Ziff Davis' 1UP.com has posted an excellent new feature from PC mag Computer Gaming World described as 'an all-angles roundtable talk on the art of modmaking'.

In the first section, representatives from Valve, DICE, Id Software, and Epic talk about the advantages and disadvantages of modding, with Epic's Jeff Morris being particularly well-spoken: "Player-created content keeps products on store shelves, no doubt about it. It pretrains potential hires, can generate great mainstream press, and is a wonderful feedback mechanism for fans. The downsides, however, are pretty potent. One is opening your game up to vulnerabilities. You also have the potential of copyrighted material showing up 'in your game'..."

Elsewhere, both modders turned game professionals and current modders weigh in, with Robert Crouch of the Dystopia Half-Life 2 mod noting: "Investors and publishers see innovative product as a massive financial risk. Without a proven market, they're hardly going to sign big contracts and give developers free reign to create anything out of the ordinary. As modders, we risk only our own spare time, and even if our projects fail to pick up players, we've still gained valuable experience."