This is really gonna up the replay value for me. My favorite UT2K4 mod was a huge living room with couches and a TV and the stage was playing heavy metal in the background. It was fun times.

Mod-maker? So people would be able to develop mods like, say, freeze tag? Or Rocket Arena?

Are we going to be able to get this with the 360 version? If not, I need to buy a PS3.

So you need a PC to edit levels?

@HigglyPiggly: Think in previous posts it mentioned the 360 won't be getting mods.

Has this been released in the UK yet? If it has I really need to wake up.

@HigglyPiggly: I know when I talked to Rein back at last year's E3 he said it was exclusive to the PS3, but you know how those things change.

I have a few maps and skins almost ready, looking forward to this.

The modding stuff is my main hook to get it for the PS3, until some mods actually get released and they work well i'll hold fire on getting it. That vid that came out a while ago of that custom map on the ps3 had dreadful frame rate issues.

I am so impressed that they are pulling this off. Granted, it is a little tedious to download to my PC, transfer to my thumb drive, and then download onto the PS3, but hey, it works!

Every day, I love my PS3 a little bit more. Here's to hoping they pull off something cool on the 360 side as well!

@ErickTheRed: Yes, you need a PC because it is sooo much more than editing levels. It includes making new levels, making game modes like the freeze tag or rocket arena, adding mutators. It isn't a level editor, it's the game editor. Many of them tend to be the software, or a slightly dumbed down version, of what the devs actually used. Another game that does this is Oblivion. It's editor is what the devs used.

Looking forward to some Rocket Arena and maybe some total conversions! :D

@crecente: Mark also said in other interviews that MS isn't willing to allow unapproved content to be distributed via XBLA.

On the other hand, I really wish there was a way to mod for PS3 without having to buy both the PS3 and PC versions.

@jiSh: Don't hold your breath for TCs. They usually change more than what a standard editor lets you do.

If you really want mods and user created maps you should probably just play UT3 on a PC where it will automatically download any missing components when you join a game instead of just kicking you.

@Moonchilde:

There has been some talk on user forums about Epic releasing UT3 SDK for those that register their copy of the PS3 version. I don't know if anything has come of it though.

@darknessgp: I'm still trying to comprehend this - you own a PC that can run Unreal and you guys are concerned with PS3 mods? Hold on, you own a Pc that can run Unreal and a PS3!! WTF guy, tell mom your spoiled already

@-EDGE-: That would be really awesome. If that happened, I'd definitely pick up a copy of the game for PS3.

Unless of course, id Software announces that Rage will be able to have mods for the PS3 version as well. In that case, I'd much rather go with that engine for modding purposes. The stuff it can toss at the consoles is really amazing, and the engine runs at 60 fps.

The first user-created PS3 UT3 map was already cooked by Epic
[www.eurogamer.net]
It was made by Thomas Browett and is called DM-Shrine.
I have the PC version but still I can't wait for the UT3 EU PS3 version to see some mods in all their beauty!

@ErickTheRed: What the hell are you on about?

@ErickTheRed: You don't need to be able to run unreal. All you need is the tool set, from that you can download any mod and make it ps3 friendly, thats the whole point. Even if I can't play it on my PC, I can transplant mods to my ps3 version.

@ErickTheRed:
Umm... you know, not all of us are kids anymore and you won't believe it, but some of us have also jobs ;)

@AGiES: "If you really want mods and user created maps you should probably just play UT3 on a PC where it will automatically download any missing components when you join a game instead of just kicking you."

Wait, the PS3 doesn't auto download missing components? WTF?

@-EDGE-: "There has been some talk on user forums about Epic releasing UT3 SDK for those that register their copy of the PS3 version. I don't know if anything has come of it though."

Don't hold your breath. It would have to include all of the game assets, including textures, map data, characters, etc... So, probably around 6GB of data that is the game's heart and soul.

@Garo: And some of us have wives and lives there nerdo - get yourself one of those and see if you have $$$ 4 games

@Rectangle: No... it doesn't. Very annoying. Hope they fix that in an update, because it's incredibly lame. Several of the new maps are pretty cool too, shame it's practically impossible to play them with anyone as a result of this.

@Rectangle: You gotta take mods off a pc and put them onto your ps3. Reason being mainly cause of liability to Epic and the PSN. LIVE and PSN do not like the idea of user created downloadable content due to liability if something goes wrong. Epic had to work around this to get mods on the PS3, and they have no idea if they can do the same for the 360 version

@dv8godd: How is it impossible to play anyone.... I've played the new maps just fine.

@dv8godd: Jeez, look at the UT2004 servers out there with mods installed. Mods are never "finished." They are always being hacked to pieces. The chances of getting a group of 16 people together with all the same versions of all the mods you want to use is going to be nearly impossible in a very short while without auto download. :(

This is a huge handicap.

@Moonchilde: When you think about it, it may be even more than just distributing the content via the Live Marketplace that they're not ok with. After all, Sony isn't allowing the online distribution on the PSN either. You have to download the content on a PC and transfer it manually via external storage to the PS3.

@Kyle81: I'll rephrase... it's possible, but will become annoying difficult and impractical. It's possible to play anyone that has the new maps, of course, but it's untenable to run them as a host unless everyone has them installed because you kick people when the map gets chosen. It's a poor choice for moving forward as more mods get released because it's going to be increasingly difficult to manage all that over time. In a few months, it could very likely become a nightmare to play with people who don't have the exact same mods and maps installed as you, and increasingly difficult to be sure they do without some sort of automated downloading from the host.
 
Of course, you could set up a host that just runs mod maps and directs people where to get them, but it's nowhere near as efficient as the old way of auto-download. It's just a ponderous barrier to entry for something as basic as new maps.

@Rectangle: That's pretty much my point. Without some kind of way to help keep each player's mods and maps in sync, it's going to grow increasingly difficult to effectively run custom additions without a lot of hand-holding and hassles. Playing offline: fine. Playing with close friends by doing a lot of coordinated effort: not too bad. Playing with the world: rather impractical without some automated syncing.

Would you guys be happy if they did something on the 360 more akin to Forge in Halo3? (U can't edit the landscape but everything else is fair game)

@ErickTheRed:

Wow, what a prick you are! You think that you are the only one who has a wife or a kid and writes on the internet? And you have the nerve to call a fellow commenter on a gaming site a nerdo? Hilarious!
If you have a wife and a kid i feel sorry for them :/

Keep it going and I'll send ya a Valentine

Forget it dude, I won't feed a troll like you anymore... time to move on.

@dv8godd: On the PC side (forgive me if this has been mentioned already) if you don't have the mods that a particular host is running, UT would ask if you want to download the needed mods right then and there. I don't see why this couldn't be possible on PS3. I remember doing it quite a few times on UT GoTY edition when I first got it. There has to be a way for mods to be available through the game if some people are without them once the community becomes large enough. I'm late to this discussion so if I missed something forgive me.

Anyways - to all the modders out there...can we get some transformer skins and maybe some Smurf and Mario skins. Maybe a SSBB themed UTIII map with characters featured from the upcoming title. Maybe even a Goldeneye themed level since its never going to see the light of day on VC. It's all possible. I'd love to be able to hip thrust at the end of a match with Papi Smurf. There's something wildly erotic and disturbing about that. It'd be awesome!

It'll be great when the cooking capability gets integrated into the editor, and people can happily create and test their own mods. Then hopefully we'll get a followup to Tycho's nonsensical anti-UT3 rant. You know the it's ridiculous that I need to have a USB key or use a 'hacked ipod' (wtf?) one? I've loved Penny Arcade for years but his two anti-Epic posts about UT3 were just embarassing.

I mean Assassin's Creed gets an 'oh but it really is awesome you should still buy it' apology, Mass Effect gets the 'the loading times are absolutely intolerable... but it's the BEST GAME EVER', and then Epic goes to great lengths to bring awesome features never before seen in a console game to the PS3 and they get bagged on twice? So strange.

The PS3 version does support "auto down loads". Most of the issues are going to come from the size of the file. But as a "client" in theory, you should be able to join any server after you DL whatever mutators/mods etc, they are running. Only maps as far as I know need to be user loaded on the PS3 at this point.

@ErickTheRed: As previously said, your PC doesn't have to handle UT3 to be able to do the editor. It's a perfect way for people will low end machines, but a PS3 to create their own mods or "cook" great existing PC mods.

As for the person asking if we'd want something like the forge. I say, hell no. The forge is a great improvement over console editors, but it can not come near the customization ability that you get from these editors. Seriously, if you haven't tried an editor, go out and try one. Try Starcraft's. It's very basic compared to the ones coming out now, but it'll give you the basic idea. Essentially, you can change almost EVERYTHING if you wanted to.

@erac3rx: great point but I disregarded those statements as "the result of misinformation/general lack of knowledge and the ever popular trend to hate any advancement on the PS3 in favor of 360 douche fandom."

As such, people with a working brain realized PS3 usb support is just that...USB SUPPORT. Meaning I plug a SD card reader, external HDD, thumbdrive or nearly ANY USB device into the damn console and it fucking works.

But hey, it's not so strange. It's a sign of the times and another indication that sometimes, it's just simply not about good games.

@ErickTheRed:

hey erick, how old are you?

i have a wife and a mortgage and i have plenty of cash to spend on games (i have ps3, ps2, psp, 360, wii and ds lite with plenty of games for each).

so the thing is, we are both college grads and make our own money. who woulda thunk it? obviously not someone as narrow minded as you.

@Striderhayasa: "n the PC side (forgive me if this has been mentioned already) if you don't have the mods that a particular host is running, UT would ask if you want to download the needed mods right then and there. I don't see why this couldn't be possible on PS3."
 
It should be possible... it just isn't doing it right now. I've been a long time player of UT myself, and yeah... the pc version gets it right. Unfortunately, after testing last night, no one could connect to my server when a custom map was running unless they already jumped through the hoops of getting that same content imported manually themselves. Or they were kicked if the map switched to a custom one they hadn't install later in play. It just isn't working like the pc version always has... (but hopefully soon will).
 
Don't get me wrong, I am really enjoying UTIII on the PS3... a lot. But custom content is going to be more of an annoyance than a boon for open-world multiplayer if they don't get auto-syncing of that content working. It should be possible, even though the maps are somewhat larger than they used to be.
 
Either that or they should set up a true community online that can be accessed through the game where users could grab uploaded content so there's at least an easier way to get that content in that the current system.
 
Currently you have to download it, unzip it, stick it in a special structure on a moveable device, launch UT, then import and unpack it. Problem is... you have to do this for every single map and/or mod individually... so every mod is a 3 minute process.
 
Of course, once you get it going, everything is peachy... but imagine what that's gonna be like 6 months down the road when there's 100 maps, 15 mods, and 2 total conversions under development. Headache.

@dv8godd:

yeah, it will be a headache. but i'll be getting every possible map as it comes out to play it myself.
if someone else doesn't have it when i go to play online, then i'll just stick to the standard maps. no biggie.

This is epic.

No reason to spill the haterade everywhere, just pointing out that living in mom's basement isn't exactly "trendy" these days. Kudos to DH4 on the wife and house, congrats on the college too there guy.

I'm 25 going on 16 and I apologize for flikin the on switch on the flamethrower OK - wont happen again

@dh4645: The thing that sucks is that maps have version numbers associated with them. So you can ask your buddies if they have the map "Fuggedaboudit". They will all respond "yes, I do!" Then they will get kicked off of your server because you have map version 1.9, another guy has version 1.7. And another guy has version 2.0. And they are all slightly different. It is a nightmare.

On the PC version of the game, the PC would simply download the server's version of the map automatically, store it on your hard drive, and you could play.

@dh4645: Yeah, I will too. I think what will end up happening is, if it isn't fixed, it'll segment the community into groups of people who are like you and I with custom content... and a mass of people who are too casual.
 
Epic will probably also release their own "map packs" to give us more content as well, giving variety but in a package you can reasonably expect people to have installed. Not my ideal solution, but a good way to break the inevitable monotony.

@melvin22: Thats probably correct, considering Sony is making people load the mods through flash cards. However, I don't see anything stopping Epic from allowing a user to load up a mod on his PS3 and then transferring it via P2P through the game to another player. Perhaps there is some sort of agreement between Epic and Sony not allowing that, but at least Sony had no issues with allowing user created content for the game.

I think with MS, they don't want unapproved content on their system, period. I don't recall the quote exactly, but it was along the lines of Mark saying MS doesn't want unapproved content, so thats why Mark went PS3 first since Sony didn't have a problem with having UT3 being customized via mods on their console.