After Fortnite last March, the publisher of Fall Guys has announced that a creative mode will go live on May 10th, allowing players to create their own courses., to then invite friends during private matches, but also to share them with the Fall Guys community for others to try. In addition, certain popular levels from Epic Games can be highlighted for them to incorporate into the game.
While creative modes are nothing new, the idea of monetizing player creations is more recent. Last March, Fortnite launched its new Creative mode, giving players more ways to create unique worlds. An innovative tool, particularly exploited by the public to create terrifying maps inspired by various creepypastas (especially the famous backrooms), as a counterpoint to the light and childish atmosphere of the original game.
But that’s not the only novelty. Where in Fall Guys it is suggested that certain creations be included in the official game, the Fortnite developer suggests rewarding players for their creations. The more popular your creations are, the more likely you are to receive a percentage of Fortnite’s net earnings.
Here Fortnite, and with it Epic Games, is trying to walk on the tiptoes of Roblox, another free-to-play game that offers its users the opportunity to create unique games and universes. Like Fortnite, Roblox is aimed at a very young audience and also rewards the most popular creations with virtual currency (Robux).
This argument of merit is at the heart of the logic of Roblox, where millions of young players (more than half of Roblox players are thirteen or younger) spend hours creating games in hopes of becoming one of the chosen few who will stand up for their efforts are compensated. The rare success stories that result from this model become the perfect carrot for young people in search of fame and fortune. However, this system, which works thanks to the labor and exploitation of children, raises many ethical questions, since underage players sometimes manage huge sums of money without legal frameworks or corporate support.
Of course, mods are an integral part of video game culture, but until they were officially incorporated into the original game, the question of their commercialization was irrelevant.
For example, if the creative modes make it possible to spark a new interest in certain games and understand the basics of video game creation, Roblox remains a tool with an impressively effective grip to create the basics of a game As part of a service game created by is heavily used by a young audience, its use can be problematic. Because instead of paying employees to create content, users do it for them and for free.
Creative mode, Eldorado or golden prison?