debate Paid Mods Debate

[🎶Darkfire16]

It's an old topic, I know, but I really want to see what some of you had to say about the recent "Paid Modding" incident that happened in the steam workshop. What do you think of this?

 

 

Personally, I agree that modders should be compensated for their work, but the way Valve implemented it is rather rampant and absurd, even though it got taken down not 1 or 2 days later. Seriously, a 75% cut on something they didn't even curate, nor make themselves? The modders themselves get like, 10%, Maybe not even that. What do you guys think of this atrocity?

[🎶KuramaVII]

I thought they canceled this. At least that's what one of the guys who does the weekly Skyrim mod things said (MMOxReview). I didn't really like it, paying for mods is basically paying for unofficial DLC which I'm pretty sure the company who developed those games would get upset about eventually if they weren't getting a cut (don't remember if they were or not), plus the modders only got like 20% or something from it while Steam got like 75 or 80%. If the max you could charge was $5, the modder who made that mod would be getting less than $1.50.

Edited May 1, 2015 by KuramaVII

[🎶Argysionnach]

First and foremost, the whole thing was scrapped by valve, so the topic's not particularly relevant anymore.  That said, when it WAS up, the modders actually got 25% of the price of the mod.  Still not a fair split, imo, out of the money they received, but definitely better than 10%.

Still, honestly, my stance on it is that there should just be an optional donate-button.  A mod takes a lot of work, sometimes, sure, but you're still starting off of a base game.  Yes, they absolutely deserve credit for what they've made, but as they didn't make their own game, nor do they ensure that the mod will actually WORK for everyone, so no, I don't believe modders deserve to actually be paid for it.

[🎶Darkfire16]

Let me make one thing clear here: This is a discussion on the concept of paid mods, not how Valve implemented it. I personally believe modders should be entitlted to some form of payment for their work, and this isn't just for modding itself- It honestly boils down to a simple fact: Talented people should be compensated for their work.

First and foremost, the whole thing was scrapped by valve, so the topic's not particularly relevant anymore. That said, when it WAS up, the modders actually got 25% of the price of the mod.  Still not a fair split, imo, out of the money they received, but definitely better than 10%.

​It wasn't "scrapped", It was taken down until they can find a better way to implement this system. Likewise, Skyrim wasn't exactly the best choice to do this, as their community has had free mods for years now, thus why it caused the entire Nexus community to rush out in an uproar. The hilarity in this is that Valve actually warned Robin Scott, owner of Nexus Mods, to be prepared for the fallout. It's almost as if they knew this backlash was imminent.

Modders didn't even get 25% anyway, Valve got 75%. Bethesda got nearly 10 - 15%, and the creators themselves get nearly 10%. Hell, even 5% of Valve's cut goes to the Nexus Mods websites, which was and is the main server provider for Skyrim mods in the first place. However, i do agree with your argument that there should at least be a donate button. Nexus Mods does it right, Steam blew it up like a microwaved egg.

 

And for gods sakes, there was so many troll mods and protest mods on the workshop during this that it was sickening. 100$ for a golden potato?

Edited May 1, 2015 by Darkfire16

[🎶Argysionnach]

Modders didn't even get 25% anyway, Valve got 75%. Bethesda got nearly 10 - 15%, and the creators themselves get nearly 10%. Hell, even 5% of Valve's cut goes to the Nexus Mods websites, which was and is the main server provider for Skyrim mods in the first place. However, i do agree with your argument that there should at least be a donate button. Nexus Mods does it right, Steam blew it up like a microwaved egg.

​The cut given officially in Valve's disclosure was 35% to Valve, 40% to Bethesda, and 25% to the Modder.  I have no clue where you're getting your percentages, as every source I've seen has given the ones I'm presenting here.

[🎶Darkfire16]

​The cut given officially in Valve's disclosure was 35% to Valve, 40% to Bethesda, and 25% to the Modder.  I have no clue where you're getting your percentages, as every source I've seen has given the ones I'm presenting here.

​My apologies, my sources were invalid, the blog was taken down. Still, the modder getting 25% is absolutely ludicrous. Valve did nothing towards creating the mods, Bethesda I can understand because it's their base game, 40% is reasonable. But valve taking 35% is ridiculous. In my honest opinion, it should have been 40% to the modder, 35% to Bethesda, and 25% to Valve. I understand it's their workshop, but it's not their game. Neither Valve nor Bethesda had any say nor contributions to the mods in the steam workshop.

Expanding on this, The entire paragraph above would make sense if this was implemented correctly. It should have honestly been an option to donate money instead of forcefully charging 4$ for a bloody sword. Honestly, that's no sense.

THIS was going to be an Axe you could buy for 5$. Absolutely ridiculous.

Edited May 1, 2015 by Darkfire16

[🎶KuramaVII]

That doesn't even look worth $5. And eventually some modders are going to find a way to scumbag paid mods for money.

Edited May 2, 2015 by KuramaVII

[Riamz]

I read somewhere that you had to request a mod to be paid for, apparently not  I also can see why skyrim was a bad place to start but I mean who the hell Would use steam workshop to get skyrim mods! Like I saw a bunch of popular mods for a price but im thinking don't you need SKSE anyway?  I mean your buying mods from steam and your not even going to use steam to play the game like I would honestly fork over that money if they could promise me to have no incompatible mods and files etc etc.. but steamworkshop is a really unstable modding tool for skyrim, when I first heard his I was thinking "please, steamworkshop is the dumbest way to mod, in addition there just going to give all their users over to the nexus", in my opinion it was a stupid move, like really really stupid  and for if your wondering why are you just going on about skyrim? Its because it only got released for it, but think about it... it could spread to gary's mod... if that happened I think everything would have a price tag gamemodes maps the lot! Thats a world I could live without...

 anyway thanks for the time!