( Getty Images: Philippe LopezAFP)Īfter a cease-and-desist letter was sent to the creator of a popular modding tool in 2017, the company wrote that it believes in "reasonable fan creativity" and would not take legal action against non-commercial projects.
Rockstar Games launched Grand Theft Auto V in 2013, to controversy and record sales. Some commentators dispute that copyright law is the best way to control cheaters, and at times, Rockstar itself has approached modifications with a lighter touch - especially mods in single player mode that don't affect other competitors. The owner of the popular title Fortnite is also going after cheaters, a move that caused consternation after it took legal action against a 14-year-old boy in North Carolina. The challenge of whether gaming companies should protect their intellectual property from modding - and how to do so - is not unique to Take-Two.īlizzard, the maker of World of Warcraft, has successfully sued mod makers for breaching its user license agreement. "Where there are cheats that interfere with the game purchases, that has a potential to cost them a lot of money." A clash of cultures "They are using in-game purchases as part of their business model," said Mitch Stoltz, senior staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) in San Francisco. The report added that in-game spending across its titles now accounted for about 42 per cent of net revenue.
In its 2018 financial report, Take-Two wrote that "cheating" programs "could negatively impact the volume of microtransactions or purchases of downloadable content". Players might change how the game looks with colourful additions like Marvel comic characters.īut in the game's multiplayer online version, Mr Walker explained, mod menus can exploit game code to favour one player at the expense of others.įor manufacturers who offer their own in-game purchases, such unofficial projects clearly rankle. There is a particular culture of "modding" around Grand Theft Auto, according to Alex Walker, editor of the gaming website Kotaku Australia. For his part, Mr Anderson said Infamous helped protect players against more malicious cheats, a bit like anti-virus software. Paying for superpowersĮven among gamers, mod menus are controversial. "Cheating software not only gives individuals an unfair advantage, but it also allows interference with the gameplay of other users," a spokesperson said. In a statement, Take-Two confirmed it had taken action against people selling multiplayer cheat software. This includes at least five people the company says are associated with "Infamous", plus others tied to mod menus with names like "Elusive" and "Absolute".
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