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The creator of a popular series of photo mods has pulled down their tools for Crysis 2 and 3 Remastered after a take-down notice from Crytek.
Modder Frans Bouma has created a range of tools that add or expand photo mode options for games, including the tools used to give Final Fantasy 7 Remake the classic camera angles from the 1997 original. Bouma distributes the tools to others via a Patreon subscription page, though they're careful to note that the code for the mod tools they create is entirely original, with no original game assets included.
Crytek apparently doesn't want thousands of people posting screenshots of their game on social media and other sites. FTR I don't distribute any game asset; my camera tools only contain binaries compiled from my own code and not linked to any game asset. pic.twitter.com/b2Pakbe9zeJanuary 13, 2022
According to Bouma's public Patreon post explaining their side of the incident, a Crytek representative said the sticking point in this case is that the mods have been monetized via the Patreon subscription. Since all mods for a Crysis Remastered game are technically in violation of their end user license agreement, Crytek has the standing to request these ones be taken offline.
It's disappointing for fans of Bouma's work as well as those with a more general interest in in-game photography (Bouma even argues that the mods are a boon for the games themselves, since they result in more free promotion via social media shares). However, the added wrinkle of charging for access to these mods does make things more complicated.
We've reached out to Crytek to see if it wishes to respond to Bouma's posts and will update this story if we hear back.
If you want to increase your own photo mode chops, you should check out this general tutorial from a real-life photographer.
