This article is concerned with the role that fan-programmers (generally known as
“modders”) play in the success of the PC digital game industry. The fan culture for
digital games is deeply embedded in shared practices and experiences among fan
communities, and their active consumption contributes economically and culturally to
broader society. Using a survey of the most commercially successful PC games in
the first-person shooter category from 2002 until 2004, this article answers a series of
questions concerning fan-programmer produced content: (a) What is the value of the
fan produced game add-ons in terms of labor costs? (b) What motivates fans to make
add-ons for their favorite games? and (c) How does the fan-programmer phenomenon
in PC gaming fit into broader trends in the high-tech economy?