Mod DB
Web address | ModDB.com |
---|---|
Commercial? | Yes |
Type of site | game modifications, indie games |
Registration | Free |
Owner | DBolical Pty Ltd. |
Created by | Scott "INtense!" Reismanis |
Launched | June 2002 |
Alexa rank | 8,460 (December 2013)[1] |
Current status | Active |
Mod Database, or Mod DB, is a website that focuses on general video game modding. It was founded in 2002 by Scott "INtense!" Reismanis,[2] and quickly gained the reputation as the biggest game modification-related website on the Internet.[citation needed] As of January 2014, the Mod DB site has received over 604 million views, has nearly 11,000 modifications registered,[3] and has hosted more than 108 million downloads.[4] A spin-off website, Indie DB, was launched in 2010 and focuses on indie games and news.
Purpose
The purpose of Mod DB is to list the mods, files, tutorials and information of any games that are capable of being modded with user-made content. Community involvement is strongly encouraged, and any game mod with a website is allowed to post a screenshot gallery, news, and requests for help. Scott's intentions, from the beginning, were to get the community heavily involved in the creation and development of the website. To this end, the most active members were chosen as moderators and administrators. The core staff generally remain the same, while lower positions are heavily rotated among trainee moderators, and administrator candidates. The site's staff mostly act as chaperones or librarians, keeping appropriate content available to the public and featuring the more exceptional content.
History
The history of Mod DB begins after Scott Reismanis' former website "The ModRealm" was closed. Reismanis, who coded the site engine himself, quickly started another project — a website which would cover all of the mod-related subjects. After months of development, Mod DB version 1.0 was released in June 2002, quickly gaining a group of core members who became the basis for the active community which the site has today. In 2004, the second version of the site was released, and many new features were implemented along with a complete site redesign. Version three followed in December 2005, once again redesigning the site's organisation and aesthetics.
On 6 October 2006, Addon DB another website by the Mod DB team opened up a public beta for registered members of Mod DB. Addon DB's aim is to list additional content for game not applicable under the category of game modifications. This includes models, skins and maps. Following the creation of Addon DB, Scott Reismanis founded DBolical Pty Ltd. (formally DesuraNET), which subsequently acquired ownership of both Addon DB and Mod DB.
In September 2007 Mod DB changed and was overhauled to bring it up to version 4. This included integrating Addon DB into Mod DB. There were major enhancements like the ability to register a game rather than a mod as well as a better private messaging system.
In 2010 DBolical Pty Ltd. launched the "IndieDB" website dedicated to indie gaming.[5]
In 2011 Mod DB removed School Shooter: North American Tour 2012 after "receiving quite a bit of threatening mail as people believe we are the creators, supporters and makers of this content."[6]
Mod of the Year
Mod DB's Mod of the Year competition, the 'Golden Spanner' awards, aim to set the industry standard in awarding inventive and high-quality mods. Mods are chosen via a community vote and are then reviewed by staff to produce the final list of winners. The competition aims to encourage all fields of modding, with different categories such as graphics and gameplay, as well as a traditional 'best mod' winner.
2010
- Best Original Art: Call of the Fireflies
- Best Multiplayer Mod: Eastern Front
- Best Singleplayer Mod: Nehrim: At Fate's Edge
- Best Upcoming Mod: Dear Esther
- Player's choice
- Best Upcoming Mod: Project Reality: ArmA 2
- Mod of the Year: Forgotten Hope 2
- Honorable Mention: MechWarrior: Living Legends
2009
- Best Indie Game: A Reckless Disregard for Gravity
- Best Multiplayer Mod: MechWarrior: Living Legends
- Best Original Art Direction: Out of Hell
- Best Singleplayer Mod: The Nameless Mod
- Best Upcoming Indie Game: Overgrowth
- Best Upcoming Mod: Naruto: Naiteki Kensei
- Player's choice
- Best Upcoming Mod: The Mortewood Plaza
- Indie Game of the Year: Natural Selection 2
- Mod of the Year: MechWarrior: Living Legends
2008
- Best Indie Game: Mount&Blade
- Best Multiplayer Mod: Project Reality
- Best Original Art Direction in a Total Conversion: The Delta Sector
- Best Single Player Mod: The Ball
- Best Upcoming Mod: Curse
- Best Upcoming Indie: Zeno Clash
- Most Innovative Multiplayer: Celestial Impact
- Players' choice
- Best Upcoming Mod: Dead Before Dawn
- Indie Game of the Year: Mount&Blade
- Mod of the Year: Project Reality
2007
No specific categories were chosen. The Mod DB editors picked the 10 best mods, unranked.
- Age of Chivalry
- Eternal Silence
- E.Y.E.
- Europe in Ruins
- Flipside
- The Hunted Chronicles
- Infinity: The Quest for Earth
- Mind
- Paranoia
- Shockwave
- Player's choice
- Best Indie Game: BSG: Beyond the Red Line
- Best Released Mod: Insurgency: Modern Infantry Combat
- Best Unreleased Mod: Zombie Panic! Source
2006
- Editors' choice[18]
- Ambience: The Hidden
- Innovation: Iron Grip: The Oppression
- Multiplayer Mod of the Year: Killing Floor
- Old Skool Classic: Ragnarok Arena
- Reinvention: GoldenEye: Source
- Singleplayer Mod of the Year: Afraid of Monsters
- Standalone Game of the Year: Darsana
- Upcoming Mod: Drawn to be Alive
- Upcoming Standalone: Infinity: The Quest for Earth
- Visuals: The SoulKeeper
- Player's Choice
- Best Indie Game: Tremulous
- Best Released Mod: Point of Existence 2
- Best Unreleased Mod: Black Mesa
- By genre
- Action: SourceForts
- Adventure: Afraid of Monsters
- Driving: UnWheel
- Multi-Genre: Empires
- Puzzle: BlockStorm
- Role Playing: Battle for Elements
- Simulation: Discovery Freelancer
- Sports: International Online Soccer, mod for Half-Life
- Strategy: Red Alert 3: The Third War
2005
2004
2003
2002
IndieDB
Award: Indie Game of the Year
- 2013
- 2012
- 2011
- 2010
- 2009
- 2008
References
- ↑ "Moddb.com Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved 2013-12-01.
- ↑ "About Us". Mod DB. DBolical Pty Ltd. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
- ↑ http://www.moddb.com/mods Accessed 2014-01-18
- ↑ http://www.moddb.com/downloads Accessed 2014-01-18
- ↑ , accessed 27 Dec 2010
- ↑ "Hyper Violent School Shooter Mod Yanked From Mod Hosting Site". Kotaku.
- ↑ "2010 Mod of the Year Awards - Winners". Mod DB. DBolical Pty Ltd. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
- ↑ "ModDb Player’s Choice Mod of The Year Announced". GameFront. 27 December 2010.
- ↑ "2009 Mod of the Year Awards - Winners". Mod DB. DBolical Pty Ltd. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
- ↑ "BF2-Based Project Reality Wins Mod DB's Mod Of The Year". Gamasutra. March 2, 2009.
- ↑ "Vote For Mod DB’s Mod Of The Year Awards". Kotaku. March 3, 2009.
- ↑ "2009 Mod Of The Year Award Winners Announced". G4. February 8, 2010.
- ↑ "2008 Mod of the Year Winners". Mod DB. DBolical Pty Ltd. 2009-03-02. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
- ↑ "And The Mod Of The Year Award Winners Are…". Kotaku. 2009-03-02.
- ↑ "2007 Mod of the Year Winners". Mod DB. DBolical Pty Ltd. 2009-03-02. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
- ↑ "Vote for Mods of the Year 2007". GameFront. 8 January 2008.
- ↑ "AMD and NVous PC™ join the growing sponsor list for the 6th Annual MOTY". MCV. 8 January 2008.
- ↑ "2006 Mod of the Year Winners". Mod DB. DBolical Pty Ltd. 2009-03-02. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
- ↑ "Indie of The Year 2013 feature - Indie DB".
- ↑ "2012-indie-of-the-year-awards".
- ↑ "2011-indie-of-the-year-awards".
- ↑ "Indie of the Year 2010 Players Choice - Indie of the Year".
- ↑ "View 2009's best Indie Games, as picked by you the players.".
- ↑ "2008 Indie Game of the Year Winners".