Game modding is massively popular on PCs, with some games receiving their most engaging content through community developed mods. Game developers have recognized mod popularity and have even taken steps to include certain widely used mods in official console games like the house mods in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Special Edition. However, mods are created by a variety of people with different skills and backgrounds that don’t always get together to work on larger projects. Publisher Electronic Arts is looking into a patent for a mod distribution system that may make it easier for mods of EA games to be made and used.
Electronic Arts has had a few franchises that have received fan-made mods over the years. Both Battlefield 2142 and Battlefield 3 have seen modders creating unique add-ons that enhance gameplay, and some recent mods for EA’s Star Wars Battlefront 2 add characters from The Mandalorian. These mods have all been fan-made and won’t be found all in one place. But if Electronic Arts decides to use some of the technology described in this patent, future mods for EA games could be more readily available for anyone who wants to use them.
Patent text is always dense and tends to repeat the same phrases over and over, but there are some interesting details in this Electronic Arts patent concerning what could be a base for user-friendly mods. This base could hold mod information for different mods and allow potential users easy access to them without having to download a development kit or source data from the original game. There is also some information that indicates that this mod distribution system would possibly provide some “legitimate tools” to be used in further mod creation for EA games in the system.
While these editing tools will most likely be limited to EA game mods, it doesn’t mean that users won’t find a way to take advantage of these tools outside of the EA database. Modders have always managed to find ways to manipulate game code legally or otherwise, which puts an interesting spin on this patent’s function. If the intent behind this Electronic Arts patent is not only to make an accessible mod database but also to have this database as security protection from future modders, this system could backfire.
A mod distribution system might seem like a good idea to some, but others may see this as an attempt to corporatize creation from the community. Websites like Nexus Mods provide modding packages and files for games from numerous developers without ties to one company. EA may need to consider the route taken by CD Projekt Red, which ultimately released official modding support tools for Cyberpunk 2077.
Source: USPTO
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