Chapter 175: User Content

The advancement of communication technology had given Ethan quite a few ideas. 

He had already started thinking about this back when he was developing the online multiplayer functionality. It was just that purchasing and configuring a mainframe really did require careful consideration, so it was not until now that he finally had the opportunity to get started. 

The things Nintendo had done with the FC-Modem were not particularly useful, but they were still worth referencing to a certain extent. 

If they could create a mod-sharing platform similar to the Steam Workshop of later generations, then the lifespan of games on the NX could be greatly extended from then on. 

Whether it was the sandbox genre's flagship Minecraft, the RPG giant The Elder Scrolls, or Bethesda's Fallout series, all of them relied on mods to keep their games fresh and engaging for years to come. 2

Some players would even deliberately stick with an older version of a game simply because they were attached to a particular mod, or several of them. 

Take Minecraft 1.7.10, for example. Even more extreme examples included games like Garry's Mod and Roblox, whose longevity was driven almost entirely by their communities. Within the industry, this approach was commonly known as the UGC model. 2

"UGC?" 

Gerald listened to the unfamiliar term Ethan had brought up, trying to figure out what words the abbreviation was made from. 

"It means User Generated Content, right? User Generated Content." 1

With his deep technical background, it didn't take long for Carmack to pick up on what Ethan was really getting at. He had a pretty good idea of where this was headed.  

"That's right. While we're developing games, we're also trying to build a creation platform. Letting players become part of game development as well." 2

"This is honestly a brilliant idea." 

Gerald paused for a moment and looked at the giant computer behind him. Even now, modifying a game without official permission was still regarded as a form of piracy or hacking. 

At best, it was just messing around. At worst, it could even lead directly to a lawsuit. Yet Ethan seemed intent on opening up these rights, turning the practice into something completely normal, and even actively encouraging it. 3

"But could this have any negative effects?" 

Gerald frowned slightly. Giving players complete rights to develop secondary content did not necessarily mean it would be a guaranteed win. 

The biggest concern, of course, was what this would mean for expansion packs. If players were free to create their own content, the more talented members of the community would inevitably produce some genuinely impressive gameplay mods. 

And if GAMENOVA later tried to release new content of its own, there was always a chance that someone in the community had already made something similar. 4

Ethan could tell exactly what was on Gerald's mind. He had already gone over this concern with Sam before. 

"First of all, Gerald, if there's a mod we really like, we can always reward the creator or even bring them onto the team." 1

This was a form of encouragement, similar to a royalty system, only more open. A content-creation environment that allowed every player to participate. 

"And why shouldn't we be able to make something even better?" 2

"Besides, a healthy modding community can greatly extend the lifespan of our games." 

Developers had limits. Their ideas were limited, and so was the amount of time and energy they could put into any one game. 

GAMENOVA couldn't support a single title forever. As development moved forward, more and more of the company's resources would inevitably be redirected toward new games. 

And when that happened, the players themselves could become the ones keeping an older game alive. 

"When we were developing Civilization, we were already making a deliberate effort to make mods easier to create and use. We just don't know how long it'll take before we start seeing the results." 

"So, you're planning to turn Civilization into an open platform for player-created content?" 

Gerald finally understood what Ethan was getting at. The idea sounded almost unbelievable. But the more he thought about it, the more he began to appreciate just how clever it was. If this actually worked… 

"No, no, Gerald. I want most games in the future to be modular." 

Even fighting games had open engines like M.U.G.E.N, which allowed players to create and add their own content. 3

The current ROM-based version was really just a test. With such limited storage, players could probably do little more than experiment with new gameplay ideas or create simple civilizations with modified graphics. But that was precisely what made the idea so interesting. 

Ethan could use the limited communication bandwidth available at the time to lay the groundwork for something that was far ahead of its time, a truly open, player-driven creation system. 

Meanwhile, Steve, the editor-in-chief of Electronic Games, received Ethan's invitation and hurried over to headquarters. 

"Uh… those dark circles under your eyes…" 

Ethan stared at Steve's exhausted face, a look of confusion spreading across his forehead. 

"Haha…" Steve awkwardly scratched his head. 

"If I'd known I was going to be invited here today, I never would've accepted that bastard's challenge." 

"Huh? What challenge? Did you get into a fight with someone?" 

Ethan looked him up and down in confusion. How was Steve still getting himself into this kind of trouble? 

"Uh, haha. Not that kind of fight. We were playing Civilization, Ethan. Civilization!" 

The moment Steve mentioned GAMENOVA's latest release, he suddenly came alive. As the first major title of the next generation, Civilization had made an enormous splash. 

Ever since Ethan had given him an advance retail copy, Steve had been playing practically nonstop, barely getting any sleep. 

The guy simply couldn't put it down, and with Christmas approaching, more and more players were growing impatient for the game's release. 3

Every time Steve heard another rumor or piece of speculation about the new game, he practically had to restrain himself from blurting everything out. 

Damn, he wanted to spoil it for them so badly! 

But the confidentiality agreement left him with no choice. All he could do was publish a short, cryptic verdict in Electronic Games. 

"Unbeatable!" 

"Ahaha? You've been playing Civilization online against other people? How was it?" 

"Hehe…" 

Steve let out oddly sinister chuckles. 

"Ethan, the experience was amazing. Aside from the initial loading taking a little while, the rest of the online experience was practically seamless. It even supports voice chat!" 

"Why do you look so creepy when you laugh?" 

"Hehe. Ethan, do you know who I was playing against?" 

"...?" 

"The editorial team next door at Mean Machines. Their editor-in-chief and I made a bet. Whoever lost the match would have to publish their review a week later than the other magazine."  

Steve held himself proudly, wearing an unbearably smug expression. Clearly, he had come out on top in last night's match. 

"My Scythia sent Horsemen straight around his capital while that idiot was still busy planning his districts. It was hilarious." 

"Ah... No wonder."  

Ethan rubbed his forehead, looking both amused and exasperated. Still, the whole thing was a pretty good snapshot of how things were going. At the very least, the online multiplayer system appeared to be working smoothly among the players. 

"Right, I almost forgot why I called you here." 

Ethan shook his head, exasperated. Steve had nearly dragged the entire conversation off topic. 

"We're planning to hold a small event, and we've already set aside several hundred thousand dollars as the prize pool." 3

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