• DOI:10.1177/1555412009359765
• Corpus ID: 59364177

When the Game Is Not Enough: Motivations and Practices Among Computer Game Modding Culture

@article{Sotamaa2010WhenTG,
  title={When the Game Is Not Enough: Motivations and Practices Among Computer Game Modding Culture},
  author={Olli Sotamaa},
  journal={Games and Culture},
  year={2010},
  volume={5},
  pages={239 - 255}
}

• Olli Sotamaa
• Published 7 May 2010
• Business
• Games and Culture

The actual meanings computer game modders attach to their actions and practices remain heavily underresearched. This article takes a look at the attitudes and everyday practices of the people who make game modifications, with special focus on the forms and consequences of collaboration between hobbyists. The case discussed in the article is the shooter-game Operation Flashpoint (OFP) and the modding scene around it. The article proposes that there is no such thing as an average computer game modder. It is suggested that the distinctions can be drawn based on the objective of projects (missions, add-ons, mods), modder motivations (playing, hacking, researching, self-expression, cooperation), and notions on the ownership and potential commercialization of their work. Given the forecasts concerning the growing significance of player-made content, this study can offer some down-to-earth findings from the long established tradition of game modding.