Mario Maker is set to release later this week, ready to provide endless hours of amateur platforming design. While it has been lauded for its familiar toolset, it certainly isn't the first game to look toward its users for longevity. Games like LittleBigPlanet, Disney Infinity, and even to an extent, Minecraft, have put the player base in charge of keeping the game fresh and exciting long-term.

This week, the Chattycast examines user-generated content. Not to be confused with mods, UGC is a unique partnership between game designer and player, with tools designed with a very specific focus on making content creation a game in itself. Which games have done it best and worst? What's the mark of a great UGC system? What are the benefits and drawbacks of a more narrow toolset versus a very flexible one? Do we expect the trend to continue well into the future, or is it just a fad?

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