By Lewie Procter on August 11th, 2011 at 4:02 pm.
Mods! They let people cleverer than I add things to games that the original developers never even dreamed of. Take this (beta) playable Iron Man mod for GTA4, for example. The model has been taken from Marvel vs Capcom 3, and cleverly shoved into Liberty City. Paired up with iCEnhancer mod for extra pretties, and a Superman mod for Supermanification, you’ve got an attempt at an Iron Man game that already looks more fun than Sega’s recent officially licensed efforts:
I hope the mod dev has lasers and super strength on the list of planned features. Download links in the Youtube description here.
Also joining in on the fun is Captain America:
And currently unreleased is Deadpool:
Head over to IH1Vltg3I’s Youtube Channel for more videos of these mods in action, and huge respect and love to all the mod developers who did anything to contribute to these videos.
11/08/2011 at 16:11 CaspianRoach says:
Ugh, shadows.
11/08/2011 at 16:15 AndrewC says:
I too am disgusted by shadows.
11/08/2011 at 17:15 Ridnarhtim says:
They’re so … shadowy.
11/08/2011 at 19:19 Theon says:
Fucking shadows, man.
Why do we still let them hang around?
They don’t contribute to society in any way, and completely fill the streets at night.
12/08/2011 at 23:08 mpar says:
Shadows, how do they work ?
11/08/2011 at 16:22 Inigo says:
I’m sad nobody ever actually made the Gordon Frohman mod for GTA IV.
11/08/2011 at 19:20 Theon says:
OH SHI-
Someone, do it!
I need to go read that again.
11/08/2011 at 16:27 SAeN says:
I’ve been waiting for a gimp suit mod.
12/08/2011 at 05:39 Muzman says:
You’re part way there with the Ironman one.
Was that ever a real armour design? He looks like he’s wearing big red dominatrix boots fer crissakes
12/08/2011 at 07:20 Matt says:
It’s his Extremis armor: http://holdyourfireal.smugmug.com/photos/648811631_qqCCz-XL.jpg
12/08/2011 at 10:52 Muzman says:
Hmm, cheers.
There is considerably more gold on the thighs in the comic design however. I’m not sure that negates the effect though.
11/08/2011 at 16:27 12kill4 says:
I for one would rather have a realistic Robert Downey Jnr. simulation mod in GTA4.
11/08/2011 at 16:29 12kill4 says:
depending on the night that could also cover SAeN-(above me)-’s post.
11/08/2011 at 16:31 AndrewC says:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZLphzcNLuc
11/08/2011 at 16:29 cjlr says:
Mods are stupid. Blizzard told me so.
11/08/2011 at 16:46 jon_hill987 says:
And that chap from id Software! He said it too!
11/08/2011 at 16:36 ResonanceCascade says:
And a cease and desist in 5…4…3…
11/08/2011 at 17:08 Khann says:
Modder caring in 5… 4… 3…. ERROR! ERROR!
11/08/2011 at 17:36 ResonanceCascade says:
Yeah, ignoring a cease and desist is super smart. He should totally do that.
11/08/2011 at 23:04 Solidstate89 says:
Now, I’m no IP lawyer (thank god) but if you release a Mod – for free without any intentions of profiting from it, isn’t stuff like this covered under fair use policy?
11/08/2011 at 23:47 ResonanceCascade says:
Unfortunately, no. And sadly, most companies seem to have stepped up their efforts to shut stuff like this down. I’ve seen it a million times. The Bid For Power guys ended up removing all the Dragonball references from the game, after which all the DBZ content conveniently found its way onto file sharing networks a little while later.
That seems like as good a strategy as any to me.
12/08/2011 at 04:41 James says:
@ResonanceCascade
Maybe he doesn’t care if strangers give him permission to make something. Crazy, right? Doesn’t he know that he’s supposed to do what the important people say?
Comments like yours make me want to crap vomit. I mean that constructively, if that’s possible.
Edit: That was mean, sorry. Still though.
12/08/2011 at 05:12 ResonanceCascade says:
Hey, and if he wants to do it all totally anonymously and cover his tracks correctly, I’m sure he’ll be fine.
But you know you can’t just openly distribute things you don’t own and ignore lawsuits, right?
Maybe try thinking for more than half a second before attempting to be snarky next time.
12/08/2011 at 06:06 James says:
It’s actually called having non-conditional standards, not snark. I get the confusion, though, as it was paradoxically also snark.
You like having a boss, at least a conceptual one, and think it is correct for others to have one as well.
I don’t acknowledge another person’s authority over me, certainly not with regards to how I spend my own time. It relates to the concept of inalienable rights. I happen to believe I actually have them (and that everyone else does, for that matter).
This is all pretty far afield, so I’ll at least agree if the material is just released quietly then there’s little chance of complication.
12/08/2011 at 11:27 DainIronfoot says:
Not all IP owners are bastards. That’s not the biggest problem this mod has. The biggest problem is the models ripped (i.e, stolen) from other games.
12/08/2011 at 11:32 Dreamhacker says:
Not to self: When releasing an infringing mod, release it anonymously and onto every torrent tracker imaginable
But seriously, when the heck are rightsholders going to get the difference between malicious infringement and FREE ADVERTISING?
12/08/2011 at 13:40 JasPurewal says:
Yes, it’s illegal (copyright/trade mark infringement). Yes, they’ll probably get a cease and desist. And yes, it’s silly because this is free advertising. I do my best to advise clients to LIKE this kind of mod, but most lawyers don’t agree. Pity me :(
12/08/2011 at 23:42 ResonanceCascade says:
@JasPurewal
Thanks for fighting the good fight. I didn’t mean to seem like I WANT this to get shut down, I was just pointing out that these things usually do, and that there’s not really anything we can do about it. Unless, apparently, we ignore our Illuminati bosses and stop letting the man exert his authority over our sovereign citizenship or whatever James was babbling about.
12/08/2011 at 23:54 James says:
Yeah, sorry…I heard that John Locke and a few other people were babbling about it and must have got caught up in the excitement. You know how these trends are.
11/08/2011 at 16:50 mondomau says:
In case you don’t want to watch the Ironman video:
00:15: Ooo, that flight animation’s pretty good. Wonder if they can add rocket flare to it?
00:50 : Oh man, he’s landed in the middle of the road – I bet he’s going to let a car hit him and it’ll flip over or something.
01:00 Nope, just going to stand there and- wait, he’s grabbing that guy on a scooter.
01:10 And now he’s having a fist fight with him. Wooo.
01:30+ And now’s he’s boxing with a load of other dudes.
The end.
This is very impressive and all, but, dammit, I expected more.
11/08/2011 at 17:18 jon_hill987 says:
I thought that with the Superman mod as well. I just wanted some superpowered villain to throw a truck at him and for him to catch it like a beach ball.
11/08/2011 at 17:24 Shuck says:
It was pretty impressive until he started a fist-fight with the guy on the scooter at which point it became hilarious. I’m not sure if that was intentional or not.
12/08/2011 at 05:07 thecat17 says:
Yeah, the video gets undeniably boring after the first minute. You expect me to watch you fight badly, with godmode on, for a full minute and a half? Really?
Now, if each person had flown down the block after each punch….
11/08/2011 at 17:09 Jaffo says:
I’d rather have a mod that gave me a decent framerate in EFLC
:(
11/08/2011 at 17:38 Pointless Puppies says:
Or in the base game for that matter.
Or real anti-aliasing support. Good god, what was Rockstar thinking?
11/08/2011 at 18:55 Davie says:
Agreed there. Christ, the graphics options in GTA4 don’t even make sense. Definition? Just in case I want my game to be a blurry mess all the time? Sure, why the fuck not?
11/08/2011 at 17:20 BritishTexan says:
Whilst I would like to play GTA4 and try out some mods, it has absolutely horrendous texture z-fighting issues on my HD3650 that no amount of monkeying with drivers or settings has been able to resolve. Doesn’t happen with any other game either, which makes it slightly more annoying somehow. Might be in a position to upgrade after wedding and honeymoon next month though and finally see what the fuss is about.
11/08/2011 at 17:30 icupnimpn2 says:
Maybe the model was taken from MVC3, but the textures don’t look it.
11/08/2011 at 17:35 Inigo says:
I think it’s down to the different graphics engine. Same reason why the Heavy looks cel shaded in TF2 and like a leukaemia patient in Night At The Inventory.
11/08/2011 at 17:40 Pointless Puppies says:
TF2 doesn’t use cel shading.
11/08/2011 at 18:48 Wulf says:
I was confused by that, too. TF2 with cell-shading would be interesting, though! But yes, TF2 certainly does not have any form of cell-shading.
11/08/2011 at 23:36 Dozer says:
[pedant]Inigo only said the heavy looks like he’s cel-shaded.
[/pedant]
edit: Oh look a reply from Inigo immediately below my reply. I failed my Spot check. What a shame.
11/08/2011 at 17:46 Inigo says:
PHONG SHADING THEN
WHATEVER
GOD
11/08/2011 at 17:46 Inigo says:
I HATE YOU REPLY BUTTON
11/08/2011 at 18:49 Wulf says:
IS IT INTERNATIONAL UPPER-CASE DAY AGAIN? I THINK I MISSED THAT MEMO, BUT THIS IS ALWAYS FUN! NOW I SHALL HAVE A CIVIL CONVERSATION WHILST LOOKING LIKE A SHOUTY PERSON. I HOPE YOU DON’T HATE THE REPLY BUTTON TOO MUCH, BECAUSE I’M CERTAIN IT DOESN’T HATE YOU.
11/08/2011 at 19:36 mondomau says:
EVERYBODY STOP SHOUTING. I CAN’T HEAR MYSELF SAYING ‘PHONG’.
Heh. Phong.
12/08/2011 at 04:44 James says:
Phong.
11/08/2011 at 17:50 wyrmsine says:
I can’t wait to fly Iron Man to the nearest bar. Hilarity ensues.
11/08/2011 at 17:57 Inigo says:
Or play though TLAD as Iron Man and wipe out everything in a Civil War.
11/08/2011 at 18:50 Wulf says:
And shoot darts through the wall?
11/08/2011 at 18:53 Zarunil says:
This mod looks TIGHT! I wa-
Where’s my coat… Thanks.
11/08/2011 at 18:55 whatthefuckisthis says:
Great post guys. It’s just a fucking model swap. “Gee, a Marvel GTA mod, this will be fun! Oh, wait, Iron Man is mugging people.” Way to give something shitty exposure.
11/08/2011 at 20:55 DainIronfoot says:
Not to mention the fact the model is stolen.
11/08/2011 at 21:06 Inigo says:
It’s just not a proper GTA game until someone makes a Touhou mod for it.
13/08/2011 at 00:22 James says:
Unless the models are no longer in the games they originated from, nobody stole anything. There’s an unsubtle distinction, I ask only that my fellow word-users acknowledge that.
11/08/2011 at 19:01 FriendlyFire says:
I’m rather saddened that the sole mod news in months comes about a rather lackluster Iron Man mod. The animations don’t even fit the way Iron Man actually moves and does stuff, you can clearly see how it’s a cosmetic swap for the Superman mod. Sure, the suit looks good and it’s funny, but it’s not really a showcase of what’s possible with modding.
As a modder, I sure hope more serious/large-scale mods will also get some love.
11/08/2011 at 19:05 Vinraith says:
“Sole mod news in months?” What are you talking about? There have been several other mod-centric posts in the past week.
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/08/09/deus-ex-texture-revolution/
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/08/05/saved-from-oblivion-dibellas-watch/
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/08/04/so-yes-the-stanley-parable/
11/08/2011 at 20:52 FriendlyFire says:
One of the sole, then. I still feel for the loss of the mod news column. There have been 8 mod news since then (June 8th), three of which were about mod tools and or lack thereof.
5 mod-related news in the past three months isn’t exactly what I’d call a plethora, now is it?
11/08/2011 at 20:56 Vinraith says:
Counting this one and the others I linked, there have been 4 in the past week. There are several each week. Many of them aren’t tagged “mod news.”
11/08/2011 at 19:20 danielgrak says:
I’m always annoyed when modders replace in-game ads with real ads. I thought people were supposed to hate real ads. They’re probably the same people who complain about real advertisements in other games.
Anyway. Nice mods I suppose
11/08/2011 at 19:34 tocard2 says:
@danielgrak It makes sense in something like GTA4 though. The game is an amazingly well crafted, well lived-in city. The RL ads just bring in that much more depth to it (depending on if the textures are high-res enough or not) in my opinion.
Honestly, if adding real ads into a GTA game helped fund them, I would be all for it. I just don’t want to pull out a T-Mobile cell phone, or see three different ads in the entire city (I’m looking at you Prototype!).
11/08/2011 at 21:41 Vandelay says:
Agreed tocard2. I don’t particular have any issue with ingame advertising in principle. I manage to ignore it on television and in films, so if it means games I want to play get more money to be made then I’m all for it. As long as it is tastefully done and isn’t shoved down your throat every few seconds then it isn’t an issue for me.
Heck, even Chaos Theory’s gum advertising didn’t bother me that much, as it was so incredibly cheesy it made me laugh.
12/08/2011 at 05:32 thecat17 says:
Except, that doing so would destroy the satiric tone that the developers are going for, and have been going for since at least GTA3 (if not before… haven’t played the first two). The fake ads are an integral part of the GTA experience, providing commentary on crass-commercialism within a hypercapitalist society.
Except, in GTAIV’s case having to recreate Times Square means that ads are shoved down your throat every few seconds in that section of the game. Which is what I believe danielgrak was touching upon: we in the first world countries are so saturated by real ads in our real lives, what’s the point of modding a game that makes note of this fact and replacing the satirical ads with real ones?
11/08/2011 at 20:29 povu says:
That Iron Man video would’ve been much better if it cut the second half out. I was waiting for stuff to happen, pedestrians and cars being kicked three blocks away, but the guy is doing nothing interesting at all. >.>
12/08/2011 at 09:11 kororas says:
Yeh i was half expecting the first punch to send teh pedestrian flying off into the nearest car bonnet. Oh well :(
12/08/2011 at 00:47 Gundato says:
Dude, it is Demon in a Bottle: The Video Game.
Fly around NYC as Tony Stark, randomly stealing cars and beating people up.
12/08/2011 at 15:48 Masked Dave says:
All this shows me is how fucking awesome the Avengers game has the potential to be.