Valve/Bethesda announce paid modding for Skyrim, more games to follow
Valve and Bethesda announced today that they've updated the Skyrim Workshop to enable mod authors to upload mods to the site which can then be placed behind a paywall, requiring users to pay a set amount (or an author-set minimum, with the option to pay more if you so wish) before they can download the mod in question. I'm not sure there's been an official announcement about the revenue split, but as there's no new information at this time, I think it's safe to assume it's 25% to the mod author, 75% to Valve/Bethesda, of which I believe 5% can go to "Service Providers" out of Valve and/or Bethesda's cut. Once again, seems that information is missing from any FAQs or documents at this time. The old axiom goes, however, "it's better to have 25% of something, than 100% of nothing".
If you're interested in reading up about this then you can head over to the Workshop page which has more details. This won't be a long news post about my opinions on the topic as my fingers are still a little warm from the 3,000 odd words I wrote last month on this exact topic which predicted all this. My feelings haven't changed. It's too early for that.
On top of that Bethesda have also announced a free Skyrim weekend. Anyone who doesn't already have Skyrim will be able to play it, for free, this weekend (unlike some mods, ho ho ho. Sorry, too soon?). In light of that, and what it could mean for our servers here, I've decided to cancel a long-weekend holiday I've had booked for the past 4 months with 30 other people, a reunion type thing, in Spain. I can't be sunning up by the pool fixing/tweaking servers on an 11 inch laptop via SSH with slightly dodgy Spanish hotel internet (no offence, Spain!) while trying to keep you all informed as to what's happening. It might not happen in light of the extensive investment, both in time and money, we've put in to the servers over the past few years, but what with our past history and the fact there's even potential for it, it just wouldn't be right. Thanks for the heads up on that one Valve/Bethesda! Not.
What I will say, however, is that many mod authors have mods on the Nexus and on the Skyrim Workshop, some of whom already have paid mods on the Workshop. I've taken a quick look at the comments on those paid file pages and some of the things being said are horrific. While I'm sure no one is shocked by that, this is the internet after all, simply looking at it reminds me of one of the main reasons we do what we do here. We moderate. We try to fence off a little piece of the internet where your actions have consequences, and with that in mind, if we see anyone attacking or abusing mod authors here because they have paid mods up on the Workshop you'll be gone. Instantly. With no warning.
The Nexus is for everyone from every background, colour, creed, and political, religious or sexual persuasion. We strive to make this a community where anyone and everyone can enjoy something here away from hate. And that includes mod authors who want to make money. So if you break that peace and attack mod authors here for what they've chosen to do, you'll be gone. By all means debate, but when your debating becomes abusive, it's no longer debating.
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A moderator has closed this comment topic for the time beingThey make the guide-lines of the game and a little bit more, then they release the game, a extremely trimmed game, then modders mend the lack of content, modders get a meager 25% of the sales at the best and that f*** greedy industry gets the big chunk for saying the least, for a game that they didn't even make..... brilliant
They are killing the game industry, if mods of the like like Frostfall, Realistic Needs...,Winter is coming, SKYUI, ..... etc for naming just a very few, becomes downloadable-payable, my gaming computer days are counted, that i am sure about, getting feed-up of being milked more that high production cow, damn it.
The day I played this game is the day I drew a big red cross on CA.
I can accept a little over-exaggerated advertising, that’s what they do with movie trailer and that’s OK, but this... this was plain lying (IA, totally different graphics etc.).
Watching at their ad videos now just makes me remember how they took us for fools, never again, sorry CA I can't forgive that.
We don`t mind paying a donation when we can afford it, but we liked the altruistic attitude of modding.
Also, i never gave modders a hard time for buggy mods cos they were free. I would not be so nice if I had to pay.
I find it strange the bethesda say they hate DRM yet they force Steam (which I hate), so i don`t quite believe their words.
Game industry is not to be trusted, they have became big corporations or bought for big corporations that despite repeating till boredom their interest on the customer satisfaction, we all very much know that their only interest is the money, our money.
Now I'll be able to buy Bethesda games again. Though, this action still has damaged the community in a way that I doubt will be easily forgotten or forgiven.
Tis a golden day for all of us!
Remember, when you sell something, you become a trader of sorts.
What you cannot guarantee is "buy my product because its a work in progress". Because there are things such as customer's rights.
If you sell something that's broken, expect a storm of poo going your way.
If you sell something that's not broken, expect NO POSITIVE advertisements coming your way. Because people buy products to use them, not to advertise them on your behalf.
If you sell something that's good, people MAY or MAY NOT talk about it. You're not entitled to being "advertised" just because you think you are.
But let's also get one thing very clear, especially those selling on SteamWorks and pulling their works on NexusMod: I think you're digging your own proverbial grave, in economic sense.
You sell a product for say, USD 10 *cough*, you get at most USD2.5. I heard its a lot in the USA, enough to buy a full meal? Not sure, but here's what.
That 2.5USD, you'll still need to fund for a PR or a HR personnel, because there's such a thing called as "customer service", and "post-sale service". Yeap. Unless I'm wrong, when you sell something, even in a 'curated bazaar' like Steam, its YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to provide customer service and post-sales service.
Let's see, you'll probably be swamped with "waaaa this is broken", or "waaa why this doesnt' look as good as in the picture? OMG you liar, you used some sort of magic / trickery waa waa waa".
You'll spend your time trying to calm the customers down. All with that meagre USD2.5
Meanwhile Steam and Bethesda earns USD7.5 without even as much batting and eyelid.
You make a product, but they parasitically earn from you, and yet you have to deal with the poo pile, you have to eat the dog food. Yourself. NOT WITH VALVE, NOT WITH BETHESDA.
Are you really sure you're getting compensated? I don't think so. Is this move an economically sensible move? I think its a GREAT move for VALVE and BETHESDA, but on your expense as a modder.
Then you'll get burnt out, and you'll blame the "community" for not understanding you. The problem is, the community does NOT have to understand you. Because you sold a product, and if I'm a customer, I don't care for your wellbeing. I only want the products I paid for comes in with ZERO PROBLEM, and WORKS RIGHT OFF THE BAT, no BETAs, no ALPHAs, nothing of the sort of "i'm going to beta test for you".
Just don't cry foul at the community that you tried to make money off.
I agree with you completely, but I must point out the irony..
"..only want the products I paid for comes in with ZERO PROBLEM, and WORKS RIGHT OFF THE BAT, no BETAs, no ALPHAs, nothing of the sort of "i'm going to beta test for you"."
Sounds like an issue with every FO and TES game.
It almost funny to watch them scramble around... if only it were not for unknowing new comers who are being shafted.
Disgusting.
So, to the first - good luck. You have your own reasons for doing so. Can`t say I respect the integrity of your decision, but the decision is yours.
To everybody else - lets go have fun and make awesome mods.
but a step back, the mods community will be restraint by this "paywall"
because not only user, but the modders also paid another modder for the mod because their assets in it, the alternative is make it by themselves