Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's director Naoki Hamaguchi caused a stir last December when he asked modders «not to create or install anything offensive or inappropriate» for the second part of the RPG's remake, which just launched on PC. While he didn't specify what was «offensive or inappropriate», such a broad statement would certainly cover nude mods, which are as inevitable in PC gaming as fiddling with your graphics settings.
Naturally, the PC gaming community responded «Sure, bro» before continuing to put, as one redditor so eloquently put it «a massive hog on Cait». Hamaguchi recently returned to the subject when asked by Automaton Media about his personal perspective on mods. This time, he offered a more detailed response, albeit one that doesn't necessarily reflect a vastly different stance than before.
Hamaguchi began by pointing out that he has been known to dabble in a spot of modding. «As someone who plays games on PC, I sometimes use mods myself,» he told Automaton. He also acknowledges that modding is a core part of the PC gaming experience. «I'm aware that mods have come to be accepted by the community and that they bring enjoyment to many players», he said, adding «I see it as a positive thing myself.»
More specifically, Hamaguchi says «I respect the modding community» and recognises the importance of mods in PC gaming, observing that mods can «breathe new life into games» years after release, citing Fallout and the Elder Scrolls as evidence. He likewise notes that «Volunteer communities often move faster than the companies that produced the source material.»
All of this is fair and accurate, if not vastly insightful. But he then returns to the subject of which mods players should use and which they shouldn't. Regarding his previous statements, Hamaguchi says he «Wasn't trying to tell people not to use mods.» Rather, he says it was «More about being mindful. Both creators and users alike should ensure mods don't detract from the intended game experience.»
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