MODs are one of the richest sources of User-Generated Content (UGC) in gaming.(According to Noyes and Feagin (2023), The Open Problems of Onchain Games.) Game developers empower users to create new content for games by providing them with tools. Creators who publish MODs on platforms are commonly known as Modders. Modders earn revenue by selling their MODs on these platforms, and the platforms also take a cut. For instance, since its inception in 2017, Minecraft Marketplace has earned $350 million in revenue, with half of it (about $175 million) going to Modders. Additionally, Steam Workshop generated $50 million in revenue in its second year (2015). On platforms like Steam Workshop, creating mods can indeed be profitable. Mod creators can set their own prices for their MODs. The market conversion rate for game modding is very high. Research shows that if you create mods, shaders, or tools for popular games, more than half of the free users are willing to pay an average of $5.47 per month; each top modder averages 5,300 paying members.

MODs have formed a unique and mature ecosystem in the UGC field of gaming and have become a reliable source of income. With the tools provided by game developers, users can create and publish their own MODs, enriching the gaming content and experience. These MODs not only enhance player interaction and community vitality but also provide economic returns for creators.

Host Games for MODs:

High Freedom + Physics Engine Driven

Gary's MOD:

     Key Phrase: Unlimited Freedom

GMod is a sandbox game primarily focused on open-ended gameplay, often without linear missions. The game offers scenes, objects, and tools that allow players to unleash their creativity in this environment. Players can create mechanisms or assemble objects, generate NPCs and engage in various interactive experiments with them, and also capture their own pictures and animations, which is a beloved feature of GMod.

With the powerful and diverse tool gun in GMod, players can arrange ideal scenes in the environment, set the poses and expressions of creatures, easily achieving serious, cool, or humorous expressions. Additionally, the game offers visual effects like halos, depth of field, and motion blur, allowing players to create stunning visual effects without the need for software like Adobe Photoshop.

Minecraft:

Key Phrases: High Freedom, Procedurally Generated, RPG

"Minecraft" is a highly free open-world game that sets no specific game objectives, offering players immense freedom within the game. The game supports first-person perspective and can also be switched to third-person view. Its core gameplay mainly involves breaking and placing various 3D pixel blocks, representing different materials such as dirt, stone, minerals, water, and trees. Players can freely explore in a procedurally generated world that is nearly infinite, containing diverse biomes like deserts, jungles, snowfields, plains, mountains, and oceans. "Minecraft" follows the day-night cycle of the real world, with one day roughly corresponding to 20 minutes. In this world, players encounter various non-player characters, including friendly animals (such as cows, pigs, chickens, etc.) and hostile monsters (like spiders, skeletons, zombies, etc.). These creatures can provide players with food or raw materials. Dark areas in the game, like caves, are where hostile creatures often appear.

Moderate to Low Freedom + Physics Engine Driven MOD

GTA5:

     Key Phrase: Extending Based on an Already Established World

     Mods in GTA5:

1. Celebrity Life Simulator: This mod allows players to experience the glamorous yet sometimes chaotic life of a celebrity.

2. Space Colonization Ambition: This mod extends the universe of "GTA 6" into outer space, enabling players to engage in space exploration.

3. Stealth Ninja Skills: This mod lets players take on the role of a ninja, completing various missions.

4. Time Warp Abilities: This mod allows players to manipulate time in various ways, including slowing down and reversing time.

5. Supernatural Encounters: This mod adds supernatural activities and encounters to the game, including ghost appearances and haunted locations.

6. Dynamic Bounty System: This mod enhances the bounty system in "GTA 6", offering a more realistic bounty hunter experience.

7. Gang War Simulation: This mod brings gang warfare to the streets of "GTA 6", allowing players to join different gangs.

Low Freedom + Value-Driven MOD

DOTA:

Key Phrases: Numerical Values, Inherits Warcraft III's Character Backstories, New Game Form - MOBA

DOTA: "DOTA" (Defense of the Ancients) was initially developed by a community member "Eul," and later significantly improved and balanced by "IceFrog." Eul created the first version of DOTA using the "Warcraft III" editor, while IceFrog introduced new hero designs and game balancing elements.

Games Derived from Warcraft III:

It all started with the establishment of Lordaeron.

The "Warcraft" series, especially "Warcraft III" (Warcraft III), created a deep fantasy world through its comprehensive universe and diverse characters. This world includes a variety of races such as humans, orcs, elves, dwarves, trolls, and the undead, along with their intricate relationships and conflicts. This universe not only influenced "World of Warcraft" (World of Warcraft) but also laid the foundation for many derivative games and game modes.

1. Origin of DOTA: The numerical model and design of "DOTA" (Defense of the Ancients) were initially developed by a community member named "Eul," and later significantly improved and balanced by "IceFrog." Eul created the first version of DOTA using the map editor of "Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne," and IceFrog's involvement brought more hero design and game balance improvements, making it the most influential version. DOTA's design focused on deep strategy and competitiveness, covering hero attributes, skills, item effects, and more. Community feedback played a crucial role in the game's development, influencing its updates and balance. Overall, the development of DOTA is a result of community members' collective efforts, having a profound impact on the MOBA game genre.

2. Extension of World of Warcraft: The story and universe of "Warcraft III" directly provided the blueprint for the creation of "World of Warcraft." "World of Warcraft" not only expanded the storylines of "Warcraft III" but also further enriched this universe, adding new regions, characters, and stories.

3. Auto Chess and Other Derivative Games: Auto Chess originally appeared as a custom game mode for "DOTA 2," which is based on the concept of DOTA from "Warcraft III." Thus, even though Auto Chess differs significantly in gameplay from the original "Warcraft" series, its creation is still indirectly influenced by the "Warcraft" universe.

"Warcraft III" (Warcraft III) acts like a host, or one could say, the foundation for many subsequent games. The universe and game mechanics it established led to the creation of a series of different types of games, such as DOTA, DOTA2, various Tower Defense (TD) games, Role-Playing Games (RPGs), and even "World of Warcraft". The game mechanics established in "Warcraft III" provided a solid foundation for the creators of subsequent games. Taking DOTA as an example, it heavily relies on many core mechanics from "Warcraft III," such as heroes' attack animation windup and wind down, different types of attacks (physical, magical, holy) and their interaction with various armors, as well as the leveling system. Overall, "Warcraft III" is not only a successful game in its own right but also a cornerstone for the innovation and development of countless subsequent games.

MODs in AW

Before discussing the concept of AW (Autonomous Worlds), it's essential to understand four key concepts:

1. World: A world is a container that holds entities and rules. Not all rules and entities can form a world; a coherent world requires consistent and coherent rules that serve a common goal.(Gubsheep (2023) presents THE STRONGEST CRYPTO GAMING THESIS: Gaming as a Threshold for Crypto Apps)

2. Diegesis: This is a descriptive term used to denote that if an entity belongs to a particular world, it is diegetic to that world.

3. Introduction Rule: A world needs introduction rules to determine whether an entity belongs to it.

4. Diegetic Boundary: Some worlds do not have strict diegetic boundaries and are dynamic; they rely on a common goal to attract or repel entities. These are referred to as worlds with soft diegetic boundaries. In contrast, the universe, physics, code, and mathematics represent hard diegetic boundaries. For example, "Gary's Mod" is a MOD creator (world creator) with a soft diegetic boundary, whereas the "Warcraft III" editor is a MOD creator (world creator) with a hard diegetic boundary. (2,3,4 from Ludens presents THE CASE FOR AUTONOMOUS WORLDS: Blockchains as World Technology by LUDENS)

For physics engine-based sandbox games like "Gary's Mod" and "Minecraft," although they offer vast creative space, blockchain technology does not bring a qualitative leap to them. On the contrary, "Warcraft III" is an ideal host game. It not only has a rich universe and characters, providing MOD creators with a vast space for creation, but its core game mechanics also serve as an excellent template for deriving RPGs, TDs, MMORPGs, and even new game genres like MOBAs and Auto Chess. Under the AW framework, for instance, the introduction rules for heroes in "Warcraft III" include specific attributes, skills, and armor. However, the numerical logic and game content of "Warcraft III" are controlled by Blizzard, and despite the existence of an editor, the creativity of MOD creators is still limited. This limitation is one of the reasons Valve chose the Source engine to create "DOTA2." From this perspective, the openness in logic and values brought by blockchain technology could bring a qualitative leap to host games like "Warcraft III."

Conclusion

One important form of AW will manifest as host games. These host games provide not only an imaginative universe, clear introduction rules, and distinct narrative boundaries, but also a creative birthplace for MOD creators. On such a foundation, creators can freely weave various MODs or even build new game worlds from scratch. Introducing a creator economy model will inject continuous vitality and innovative power into the games, heralding a new era in gaming. This prospect is exciting and unprecedented.

Acknowledgments:

Thanks to my partner Mark, and my colleagues Justin and Jay, for their discussions and review. Also, thanks to all those who have discussed AW with me.

References:

1. Feagin, Doug, and Charlie Noyes. "The Open Problems of Onchain Games." Paradigm, 14 Aug. 2023, https://www.paradigm.xyz/2023/08/onchain-games. Accessed 16 January 2024.

2. Gubsheep. "THE STRONGEST CRYPTO GAMING THESIS: Gaming as a Threshold for Crypto Apps." Feb. 2023.

3. LayzFuzzy. "How to Earn Twenty Thousand Dollars a Month from Overseas MODs." Indienova, 2023, https://indienova.com/u/layzfuzzy/blogread/34800. Accessed 18 January 2024.

4. Ludens. "THE CASE FOR AUTONOMOUS WORLDS: Blockchains as World Technology."