They're probably within one larger sphere, or are intersecting a little.
Modding is just a more inferior sphere, a plebeian low-poly sphere filled with a large percentage of crap. .
It's hopeless, and like game design degrees, it's a lie.
You need the courage to step out of that and learn all these things about what game engines are and so on. "Game design is has a lot of psychology in it"
I don't go anywhere the industry because it's weak and broken. There was a good article I read lately about how the modern game industry exists like it does because "the good people leave" or something to that effect. And of course the financial motivators are still in place, and of course gamers just buy and play pretty much anything, even though they complain about how out of touch with reality the game companies and developers are. Fuck me, I'm spending too much time bitching about it and not enough time setting a good example
anyway, here is a good rant about modern game design (Resident Evil 6):
http://sanity-death.blogspot.com/2012/10/resident-evil-6-is-just-as-weak-as-all.html
I know quite a lot about software
And I'm working on creativity so that I can either
A) be extremely pragmatic in working on a game solo (yes, there have been guys who eventually got enough knowledge to make game clones in a matter of months)
B) provide the software & community framework so that gamers make their own content; rules; maps/environments - and combine them into full games (with a giant free repository of content). The main barriers to making games is that software creators sit on the tech and devs have to make ALL THE CONTENT, LIKE TOWNS AND FORESTS AND CITIES AND SHIT, FROM NOTHING EACH TIME, ALONG WITH ALL THE SYSTEMS LIKE AI. It's actually quite moronic.
also, another good thing I wrote on gamers & making content:
http://sanity-death.blogspot.com/2012/10/what-games-should-be-more-about.html
So.. well, I have plans and I'm set on becoming very talented so I can do all kinds of stuff.