With the launch of the 360, I made the transition from PC gamer to console gamer, and I haven't looked back. While there are definite advantages to PC gaming in terms of graphics and customizablity, to me, the ease and consistency of console gaming is much more important than the benefits PC gaming offers. I'm glad to be able to just play without having to think about the difference between system requirements and system recommendations, whether my graphics card is compatible, whether the install will screw up my system registry, etc. But, on the negative side of the ledger, I miss mods a lot. So Valve's plan/vision to bring user-created levels and mission to the 360 version of Left 4 Dead is tantalizing to me. It's the best of both zombie-filled-worlds.
"Just put all the PC mods up on Live!" I've thought to myself (I have a rich inner life.) Apparently, it isn't that simple. According to Valve's Chet Faliszek, mods currently aren't "standard" enough to run consistently on the 360, or even lower-end PC.
"One of the problems now when you look at a lot of the mods that are made is they can't run on low-end PCs, they can't even run on mid-end PCs often - they can only run on high-end PCs. They can't run on Xbox 360," Faliszek said.
This doesn't mean it's not going to happen, of course. Bringing mods to the 360 is still in Valve's sights. Faliszek says the company is planning to work with the mod community, maybe at some point after Left 4 Dead 2 comes out on November 17th.
"The coolest thing we could ever do would be to take something that was made by the community and share it with everybody - including Xbox 360 owners," Faliszek said. "How that happens and what work needs to be done is a little bit complicated."
Complicated for the 360, but, apparently, not the PlayStation 3. As far as I know, the only console game that has thus far allowed for user-made mods is Unreal Tournament III
<span class="tooltip-content">
<span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper active' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab xbox-360'></span></span>
<span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab PS3'></span></span>
<span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab PC'></span></span>
<span class='tooltip-active tooltip2 xbox-360'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/31133/unreal-tournament-iii/index/" title="Unreal+Tournament+III">Unreal Tournament III</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul>
<li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/31133/unreal-tournament-iii/news/" title="Unreal+Tournament+III news">News</a></h6> (10)</li>
<li><h6>Previews</h6></li>
<li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/31133/unreal-tournament-iii/review/" title="Unreal+Tournament+III review">Review</a></h6></li>
</ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul>
<li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/31133/unreal-tournament-iii/videos/" title="Unreal+Tournament+III videos">Videos</a></h6> (14)</li>
<li><h6>Screenshots</h6></li>
<li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/31133/unreal-tournament-iii/screenshots-and-images/" title="Unreal+Tournament+III cheats & walkthroughs">Cheats and Walkthroughs</a></h6> (50)</li>
</ul>
</span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span>
<span class='tooltip2 PS3'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/31347/unreal-tournament-iii/index/" title="Unreal+Tournament+III">Unreal Tournament III</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul>
<li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/31347/unreal-tournament-iii/news/" title="Unreal+Tournament+III news">News</a></h6> (6)</li>
<li><h6>Previews</h6></li>
<li><h6>Review</h6></li>
</ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul>
<li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/31347/unreal-tournament-iii/videos/" title="Unreal+Tournament+III videos">Videos</a></h6> (14)</li>
<li><h6>Screenshots</h6></li>
<li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/31347/unreal-tournament-iii/screenshots-and-images/" title="Unreal+Tournament+III cheats & walkthroughs">Cheats and Walkthroughs</a></h6> (57)</li>
</ul>
</span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span>
<span class='tooltip2 PC'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/31134/unreal-tournament-iii/index/" title="Unreal+Tournament+III">Unreal Tournament III</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul>
<li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/31134/unreal-tournament-iii/news/" title="Unreal+Tournament+III news">News</a></h6> (11)</li>
<li><h6>Previews</h6></li>
<li><h6>Review</h6></li>
</ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul>
<li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/31134/unreal-tournament-iii/videos/" title="Unreal+Tournament+III videos">Videos</a></h6> (9)</li>
<li><h6>Screenshots</h6></li>
<li><h6>Cheats and Walkthroughs</h6></li>
</ul>
</span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span>
</span><div class="arrow"></div>
for the PS3. Okay, it didn't exactly set the world on fire, but it's a first.
I have never played around with UT III's mods, but Patrick Klepek tells me that while some of the user made content is pretty cool, the lack of a filtering/rating system for mods means you'll be doing a lot of sorting of FPS chaff before finding the gaming wheat. It's not mentioned in the article, but you have to figure Valve's Left 4 Dead 2 mod plan is different than UT III's policy of "just put up whatever people make!"
How do you feel about mods? Are you looking forward to Left 4 Dead 2 mods hitting your console, or are you content to stick with the (excellent, no doubt) material Valve plans to release?
Source: Computer and Video Games
Got a news tip, response, compliment, insult or comment? Send me an email and subscribe to my twitter feed!
Comments
Displaying 1–16 of 16
UltraViolence74
80% of mods I've played are done wrong, glitchy or add nothing.
Just drop the top 5 or 10 mods online.... if it's possible.
gamersince1995
i need mods for my PC!!!! to tell the truth left4dead 1 has the better graphics on my cpu and IM NOT PLANNING TO SPEND 500$ JUST TO UPGRADE!
gamermoney
I've never played any left4dead..maybe since i'm not a pc gamer or a 360 owner but if the mods are anything like ut3 ones or better then 360 owners, get ready to let your imagination run wild
randomslagathor
i would love mods on xbox live
Metalstorm98
uhhh mods... brings up bad memories of glitchy starcraft maps.... i for one will remain on the consumer side here... as my previous undertakings in personally built levels (Starcraft, Age of Empires 2+3) have all been fails... like epic fails... but hey if someone can make something worth while im up for it
Soulninjax7
umm what! console games always have better graphics than their PC counterparts nowadays as well as better control
greyfish7
plenty of quality co-op campaigns up on l4dmaps. i'd love to see some of em on my 360. and I dont care if MS charges for em, so long as the modders get a cut.
Anthoni
They should code an xbox360 debug graph into the PC version so mappers can know how their maps perform on the 360. Or have testing via windows -> xbox link.
FadelessSquare
i would love mods on 360 (i had the pc left 4 dead frist but steam account got hacked) but we all know M$ would make us pay 250 point's to get one map and i'm not going to do that.
kangy3
oh man if they put the teletubby mod on there i will download it, only to overcome my fear of teletubbies.
Mobsterband
Two words,level editor. That would be sweet for the 360 but we know thats not going to happen
Kallazar
I have left PC gaming for the exact same reason that the article has listed. My system is now out-of-date and can't handle the newer games that come out. I wanted to put L4D on my PC, but I have a laptop and it can't handle the game. I only wanted to put it on the PC because of all the extra content that would be put out there for it. If mods could end up on the 360, that would be great.
Though I am sure that it would cost me a lot of money to access the content on the 360.
onikinou
is controls even an argument? how can you beat mouse aiming? you can't.
Adam_Phoenix
I'm still waiting for the Team Fortress 2 updates on the 360 Valve said they were going to implement lol(bah, not holding my breath anymore, wishful thinking...)
AnomalyOfMax
I want modz
GuN_Shinobi
I completely agree with Mobsterband. Level editors for the 360 would be sweet. Maybe they can do something like the Farcry 2 level editor for the 360 version of the game... (*hopes Valve will take this into consideration, even as a DLC)
Displaying 1–16 of 16
Add a Comment