Create Your Own Weapons And Items With ARK: Survival Evolved Dev Kit

One of the ways of keeping gamers coming back for more is opening up the development to the community with development or modding kits. CD Projekt Red just recently unleashed the modding kit for the Red Engine and now Studio Wildcard's development kit for ARK: Survival Evolved will be part of a $15,000 contest hosted by Alienware.

VG 24/7 is reporting that there's a contest being hosted by Alienware where the grand prize winner will be awarded $15,000 and some top of the line gaming gear from from the high-end computer manufacturer.

The contest for the modding submissions is quite straightforward, requiring contest entrants to either make a new functional feature in the game, including a game mode, or a new map. The rules are loose enough to include things like maps, dinosaurs, weapons, models and even items.

Entries must contain approximately 500 words about how the mod adheres to the rules of the contest and what the mod does.

I doubt anything from our list of creepiest game mods will be making an appearance in ARK, but given that this is a contest going out far and wide to the denizens of the internet, anything is possible.

The judging criteria for the ARK mods is also straightforward: they'll be judging the mod based on its originality and creativity as well as its graphical polish and functionality.

You can follow the path of Peter Molyneux and attempt to “change the world” but keep in mind that your mod still has to work when it's time to boot it up.

Mod entries have until October 6th to finish the mod, snap a screenshot and have it uploaded to ARK: Survival Evolved's Steam Workshop.

This should be very interesting and it's a great way to kickstart the modding community for the indie game, which is scheduled to launch for the Xbox One and PS4 as soon as it nears completion on PC.

One of the most obvious mods would probably be a Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon mod, since the game already has dinosaurs you can ride and has some space-age weaponry. Giving the game a dark atmosphere and some neon lights along with some cool 1980's synth and you've got a Blood Dragon mod ripe and ready to go.

Another common mod anyone could readily come up with is a Jurassic Park mod. I mean, the dinosaurs are already there all it would take is having a jeep move on rails and give gamers a tour of the park while John Williams' iconic theme plays in the background.

The modding possibilities for an open-world survival game is kind of limitless. The only thing that will stand in the way is time and imagination.

After the October 6th deadline hits the following month, on November 2nd, Alienware will choose a winner of the modding contest and the winner will be displayed on Alienware website. For information on getting your hands on the dev kit and submitting your project to the Steam Workshop, feel free to visit the ARK: Survival Evolved website.