Garry's Mod

About

Garry’s Mod^[1], also known as GMod, is an independent physics sandbox game, modified from the Source^[2] 3D game engine. The game does not have a set of rules or goals and is used to manipulate props from other Steam based games like Team Fortress 2 or Portal.

History

Garry’s Mod was originally released on December 24th 2004.^[3] Created by Garry Newman^[4], the game was originally intended as a mod for Half-Life 2. On November 29th, 2006, Garry’s Mod was made available on Steam, allowing all Valve games to be used in GMod.

The game has been continually updated since its release. On September 7th, 2010, a Toybox feature was released for the game, which automatically downloads third party content while you’re already in the game, making it much easier for users to add on the new content and eliminating the need for users to download from alternate websites.

Reception

In the game, users can build contraptions by connecting different models such as nails, pulleys, muscles, balloons, hoverballs and more in a number of ways. There are also face, eye, and finger posing interfaces for ragdolls built into the program by default, as well as with 3rd party plugins that allow for scene playback from different characters.

Fandom

Many add-ons and tutorials are available on the official message board for the site, Facepunch Forums.^[5] There is also an unofficial download site, GarrysMod.org^[11], which hosts a collection of skins, builds, maps, and other addons for the game. Most of the fandom exists around YouTube creations. There is also a GMod Wiki^[12] which hosts a manual, tutorials for new players, and links to other sites to encourage player creations.

The Wiki hosts a collection of links to GMod communities^[14], including over 40 forums, 4 download hubs, 5 news sites, and over 20 Roleplaying sites.

Machinima

Using Garry’s Mod’s customizable functions and 3D computer graphics rending engines, many users have created original short films as well as re-creating segments from popular films and TV shows that came to be known as Machinima. Such videos are typically created with first-person games like Team Fortress 2, Half-Life 2, Portal and Left 4 Dead and produced by game fans who are sometimes referred to as “machinimists” or “machinimators.”

Online Impact

Dr. Hax

Dr. Hax is a character from the GMod Idiot Box YouTube series based on Half Life 2 characters. The videos are made by YouTuber DasBoSchitt.^[6] The channel was created on December 9th, 2006 and receives nearly 23,000 views a day. Dr Hax is based on Half Life 2’s Dr Breen only with an inflated head. In the series, Dr. Hax character shouts “HAAAX” while telekinetically thrusting a computer monitor at his target. The act of pointing at a person and shouting “Hax!” evolved in to a popular catchphrase on its own.

Grabbin’ Pills

“Grabbin’ Pills” is a catchphrase commonly associated with the character Louis from Left 4 Dead. In the game, pain pills are an HP boosting item and when a character sees them, he or she exclaims “Pills here!” The catchphrase appears in GMod memes to reference Louis’ apparent constant craving for pills or “peels.”

Intelligent Heavy and Spyper

Intelligent Heavy and *Spyper were both made by YouTuber minifett^[7], whose channel was created on February 3rd, 2008 and gets approximately 4500 views a day. Intelligent Heavy is a Heavy who indulges in his intelligence for answers to questions form the other classes, including his best friend Spyper, a hybrid Spy and Sniper. He is depicted with the BLU Spy’s head on the BLU Sniper’s body.

Vagineer

The Vagineer is a GMod character made by using the faceposer tool on a Team Fortress 2 Engineer class character. A Vagineer has reversed speech and growls. It can also remove and regrow its own limbs or spit acid at others. The character appears across several different YouTube series, in which he frequently harasses and eats other TF2 characters.

Painis Cupcake

Painis Cupcake (also known as Penis Cupcake) is a character by YouTuber RubberFruit^[8] based on the Soldier class from Team Fortress 2. The channel was created on October 28th, 2006 with over 19,500 views a day. The character introduces himself by saying “I am Painis Cupcake. I will eat you," made by a voice command in the game. In these videos, the character will introduce himself then proceed to fight and devour the target.

Wanna Dance?

Wanna Dance? is based on a YouTube video series featuring characters from various games grooving to trance music in loop. The original video was submitted to Gzero91’s Project Flail collaboration by YouTuber FineLeatherJackets^[9] featuring a Team Fortress 2 Heavy. It was remixed many times and while the choreography varies slightly from video to video, the hip swinging and up-and-down movement of arms have become closely associated with this series.

Search Interest

Search for Garry’s Mod began in December 2004 when the game was originally released. It peaked in December 2006, right after the Steam release. GMod has had consistently more search, due to it being an abbreviation for several things. Interest peaks in summer months, coinciding with school breaks.

External References