“Giving players the ability to mod games removes all limitations on replayability”: Ambreesh Bangur, VP of Engineering and R&D, BlueStacks and now.gg
The video game modding industry is oftentimes undervalued, and the heroes who create an entire texture pack from scratch and whole new ways to enjoy a title remain unsung.
Mods allow a player to break down the barriers of what the developers had originally intended the game to play out as, providing a fresh perspective and context to the title.
In a conversation with Abhishek Mallick of Sportskeeda Esports, Ambreesh Bangur, VP of Engineering and R&D at BlueStacks and now.gg, talked about how modding removes the limitations on replayability.
He opened up about now.gg and its modding platform, and what hopes he has for the industry in the coming years.
Here is an excerpt of the interview.
Ambreesh Bangur, VP of Engineering and R&D, BlueStacks and now.gg, on the video games modding industry
Q. Can you talk to us about video game modding and how modding communities are crucial in helping games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and GTA V enjoy a healthy player base?
Ambreesh: A "mod" or "modification" is a new in-game feature created by gamers rather than creators. Video game modding (short for "modification") is a sub-discipline of general modding that involves players or fans altering one or more parts of a video game, such as how it looks or performs.
Modding simply is user-generated content (UGC). Over time, the games have become user-centric. The next step is to get users involved in the content creation process itself. Mods allow users to be more involved and leave their creative imprint on it. With the world moving into the Metaverse, games can be customized according to one’s vision.
bit.ly/MobileGameModd…Change the way you connect, build, and retain your community.🤩
Introducing the world’s first mobile gaming modding platform on now.gg
Check it out at 🔗bit.ly/MobileGameModd…
#nowgg #mobilegamemodding #gaming #mobilegames #gamedev https://t.co/uKV2bymLOo
Skyrim and Fallout are games with a limited amount of time for a user to spend before experiencing everything the game has to offer. Modding is an exception to this fact.
Diehard fans complete everything but still want to play the game, however, even the most hardcore fan will get bored of repetition. Giving players the ability to mod your game removes all limitations on replayability.
Q. What are your thoughts on modding in India and South Asia? Do you feel the region can boast of a thriving modding community?
Ambreesh: Modding was limited to only a few PC games in India. India primarily is a mobile gaming market. Modding mobile games here is a challenge and requires a special skill set, and the only way modding to pick up in India is to create a platform that would allow simple dragging and dropping feature.
BlueStacks mobile game platform does just that. Powered by now.gg’s mobile cloud technology, our modding platform enables gamers to create and share mods for popular mobile games with ease. Games developed on the Cocos, Unity, and Unreal engines can be easily modded and shared, reaching over four billion users and 4.5 million creators.
POV: it’s the 90s again and you are playing your favorite game.😁😉
#mobilegames #gamers https://t.co/aVjLfgdZrs
Across the world, user-generated content is becoming the key driver for higher engagement. It is no different for the South Asian gaming market. With the growing influence of Metaverse gamers, creators want their gaming experience to be customised.
Modding is the perfect way to incorporate UGC in games. Our modding platform is seeing the most growth from regions like India, Vietnam and Indonesia.
Q. Tell us a bit about now.gg and its modding platform for mobile games. How does it work?
Ambreesh: Powered by now.gg , Creator Studio & Creator Hub enables the separation of game code, game events and game art, allowing users to share their modded experiences via a simple link, creating a shareable and immersive mobile experience.
Creator Studio is the platform for gamers to create modded versions of a game. Creator Hub is the destination for all available mods created by different gamers and creators. It is powered by now.gg mobile cloud that renders the gaming experience on the cloud and adds the modding effect layer on top based on in-game events. This way, infinite mods are created and shared.
Celebrate your victory with fun moves, on this #InternationalDanceDay🕺
Share your victory dance mods with us using the hashtags #InternationalDanceDay #ModWithnowgg and get a chance to feature on @nowgginc page.
Create now 🔗bit.ly/MobileGameModd…
#nowgg #modverse #modding https://t.co/QEAVYNHHVl
Q. As the platform allows gamers and creators to make and share infinite versions of a particular handheld title, how has this new level of immersion allowed the game to be even more popular with users and audiences?
Ambreesh: now.gg’s Creator Studio & Creator Hub enables user-generated content to be made available to the global mobile gaming community, where they can create and share numerous versions of mobile games.
Modding can be done at three levels: basic, intermediate and advanced. Basic modding involves playing with colour; for example, you can have a dark mode for a game, just like Instagram filters. Intermediate modding links to in-game events, such as effects on-screen during kill or win shots.
Finally, with advanced modding, you can change 2D and 3D textures inside the game, including game elements like the avatar’s clothes.
Change the way you connect, build, and retain your community.🤩
Introducing the world’s first mobile gaming modding platform on now.gg
Check it out at 🔗bit.ly/MobileGameModd…
#nowgg #mobilegamemodding #gaming #mobilegames #gamedev https://t.co/WQOswzkWle
The re-use of popular content is a proven way to drive virality. The success of Instagram reels or TikTok is a clear example. With the advent of Web 3.0, we can see it is getting extended to more immersive content-like games. Soon, we expect gamers to only play modded games.
Q. Which mobile games usually see the highest community participation in making mods?
Ambreesh: Globally, FreeFire and BGMI have emerged as popular games for modding by gamers and creators.
Q. Which effects have been the most popular on the platform so far?
Ambreesh: Effects like the dancing Mr. Bean that shows up at the victory event and ‘Running Trump’ are the most used and popular effects so far. Since we have made modding easy for everyone, now gamers adopt the latest trends and create a mod for them.
Flaunt your creativity with now.gg Mobile Game Modding. 🤩
Get started at 🔗bit.ly/MobileGameModd…
#nowgg #mobilegamemodding #gamers #mobilegames #cloud #memes #gamedev https://t.co/GGlGP4y0UL
For example, we had a mod with the Will Smith slap controversy and one for Elon Musk and his Twitter feud. The ability to add the latest trends to your favorite games makes the mods popular and sometimes, go viral.
Q. Tell us a bit about how mods can be traded in the NFT marketplace for blockchain gaming and Metaverse titles.
Ambreesh: It has now been made possible through now.gg’s NFT marketplace. Gamers and creators can create their art and use it in games as a modding effect. Once the effect gains popularity, gamers can publish the art on the NFT marketplace and earn through its sale. now.gg’s NFT marketplace is a popular destination for game-related NFTs, and with this addition, modding fans can monetise their art.
Q. What’s next for now.gg? What can users of the platform look forward to in the coming months and years?
Ambreesh: In only a month, we have seen massive growth in our mobile game modding platform, and the critical part of our success was how we made modding accessible and simple for every gamer or creator.
Normal game 😁
Modded game 🔥🔥🔥
Add cool effects that reflect your style.
Mod it now 😎
🔗bit.ly/MobileGameModd…
#Modding #ModWithnowgg #gaming #gamingindustry #mobilegames #gamedev https://t.co/UQxnYS1zWs
now.gg has achieved several milestones since its inception, and we're thrilled to see such a fantastic response. Modding platforms are for gamers and creators. We wanted to empower them to create versions they like while keeping game developers happy with the growing engagements. now.gg is all set to own the cloud gaming space with the shared play and modding features we are building.
Three things that most game developers ask us to work on are NFT, multiplatform, and shared gameplay. We will continue to focus on these and add innovative, unique, and easy-to-access features for gamers and developers.