What If The Era Of Video Game Mashups Is About To Begin?
from the hoo-boy dept
Search the Techdirt pages for the term "mashup" and you will see a metric ton of ink spilled on the topic. Most of those posts deal with the copyright implications of mashup creators, be they for music or literature. It is, frankly, a tortured landscape largely littered with the metaphorical bodies of artists creating new and interesting artwork by combining previous works to create something new. Music is the easiest entry point for those not in the know. Take the music from one song and lyrical output from another, put them together, and you get something new and interesting. When done well, the results are mind-blowing. As are the constant attacks from original creators and rightsholders that seem to see such mashup work as a threat to the originals.
But what about the video game space? Go poke around for terms like "video game mashup" and you'll get plenty of results, but all of them discussing theoretical mashups. You can get a Cracked article entitled "4 Video Game Mashups Too Awesome To Exist", or a GameRant post entitled "5 Video Game Mashups That Would Blow Our Minds". Even in those headlines you get a common theme: we wish we could have these things, but they don't exist.
Well, at least one does. Crusader Blade is a mashup mod combining Paradox Interactive's Crusader Kings 3 and TaleWorlds Entertainment's Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord. Confused? Well, this will take some brief background.
Mount & Blade puts the player in a medieval fictional world and allows them to hack and slash their way to glory, fighting battles alongside the rest of their army, with some RPG elements thrown in. The battles featuring hundreds of combatants are really the sell for the game, however. Crusader Kings 3 is a medieval grand strategy game focused on diplomacy, intrigue, relationship management, managing a family dynasty, and warring with other nearby kingdoms and realms. My listing warfare last was not coincidence. The warring part of the game is extremely barebones by modern standards, literally just showing an avatar for an army that marches and then fights to a mathematical outcome. Think of the battle sequence like one in a Civilization game. It's not an afterthought, but it's close to one.
What this mod has done is make owners of both games able to seamlessly use both games to play both the grand strategy portions of Crusader Kings and conduct actual battles using Mount & Blade. Yes, seriously.
Crusader Blade is a mod that lets you directly control any battles taking place in the game by literally using a whole other video game to do it. That game is medieval combat title Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, and in the simplest sense possible, the mod works by pausing CKIII at the time of a battle, switching over to Mount & Blade so you can resolve it, then switching back again.
And here you can see the mod in action.
The comments both on Twitter and in that YouTube video can be generally sorted into two categories. The first and most prevalent can be paraphrased universally as "Oh my sweet god I want this right now!". Descriptions that this mod has created "the greatest game ever" are common.
But the second category can be described as sincere concern that either Paradox Interactive or Taleworlds Entertainment firing off cease and desist letters, issuing DMCA takedowns, or otherwise taking action on the mod as some sort of copyright infringement. And those concerns are entirely understandable, given all the copyright action that has occurred over mashups in other entertainment genres.
To be clear, those fears don't appear to have come true as of yet. And to continue to be clear, such actions by the game studios would be asinine. In fact, we can perhaps say that the video game industry is uniquely positioned to be fully accepting of a new video game mashup world like this should this sort of thing flourish. The reason for that is because mashups like this require the player to have copies of both games in order for it to work. In other words, this mod is likely chiefly doing two things: giving the players of each individual game a reason to buy the other and rewarding players that have already bought both.
What does that sound like to you? Because to me, it sounds like an incredible way to increase sales of both games at the cost of not being the copyright fun police with their games. We'll see both if this sort of game mashup becomes more than a one-off and if the industry can stay out of its own way.
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Basic terminology of the stock market (Part 2)
Technology has eased the trading process in recent years. Millions of people now have access to financial assets traded, unlike in the past.
At the same time, the majority of trading strategies have become automated. For instance, the process of opening trades has been illuminated.
We'll look at a few terminologies of the stock market, which are a type of trade execution.
Stock Market Terminologies
Market Order
Limit Order
Pending Order
Executed Order
Open Position
Square Off
Market Order
A market order is a type of order to buy and sell a security at ongoing marking prices. Once the order is placed, it is executed quickly. The most important key feature of a market order is that it gives you a complete guarantee for the execution of the order. On the other hand, the executed order’s price cannot be assured.
For example, suppose that the ongoing market price of stock X is Rs 120.
Now, you place a market order to purchase the stock at the same price and if your order is executed quickly. However, keep in mind that the executed order price cannot be assured at the same price you purchased.
This happens because the market is uncertain, stock prices can fluctuate at every second. Even the last-traded price in the market has already fluctuated when you bid on your order. Therefore, you will get a price that is close to your bid price, the stock that you have purchased is traded in a good manner and hence, which is also known as the “liquid” stock.
Limit Order
A limit order enables you to buy or sell securities at a specific price. A buy limit order indicates that you are willing to purchase a security at a particular price or below. A sell limit order specifies that you want to sell the security at or over the limit price. Unlike Market Orders, however, there is no certainty that this transaction will be executed.
A good example will help you understand this in a better way.
When you place a buy limit order for a stock at Rs 50, you are indicating that you are willing to purchase the stock at that price or less. A sell limit order for a stock at Rs 50 indicates that you want to sell the stock at or above Rs 50.
The amazing benefit is that you won't have to track the stock trend every second to get the best pricing. To some extent, the limit order automates your trade. Orders can be placed for a day, a few weeks, or even a month or more.
Pending Order
When specific preconditions set by the trader are met, a pending order instructs the trader to purchase or sell an instrument. When a trader places a pending order, they are essentially telling their broker that they do not want their order to be executed at the current market price, but rather only if the market price hits a particular threshold. Limit orders and stop orders are the two types of pending orders.
Let’s understand deeply with the help of an example
Suppose that a company's stock is now trading at Rs 10. Despite the fact that you are long the stock, you anticipate it will fall below Rs 8 before rising. As a result, rather than placing a market order at Rs 10, you can place an order that would execute a purchase trade when the price falls to Rs 8.
As a result, there's no need for you to wait for the deal to be completed.
You can also place a pending order if you feel the stock will rise to Rs 12 before falling to Rs 5
Executed Order
When a pending order is matched and trade occurs, the status of the order is changed to Executed. The order stays pending as long as it is not traded at all, but as soon as it is partially exchanged, it becomes an executed order. A pending order can be partially or fully executed. In either situation, the order's status changes to the executed order.
Let’s discuss the example that helps in understanding.
Suppose if A places an order to purchase 100 shares of Reliance at Rs 1015. If there is any seller available that wants to sell the shares at Rs 1015 with the same quantity that A wants then the order will be executed completely in one go.
In case, there are 3 sellers available at the same price but this time quantities are for 50, 30, and 20 each, then the order will be executed in three different parts to fulfil a 100-quantity order.
Open Position
An open position is a trade that has the potential to make a profit or lose money. All profits and losses are realised when a position is closed, and the transaction is no longer active. Open positions can be long or short, allowing you to profit from both rising and falling markets.
Let’s discuss an example of the open position
Let's say you want to buy shares in business X and decide to do so through a CFD trade. You would enter the market after deciding the parameters of your trade and conducting the necessary technical and fundamental survey. Your position would be termed ‘open' at this time.
In order to cancel an open position, you must normally reverse the trade that was used to open it (selling any assets that have been bought, or vice versa). If an open position reaches its expiration date, it may be automatically closed. This may happen with a futures contract.
If there was any stop or a limit attached which was filled afterward the expiration date, then again it will automatically close.
Square off
Squaring off is a day-trading strategy in which a trader buys or sells a specific quantity of an asset (usually stocks) and then reverses the transaction later in the day in the hopes of profiting (price difference net of broker charges and tax).
Let’s have an example to understand this.
Suppose, Person A purchases 100 Reliance shares through a broker on the BSE Sensex for Rs 10 per share. Person A sells all of the shares later in the day for Rs 12 per share, plus Rs 10 in broker fees. A makes Rs (200-10)=Rs 190 in net profit.
Concluded:
These terminologies are widely used in the stock market. Those who are budding traders must know the exact meaning of these terminologies so they can use their knowledge in the right direction to achieve their planned goals.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Basic terminology of the stock market (Part 2)
Technology has eased the trading process in recent years. Millions of people now have access to financial assets traded, unlike in the past.
At the same time, the majority of trading strategies have become automated. For instance, the process of opening trades has been illuminated.
We'll look at a few terminologies of the stock market, which are a type of trade execution.
Stock Market Terminologies
1). Market Order
2). Limit Order
3). Pending Order
4). Executed Order
5). Open Position
6). Square Off
1). Market Order
A market order is a type of order to buy and sell a security at ongoing marking prices. Once the order is placed, it is executed quickly. The most important key feature of a market order is that it gives you a complete guarantee for the execution of the order. On the other hand, the executed order’s price cannot be assured.
For example, suppose that the ongoing market price of stock X is Rs 120.
Now, you place a market order to purchase the stock at the same price and if your order is executed quickly. However, keep in mind that the executed order price cannot be assured at the same price you purchased.
This happens because the market is uncertain, stock prices can fluctuate at every second. Even the last-traded price in the market has already fluctuated when you bid on your order. Therefore, you will get a price that is close to your bid price, the stock that you have purchased is traded in a good manner and hence, which is also known as the “liquid” stock.
2). Limit Order
A limit order enables you to buy or sell securities at a specific price. A buy limit order indicates that you are willing to purchase a security at a particular price or below. A sell limit order specifies that you want to sell the security at or over the limit price. Unlike Market Orders, however, there is no certainty that this transaction will be executed.
A good example will help you understand this in a better way.
When you place a buy limit order for a stock at Rs 50, you are indicating that you are willing to purchase the stock at that price or less. A sell limit order for a stock at Rs 50 indicates that you want to sell the stock at or above Rs 50.
The amazing benefit is that you won't have to track the stock trend every second to get the best pricing. To some extent, the limit order automates your trade. Orders can be placed for a day, a few weeks, or even a month or more.
3). Pending Order
When specific preconditions set by the trader are met, a pending order instructs the trader to purchase or sell an instrument. When a trader places a pending order, they are essentially telling their broker that they do not want their order to be executed at the current market price, but rather only if the market price hits a particular threshold. Limit orders and stop orders are the two types of pending orders.
Let’s understand deeply with the help of an example
Suppose that a company's stock is now trading at Rs 10. Despite the fact that you are long the stock, you anticipate it will fall below Rs 8 before rising. As a result, rather than placing a market order at Rs 10, you can place an order that would execute a purchase trade when the price falls to Rs 8.
As a result, there's no need for you to wait for the deal to be completed.
You can also place a pending order if you feel the stock will rise to Rs 12 before falling to Rs 5
4). Executed Order
When a pending order is matched and trade occurs, the status of the order is changed to Executed. The order stays pending as long as it is not traded at all, but as soon as it is partially exchanged, it becomes an executed order. A pending order can be partially or fully executed. In either situation, the order's status changes to the executed order.
Let’s discuss the example that helps in understanding.
Suppose if A places an order to purchase 100 shares of Reliance at Rs 1015. If there is any seller available that wants to sell the shares at Rs 1015 with the same quantity that A wants then the order will be executed completely in one go.
In case, there are 3 sellers available at the same price but this time quantities are for 50, 30, and 20 each, then the order will be executed in three different parts to fulfil a 100-quantity order.
5). Open Position
An open position is a trade that has the potential to make a profit or lose money. All profits and losses are realised when a position is closed, and the transaction is no longer active. Open positions can be long or short, allowing you to profit from both rising and falling markets.
Let’s discuss an example of the open position
Let's say you want to buy shares in business X and decide to do so through a CFD trade. You would enter the market after deciding the parameters of your trade and conducting the necessary technical and fundamental survey. Your position would be termed ‘open' at this time.
In order to cancel an open position, you must normally reverse the trade that was used to open it (selling any assets that have been bought, or vice versa). If an open position reaches its expiration date, it may be automatically closed. This may happen with a futures contract.
If there was any stop or a limit attached which was filled afterward the expiration date, then again it will automatically close.
6). Square off
Squaring off is a day-trading strategy in which a trader buys or sells a specific quantity of an asset (usually stocks) and then reverses the transaction later in the day in the hopes of profiting (price difference net of broker charges and tax).
Let’s have an example to understand this.
Suppose, Person A purchases 100 Reliance shares through a broker on the BSE Sensex for Rs 10 per share. Person A sells all of the shares later in the day for Rs 12 per share, plus Rs 10 in broker fees. A makes Rs (200-10)=Rs 190 in net profit.
Concluded:
These terminologies are widely used in the stock market. Those who are budding traders must know the exact meaning of these terminologies so they can use their knowledge in the right direction to achieve their planned goals.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Paradox and Taleworlds have a vibrant modding community.
Either company starting to drop lawsuits over this mod would also send chilling effects to BOTH game communities. ie, don't mod our games, assholes.
Doubly so for Taleworlds because IIRC, total conversion mods for Mount and Blade exists.
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In this case, fortunately, both publishers are pro-modding.
To my knowledge, Taleworlds and Paradox have been happy to allow modding to flourish for their games, because, well, it extends the lifespan of said games. Taleworlds have even published polished up versions of mods as standalone expansions for Mount & Blade previously. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if they come together to release some kind of official integration between the two games, because it sounds like something that could make both publishers quite a bit of money. It's like the modern equivalent of the Sonic & Knuckles lock-on system. I would be genuinely shocked if this got shut down by either party.
Now, if it were certain other publishers, I'd be more worried, but these are games with healthy modding communities.
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Funny thing is, this was done with two old-school Nintendo games, too. Someone figured out that the ROM layouts for The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Super Metroid don’t actually overlap with one another—meaning the two games could be combined into one mega-game, so long as someone knows what they’re doing. And as it turns out, combined with the work of people who made randomizers for those two games separately, someone did know what they were doing. The SMZ3 Combo Randomizer was even demonstrated at a Games Done Quick event two years ago. So yeah, that right there is some good precedent for videogame mashups.
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Re:
If any company is poised to set bad precedent destroying mashup efforts, it's Nintendont. It's a Damocles Sword hanging over this particular authors head :-(
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The Link to the Past and Super Metroid randomizers have been around for several years now, complete with online speedrunning leagues and tournaments. (The SpeedGaming channels on Twitch host many of these competitions.) If Nintendo was going to clamp down on those randomizers or the crossover randomizer, it likely would’ve done so by now.
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Many pc games gain extra fans thru mods improving gameplay graphics and extra levels this improves the original games sales also many mods turn into full scale games that sell millions eg league of legends the moba genre was started by mods based on warcraft defence of the ancients
Devs make full games based on user mods eg dota autochess
I think Nintendo is not cracking down on mods as they are not sold eg Nintendo mods are a niche fan activity
If a mod is very popular it will probably turned into a full pc game
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OH NOES!!! People made a thingy that might bring us more customers... please oh please don't do that!!!!!!!!!!
We don't have to do anything and our games have a new life?!?
No we can not have that!
I mean if its popular and successful its not like the 2 companies could build a newer game with each studio focusing on the part they are good at to build a next generation of this.
Being able to show the demand for this combo gaming style could even push out new mashed up game categories.
I'm really more into the war & battles part, so I want to add the better war game to the super simple city management or vice versa or they like both the parts.
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Rules of Engagement + Breach 2 = Excellence
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How similar is this to mash ups in music
This mod isn't "combine the tune of one song with the lyrics of another" this is "play the complete verse from one song then switch to the chorus from another".
A true game mashup would be more like super smash brothers than the examples you give, ip from many games merged into one game. But that still not close to how mash ups work in other media.
A real game mash up would be mechanics and ip from two games merged into one game. What you're talking about is the user switching between two games and carrying data between them. A neat feature and definitely not a trivial task but at little risk of a takedown notice. How, specifically, are the publishers rights being violated here? It pauses one game while another runs. Surely even the American legal system can't think that is illegal....?
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That’s almost literally how the SMZ3 Combo Randomizer works.
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Different
Totally different kind of mashup, but Splitgate essentially combines Halo and Portal, to excellent effect. I assume Microsoft has determined there's nothing they could successfully sue over.
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Taleworlds
Previously, Taleworlds has published ramped versions of mods for Mount & Blade. Honestly, it is not surprising for me at all. Video game mashups could benefit publishers who make quite a big amount of money. Well, it's all about the ego that let them shut the modding. And it's really worrying for healthy modding communities.
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