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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-container'> <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> <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/cheats/" title="Unreal+Tournament+III cheats &amp; 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/cheats/" title="Unreal+Tournament+III cheats &amp; 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

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