Video game modification in South Africa

• Citation: (2017) IPLJ 75
• Date: 24 May 2019
• Published date: 24 May 2019
• Pages: 75-88
• Author: Wrensch, J.J.

VIDEO GAME MODIFICATION IN

SOUTH AFRICA†



Graduate Lect uring Assistant, Faculty of Law, Unive rsity of the Western Cape

 

Attorney of the High Cou rt of South Africa Lecturer, Aston L aw School,

Birmingham

  

Whether they are ca sually exploring caves for treasure chests, s oaring

through the sky or s aving a princess in a castle, video ga mes1 have become a

medium of enterta inment, storytell ing and, in the case of some, even an art

form. While they ar e a source of entertainme nt, they can also be the subject

of controversy, both social and legal. A particula rly contentious matter in

      2

         

content in an attempt (usual ly by players) to prolong or add value to their

gaming exper ience.3 Steam45 as:

         

and size from a m inor edit to an individua l item in a game (such as a different g raphic for a

sword) to new charac ters, levels, maps, missions , or even completely new games built off of

the base game.

There are various for ms of video game mods, but for the purpose of th is

             

† The authors would l ike to extend their grat itude to Nicholas Hall of Intera ctive Entertainment

South Afric a for his inspiration a nd advice in relation to t his topic.

 

 

1 This ter m will be used as a catch-all ph rase for games that can be played on e ither a personal

computer, mobile phone , tablet or dedicated ga mes console. For an overview of the r elevant

principles an d terminology, see David G reenspan, S Gre gory Boyd and Jas Purewa l ‘Video

 WIPO Magazine.

                    

      

of modificat ion in both software and har dware exist, in this pape r these terms will be use d in

reference to the a forementioned activ ities.

3 R Wallace ‘Modd ing: Amateur aut horship and how the vide o game industr y is actually get ting it

BYU Law Review 219 220.

4 Steam is a prop rietary digital d istribution platfor m owned by The Valve Corporation , available

at http://store.stea mpowered.com/ (access ed on 23 October 2016).

5 Definitio n of a mod available at http://store.ste ampowered.com/about /communitymo ds/

(accessed on 22 Octob er 2016).

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(2017) IPLJ 75

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