   Console games map editors
  I'm confused. With the popularity of console map editors and modding why hasn't someone made a game of just map editors? Or a series of games that are just map editors?   
  Who would buy it ? Mods and custom maps for existing games are popular because they come on top of a game that people can buy and play. But if a game is just a level editor, how can I trust that what I'm paying for contains fun mods or levels (or any at all) ? In particular, what would the first buyer play for ?   ;  Something like the  RPG Maker series?   ;  They'd play them for many reasons. One of the reasons FarCry is so popular on the console is because it has a map editor. They'd play them to learn how to build maps gaining insight into game development. They'd play them to be creative when they're bored with other games and don't want to spend any more money on games this week. They'd play them because it was unique. They'd play them for recognition it could bring them. They'd play them because they can recreate other games and tweak them into their own without having to spend years learning to code. They'd play it because they enjoy it...Lots of reasons.If a game or series of games were made like this, my guess is whoever created the map editor would add a level made with it to show off some of it's capabilities. That there would be incentive.If you could fit five different genre's of map editors on one disk, that would give the player five different games to play. And we know gamers like that. For PC user's it may be no big deal but for fans of the console it's huge. Especially when their maps can be shared and played online.There are genre's that developers don't want to touch because of sales. Providing a map editor for a game like Pro Fishing Challenge could be very rewarding to the developer if the map editor is considered useless now. It could even spawn idea's to really get that genre going. Same goes with other genre's. There's alot of avenues that can be taken to market such a game or series. Not to mention the idea's that can be had.I believe that if you put the editors and one map from FarCry, Time Splitters:Future Perfect and Pariah on a disk and sold it to consoles gamers, that enormous profits could be had from doing so. I personally would like to see a mix of genre's. Such as sports and RPG's mixed with shooters.   ;  The level editors were made on PC's and utilized on PC's. Therefore if they sold the level editors the users would have to have a PC for it. The greatest contributing factor to why it wouldn't work is because players, once the map has been built, would need a mod chip for their console in order for their map to run. And not only that but how would you have the game disk and the map disk in 1 drive at the same time? It's just not feasible for the majority of console gamers. Only a very few gamers have mod chips or other modifications on their console.   ;Quote:Original post by phear-The level editors were made on PC's and utilized on PC's. Therefore if they sold the level editors the users would have to have a PC for it. The greatest contributing factor to why it wouldn't work is because players, once the map has been built, would need a mod chip for their console in order for their map to run. And not only that but how would you have the game disk and the map disk in 1 drive at the same time? It's just not feasible for the majority of console gamers. Only a very few gamers have mod chips or other modifications on their console.I take it you've never played and used the map editors from the three games I've mentioned on a console... That or I'm missing something very important. If I am, please inform me, I'm here to learn.Each of the games I've mentioned except for Pro Fishing Challenge were designed on a PC but maps can be made on the console for them utilizing the map editors that came with each game. Time splitters:Future Perfect even had progammable AI, doors, lights and activation lines.Sorry about the edit   ;  Well I suppose you could see the source engine as what your asking for. Valve supplys you with all the tools you need to make your own fps useing the source engine or just make maps for existing ones. Not sure how much of that freedom extends to the new console version though. ;  I think whatever freedom they could afford would be just fine. There's many levels this could be taken to.But in it's simplest form it would be... Developer makes map editor, with your normal stats tracking, leaderboards and such and the abilty to share and play them online with other players... Get several developers to do this... or have one developer do different genre's of map editors... Put them on disk... Sell them.edit: It works out for everyone   ;  A big issue here is the quality of maps. Developers have lots of experience, time, and money. An individual probably doesn't have much of any of those (except for maybe time). If I buy this game just to play it, not to make maps, I won't know how many good maps there will be. Maybe there's some real gems, but more likely most of them are completely terrible. Play some games online that let you create maps and you'll see what I mean. There are two or three good, player-made maps that people actually play and the rest are developer-made. Heck, in most games there are some developer maps that rarely get played.   ;  The team who made GoldenEye and Perfect Dark, which were deahtmatch favourites among lots of people formed their own studio and made some similar FPS on he PS2 and XBox and included a map editor in them. I can't remember the name of the series. TIMEKILLERS (I think).What is all this stuff about needing a PC to edit levels? I've used a trillion level editors in my time as a gamer, and more then a few have been on consoles all the way back to the NES.LodeRunnerExciteBikeTony Hawk series had a 3d park editor. I think it started in THPS 2 on PS1. Later games in the series even let you import textures over activision's network. It's fun logging in to play online and seeing everyone there with their their imported faces and custom levels.Hell, the game I've been playing for the last 2 months straight on my PS2 is nothing but a glorified editor. It offers 500 character creation slots, logo importing, arena editing, etc.. and has lived on for years due to online communities sharing and enjoying each other's creations.All the games I've spent the most time with in my playing time have been ones that offer content creation abilities.   