Monday, 29 June 2009
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User-Generated Content: A Gift or a Curse?
Left 4 Dead creation tools are coming out next week!
That means instead of Valve releasing new campaign adventures they're leaving it to us -- the users -- to create our own content. Luke Plunkett over at Kotaku says: "Of course, cynics may point to this as an attempt by Valve to silence the angry mob upset at the impending release of Left 4 Dead 2, and keep them happy with user-generated add-ons rather than official ones. Those cynics are welcome to their opinion; I'm of the belief that with these tools the mod community can come up with stuff just as good, if not better than anything Valve can come up with."
Right now, I'm cautiously optimistic that Mr. Plunkett is right. This Left4Dead version of Raccoon City from Resident Evil 3 is a prime example of what someone with a lot of patience and talent can do with the game's engine. I imagine a whole series of Resident Evil-by-way-of-L4D remakes - Tyrants instead of Tanks, Lickers instead of Smokers! Custom Claire Redfield and Leon S. Kennedy skins! Aw, the fanboy bones in me tremble.
On the flip side, user-generated content is at the mercy of... the users. Simply, users are not professional game designers. With Valve, we're guaranteed a quality product. With Joe Somebody, it's the luck of the draw and the luck is usually pretty bad. Just look at YouTube.
Okay, that's not fair. Look at LittleBigPlanet. I tired of that game quickly once I exhausted all the decent user-made levels. That took about an afternoon, then I went on to play more polished games designed by - yes, game designers! Man, I'm still waiting for that game to revolutionize gaming like everyone thought it would.
Or who knows? Maybe an enterprising team of modders will give us the zombie equivalent of Counter-Strike that we can play for years to come. After all, it's up to you.Where do you stand on user-generated content?
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About the Author
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- From: Riskbreaker
- Name: Riskbreaker
- About Me: Tim loves film, running and good 'ol conversation. Oh, and video games. Enjoy his writing why don't you!
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Comments (6)
Sounds like the "use-map-settings" from SC. Sometimes you get a good game, but usually, they're nothing special.
I believe in looking on forums to see what user-generated content is good so that I don't have to sift through everything myselfI think go for it. There may be some very talented people creating these things. The law of large numbers would seem to imply that having thousands of people creating content will create, among all the junk, a few things that are better than anything the company could have created.
i think it's cool! as long as the game developers aren't lazy and leave it ALL to be user generated after some cursory easy stages
@aznspartan94@xanga - Ooh, forgot all about the Starcraft user maps. Judging by that model, I guess we can expect plenty of Final Fantasy VII campaigns for L4D now.
i like user generated content. luckily the good mods and stuff are not that hard to find, especially in the pile of garbage. it just takes a little time to find it.
this post makes me wana play L4D.... =\ the original way.