Valve/Bethesda announce paid modding for Skyrim, more games to follow

[Lunyra]

I made a banner for those who do not wish to have their Mod(s) and/or Assets posted on the Steam Workshop.

 

You can use this Banner on your Mod Page.

 

http://i.imgur.com/HxnL2uP.png

Edited April 24, 2015 by SvarogNL

[icecreamassassin]

In response to post #24561869. #24562264, #24562649, #24591259, #24592549 are all replies on the same post.

PyroDonkey wrote:

Dark0ne wrote: Donation options are already available to mod authors on the site. Now that Bethesda has signalled their openness to paid modding and mod authors making money from their work we'll be implementing a few new things to make the donation options a bit more prominent.

PyroDonkey wrote: That's good. I haven't noticed the donation button until you mentioned it. I think a donation option is much better than the 25% creators will get from the Valve option.

shinkicker404 wrote: Problem with that Dark0ne is that Bethesda is happy as long as they're getting a cut. So you could very well find them throwing a C&D or whatever at the site if the system here is getting a little too popular (unless they're getting a cut as well.)

Robomac88 wrote: Improved donations would be the Nexus' best response now. There are lots of models to get ideas from like Patreon. Maybe they could add some sort of system where users can select modders they want to regularly support, and those amounts are just added to the Nexus premium member fees. Or have a general "support the community" donation pool option where Nexus distributes what funds come in to the current top modders. Just thinking out load on these.

Paypal is great for donations, but once transactions change to payment for products, then Paypal also has its own steep fees to deal with. In situations like this clarity and over-communication are the key. Openness on the process and percentage cuts helps keep community goodwill.

@pyrodonkey

This is the exact reason so many are tempted by this, and the exact point I've been making; very few folks notice the donate button. Since this whole thing erupted yesterday and I declared I was not going to charge for my mods ive seen a lot more donation support, and I think just bringing out that visibility will keep modders happy. I just hope the whole steam system falls apart quickly due to permissions, legal, and quality problems because if they show any real success with it, they will turn their virtual eye of sauron on nexus I fear, seeing that there is another pie to be had which they don't have their fingers in yet.

[insaneplumber]

In response to post #24592779.

SvarogNL wrote:

Thanks.

[WolowD]

Valve pretending to support the modding community when in reality all they want to do is leech of the the work. 75% commission with 400 USD minimum, if they don't meet that they get nothing and it all goes to Valve and Bethesda. It's fine if they do that on a free to play game, but I didn't pay 70+ USD on a game that was buggy as all hell and was only worth the time of day due to mods, just so I could then give them more money for things they didn't even create. If any modder is willing to be exploited like that at the detriment of the modding community, then I hope they make it very public so I can start pulling off endorsements and my support. They can, of course, do what they want, but I don't have to support it.

 

This is going to be the same as Greenlight is. Opening the way for a flood of crappy, half-finished products that are under done and under developed with a fat price tag and the promise of 'potential'. When people realise that putting in lots of work won't necessarily get you as much as flooding small parts of a mod, modders will start releasing their works in DLCs, I guarantee. Wait to go ruining one of the best things about PC gaming, you fat s#*!, Gaben.

[mcguffin]

In response to post #24561869. #24562264, #24562649, #24591259, #24592549, #24592819 are all replies on the same post.

PyroDonkey wrote:

Dark0ne wrote: Donation options are already available to mod authors on the site. Now that Bethesda has signalled their openness to paid modding and mod authors making money from their work we'll be implementing a few new things to make the donation options a bit more prominent.

PyroDonkey wrote: That's good. I haven't noticed the donation button until you mentioned it. I think a donation option is much better than the 25% creators will get from the Valve option.

shinkicker404 wrote: Problem with that Dark0ne is that Bethesda is happy as long as they're getting a cut. So you could very well find them throwing a C&D or whatever at the site if the system here is getting a little too popular (unless they're getting a cut as well.)

Robomac88 wrote: Improved donations would be the Nexus' best response now. There are lots of models to get ideas from like Patreon. Maybe they could add some sort of system where users can select modders they want to regularly support, and those amounts are just added to the Nexus premium member fees. Or have a general "support the community" donation pool option where Nexus distributes what funds come in to the current top modders. Just thinking out load on these.

Paypal is great for donations, but once transactions change to payment for products, then Paypal also has its own steep fees to deal with. In situations like this clarity and over-communication are the key. Openness on the process and percentage cuts helps keep community goodwill.

icecreamassassin wrote: @pyrodonkey

This is the exact reason so many are tempted by this, and the exact point I've been making; very few folks notice the donate button. Since this whole thing erupted yesterday and I declared I was not going to charge for my mods ive seen a lot more donation support, and I think just bringing out that visibility will keep modders happy. I just hope the whole steam system falls apart quickly due to permissions, legal, and quality problems because if they show any real success with it, they will turn their virtual eye of sauron on nexus I fear, seeing that there is another pie to be had which they don't have their fingers in yet.

Well, the donation button exists already, but people dont use it, and probably wont use it much even after.
In fact, if this button was used as it should be, I am pretty sure that modders never thought of getting into a paywall model.

[ScrollTron1c]

1. Paying for mods

 

I will never pay for a user-made mod, because i have already paid by:

• investing time learning how to properly install and configure mods, then fixing issues to get several mods work together
• time spent testing mods and giving feedback
• giving endorsements
• advertising for mods by telling other users why they should use those mods as well
• constant bug reports & testing beta versions
• friendly words of appreciation encouragement
• contributions / suggestions
• and probably more

This is how modding has worked until today.

Without the user, there wouldn't be a modder. How many modders would have spent thousands of hours on their mods, if it wasn't for the feedback and help of the users?

 

Further, on top of my official 1700+ hours of in-game time, i have probably spent 1x to 2x as much time outside the game with other mentioned activities revolving around mods. Would i ever expect getting paid for any of that? Hell no.

 

 

2. Donations

 

Donations? Yes i actually have donated money in the past.

To people who actually need it, like victims of tsunamis and earthquakes, homeless beggars, or to citizens of countries where they have to fight over food and water.

Not to first world people like myself, who have chosen to spend all their free time with the hobby called PC game modding.

 

And i'd like to know, how many modders could actually make their mods better after receiving donations?

Can you magically buy additional life time from the donated money? Did you quit your real job for this? Or did you simply leave work 2-3 hours early each day without getting fired?

 

So let's be honest, if any modder has serious financial problems in real life, then spending even more time on mods is probably the worst idea to improve their situation.

[AronaxAE]

In response to post #24592779. #24592899 is also a reply to the same post.

SvarogNL wrote:

insaneplumber wrote: Thanks.

Will come in extremely handy, thank you c:

[WightMage]

In response to post #24592779. #24592899, #24593074 are all replies on the same post.

SvarogNL wrote:

insaneplumber wrote: Thanks.

AronaxAE wrote: Will come in extremely handy, thank you c:

Brilliant mate!

[Ganterman]

As i always say, Valve's Steam is the cancer of the gaming industry. This is the biggest backfired missile since DRM!

 

This could be a user boom for Nexus itself. But it could also be the downfall of modding.

 

Nothing against donations, or Authors who want to be paid. That is totally legit.

As long you not support the insult Valve and Bethesda does. By squeezing money out of others as a third party parasite.

 

That feels already like paying the Mafia for something you don't want and need.

[WightMage]

In response to post #24593024.

ScrollTron1c wrote:

Sadly true.