life runs on GoldSrc, a
heavily modified version of the Quake engine that Valve
licensed from id.
It may seem absurd to call Half-Life a mod, but what exactly
is it that makes Half-Life more worthy of the ‘game’ definition
than Counter-Strike? We talk about games as if they’re somehow
more significant than mods, yet many mods are responsible
for some of the most significant shifts in the
game industry. For a relatively recent example,
look at DayZ – a mod for ArmA 2, which took its
military-sim setting and altered it into a gritty
zombie survival game. Alongside Minecraft,
DayZ was one of the key titles that influenced
the rise of the survival game.
But DayZ’s influence was even more far-
reaching – it was so popular that it ended up
generating its own modding community. One of
these sub-mods was called DayZ: Battle Royale. This became
so popular that its creator, Brendan Greene (known online
as ‘PlayerUnknown’), decided to create a standalone game
named PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, one of the most
popular games of the past couple of years. And Battlegrounds,
of course, was the main inspiration for Fortnite.
In other words, you can trace an entire shift in how people
play to a single mod for a relatively niche military sim. I’m still
not sure how you define the line between mods and games,
but I know that PC gaming would be a very difference place
without mods.Games
Rick Lane is Custom PC’s games editor @Rick_Lane
RICK LANE / INVERSE LOOK
MOD CONS
What’s the difference between a mod and a game?
Rick Lane explores the impact of modding on PC gamingIt may seem absurd to
call Half-Life a mod,
but what makes it
more of a ‘game’ than
Counter-Strike?I
s Black Mesa (seep70)a gameora mod?Thisconundrum
has been bouncingaroundmyheadeversinceI
finished CrowbarCollective’sincredibleremakeof
Half-Life. What startedoutasanabsurdpipedreamin 2004
is now a complete redesignofValve’smasterpieceinthe
latest version of theSourceengine.Itincludesanentirely
rebuilt Black Mesa Facility,anda newversionofXenthat’s
massively expandedandreimagined.
Given the extent of theworkinvolved,alongsidethefactthat
it’s available on Steamfor£14.99,it’sreasonable
to ask, is Black Mesa reallya modanymore?On
the other hand, is callingit a gameunfairtothe
legion of modders whohaveworkedsohard
across the years to bringthisremakeintofruition?
Does it even matter?Well,thedifference
between mods and gameshasbeencontentious
in the past. You only needlookbacktothepaid
mods fiasco of 2015, whereSteamandBethesda
introduced (and thenveryquicklyretracted)
a small number of purchasable mods on Skyrim’s Steam
workshop. The community reacted furiously, on the basis
that mods are enthusiast productions, which should always
be free, and that such a move by Bethesda would open the
floodgates to developers cashing in on their communities.
Regardless of whether Bethesda and Valve were right or
wrong, the line between mod and game is clearly significant,
but that line is also often vaguer than most think. A classic
example is Counter-Strike. It’s one of the biggest multiplayer
games in the world, but it started as a simple mod for Half-Life,
taking the technology and tools of that game and creating
anentirelydistinctexperience.Thisisa fairly well-known
story,butbythesamelogic,onecouldalso argue that Half-
Lifeissimplya modforQuake.Half-Life runs on GoldSrc, a
heavilymodifiedversionoftheQuake engine that Valve
licensedfromid.
It mayseemabsurdtocallHalf-Lifea mod, but what exactly
is it thatmakesHalf-Lifemoreworthyof the ‘game’ definition
thanCounter-Strike?Wetalkaboutgames as if they’re somehow
moresignificantthanmods,yetmanymods are responsible
forsomeofthemostsignificant shifts in the
gameindustry.Fora relatively recent example,
lookatDayZ– a modforArmA 2, which took its
military-simsettingandaltered it into a gritty
zombiesurvivalgame.Alongside Minecraft,
DayZwasoneofthekeytitles that influenced
theriseofthesurvivalgame.
ButDayZ’sinfluencewas even more far-
reaching– itwassopopular that it ended up
generatingitsownmodding community. One of
these sub-mods was called DayZ: Battle Royale. This became
so popular that its creator, Brendan Greene (known online
as ‘PlayerUnknown’), decided to create a standalone game
named PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, one of the most
popular games of the past couple of years. And Battlegrounds,
of course, was the main inspiration for Fortnite.
In other words, you can trace an entire shift in how people
play to a single mod for a relatively niche military sim. I’m still
not sure how you define the line between mods and games,
but I know that PC gaming would be a very difference place
without mods.Games
Rick Lane is Custom PC’s games editor @Rick_LaneRICKLANE/INVERSELOOK
MOD CONS
What’s the difference between a mod and a game?
Rick Lane explores the impact of modding on PC gamingIt may seem absurd to
call Half-Life a mod,
but what makes it
more of a ‘game’ than
Counter-Strike?