Mod

Mod

•  Shortened word; meaning "Modified" or "Modification"

• Usable as a Verb, Adjective and Noun
• Verb: I have modded this game
• Adjective: This is a modded controller
• Noun: Check out this new Mod 

•  Modding refers to the act of taking something, whether this be a video game, a controller, a system, or any other item and altering it from its original purpose or design. 

• Examples of Modding include things like changing the way that a game or system works, taking the original code or program and altering it to change the function of the game or even create or remove content.

•  A good cross reference for Modding outside of Video Games would be something like Street Racing. While a vehicle is not sold out of the factory with illegal items that might make it faster on the street, racers will often modify their vehicle with these new parts in order to make their vehicles do what they want.

•  While generally frowned upon as a whole by the industry, modding has both positive and negative possibilities. For Example:

• Players in the game "Elder Scrolls: Skyrim" are able to access and modify the code for their game in order to create new weapons, items, and even people to play with in the expansive world of the game. The creators, embracing this, allow these amateur developers to share this content in order to improve the game experience for everyone. Similar examples can be seen in the game Minecraft.

• Players in many First Person Shooters such as Call of Duty, Halo, and more will modify their games or systems in order to allow them to cheat against other players. Things that will let them be invincible, super strong, fast, and more create an unfair and unpleasant gaming experience for other gamers. These gamers are often found and punished by blocking their accounts, banning their systems so they are never able to play again, etc.