[Monika Fiolek]

I think the modding community could totally kick all the game developers' asses. Then it turns out they're all in a simulation of pong.

[Amy Gibson]

I think this is true of lots of corporations, and there are increasing criticisms that many of them place far too much emphasis on "shareholder value" and not enough on customer satisfaction or looking after their staff. Of course it's not a black and white "good vs. bad" thing, and some companies are worse than others (I'm sure I don't need to spell out who I'm thinking about in the games industry, for example!) And, of course, not everybody within a corporation has the same attitude: the pointy-haired bosses will tend to think this way, the developers and artistic staff will tend to see things another way, though even then it isn't guaranteed what sort of opinion someone will hold just because of their position within an organisation.

In terms of the relationship between developers (as in the companies) and modders, when it works well, there can be a great synergy which benefits the company and their customers alike; when it doesn't work, it can cause all sorts of problems, with people who are first and foremost the customers ending up doing much of the testing and fixing, or being locked out of the creative cycle altogether so as not to compete with the company's own after-sales offerings. Usually it's not one extreme or the other and tends to lie somewhere in the middle; where Bethesda is concerned, I'd like them to involve modders a bit more and to be a bit more thorough with their testing, but then again I look at some of my other favourite franchises and realise that they could be an awful lot worse, too.

Well spoken. Thank you.

[Taylor Bakos]

Elijah, you're here. Got any plans for Skyrim yet? I am ready to do some voice overs again. I would welcome the opportunity to help you again.

Absolutely, me and Justin Hardin (jhardingame) have been planning since probably late July or so. It's going to be big, certainly even larger than Alton was.

And yes, I'll definitely take a note to contact you for voice stuff when the time comes.

[Verity Hurding]

Bethesda said the ONLY thing they took from mods for this game was bow stuff. I dont believe them. This game looks like totally modded Oblivion. I think where the modders go the game developers follow. Just wait and see what they do to Skyrim!

:D

Yea..and I think calling the "Fighters Guid" "Companions" is either a tribute or reference to the Companions Mod for Oblivion. Chests that close after you're done, is definitely taken from OOO. And already stated that some script functions from OBSE is being used in Skyrim lol. There's more things but too long to list. But the lack of CTD is perhaps the greatest thing about this game in my opinion.

[chloe hampson]

Developer > Modder.
If it wasn't for the Devs the Mods wouldn't have a game to modify, the Devs create the game and its foundations which then gives way for the Mods to alter and add to the original code as they see fit to benefit their playing style.
Developers build the house, Modders move in the furniture. Without the house theres no purpose for the furniture.

[Manny(BAKE)]

Developers build the house, Modders move in the furniture. Without the house theres no purpose for the furniture.

Or you could be like Activision and live in your car. Yeah, just went there.

[roxxii lenaghan]

Or you could be like Activision and live in your car. Yeah, just went there.

Well they publish so really they live in their caravans and trailers, and during the day watch over the Devs with a cool can of beer while lying in a hammock.