Why Games are coded?

[Bibu07]

Hi just wanted to know the cause for the developing companies like EA,Codies etc. to code the game files in a particular format.
For instance :
EA code the textures as fsh and Codies put the textures in archives called bags.
Why do they do this?
Reason it out.

I think to prevent the people from modding it easily.What's your opinion?

 

[Sureshot]

Probably just use different software when creating the files.

 

[Kshitiz_Indian]

Not exactly. They mostly create file formats themselves according to needs. Different checksums, different headers, different file structures, compression levels all play a very important role.

For example, FSH's will be a lot more efficient than using a, say Adobe PSD because BMP is largely uncompressed (FSH's hold uncompressed BMP's) and it doesn't take much processing power during runtime.

 

[barmyarmy]

Interestingly in C2k2 the game was entirely unpacked and could be edited simply by replacing the png, dat etc files.

 

[Kev]

I certainly think some companies shoot themselves in the foot by making their games too hard to modify. Who really cares if we alter the game, they get their money and the modifications communities make extend the life of the game and I think actually encourage others to buy the game. Take BLIC2007 as an example, what have we managed to modify? Bugger all and who still plays it? Nobody. I didn't buy it and apart from it being rubbish the fact that we couldn't do anything about it stopped me from buying it. For the record if anyone from Codies is reading this, Even though it was a big pile of steaming poo I'd have still purchased it if I thought people could have modified it more to my liking.

 

[barmyarmy]

The inability to edit the AI has seriously flawed the two BLIC releases. There's no way the developers can get the AI to a proper level with the amount of testing they do and poor AI dramatically reduces a games shelf-life.
With online play BLIC07 should have had great longevity but, despite the lack of online play, C07 has still lasted longer due to gameplay and stroke patches.

 

[Bibu07]

I certainly think some companies shoot themselves in the foot by making their games too hard to modify. Who really cares if we alter the game, they get their money and the modifications communities make extend the life of the game and I think actually encourage others to buy the game. Take BLIC2007 as an example, what have we managed to modify? Bugger all and who still plays it? Nobody. I didn't buy it and apart from it being rubbish the fact that we couldn't do anything about it stopped me from buying it. For the record if anyone from Codies is reading this, Even though it was a big pile of steaming poo I'd have still purchased it if I thought people could have modified it more to my liking.

Yes that's exactly what I thought .
We buy it So why do they care about ourselves modifying it?It doesn't affect them , I think.
Why don't they make games packed by the c2k2 method.That would be easy enough to modify.Won't it be?
No matter how so ever they are packing it.The packages are easily opened by the softwares made by experienced hackers.
Are these hackers from the same developing company?Because they make the tool pretty easily..May be in 5-6 days after the game gets released.

 

[MacWorld]

yes but would a big company release a game that takes up HD space and slows down your system, as Kshitiz said they pack it to stop system resources from being used up. If that means not allowing editing to stop ur system slwoing down, so be it.

However i would like to edit games.