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

[Dark0ne]

Hey look, one of my predictions came true!

 

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.

[WaRLocKThEoRy]

Modding is a form of art. Taking something that already exists and customizing and adding to it to make it better in your own way, individually or with a team.

 

To put a price on your own art, is to make and sell a product.

 

To make and sell a product, you are now a developer.

 

The point is, this gives the power to the modding community to become a developer in their own right. Modding was something that you got into without the need or want to make money, you did it for your self and community. But now we will have modding professionals doing it for the wrong reasons.

 

Every mod maker goes to great lengths, beyond their own capability to get a little better and make something amazing. Those are the people in which I have donated to, and it is the above mentioned that I have not, and will not pay for.

 

Please to all mod makers, no matter the skill level. Be a community, not a business.

[UntouchedShadow]

This whole event is a textbook example of nickle and diming. Jesus Christ.

[Lunyra]

Like having to pay for the Air you've been breathing for free your entire life :)

[Jerethi50]

There seems to be TONS of people attacking and verbally abusing said mod authors already. I already defended isoku in one of said posts. I'm a bit worried you may have quite a bit of banning to do at the current rate, It seems like MANY people are jumping on the insult bandwagon, which i fear is just going to result in driving those modders away from this community entirely. which would be a shame in my opinion.

[Deleted1867404User]

You guys better go buy some new ban hammers. People are going crazy on the comments :D Edited April 23, 2015 by Guest

[BobOfAllTrades]

Who is ready for a flood of Fallout 4 pay only mods?

[PyroDonkey]

Dark0ne, have you thought of adding a "support the author" feature to the site so mods can continue to be available for free for users who do not want to or cannot pay for extra content like this? I think one of the great things about mods is that people create them because they are passionate about them, not because they want to make lots of money off a mod. People have been creating great content for Elder Scrolls games and other games like Counter Strike long before there was any money to be made. I think a donation button may help with the people who feel that they deserve to be compensated for the work they put into these mods (It's a lot of hard work, and with mods like Falskaar, people do work on them for years).

 

Another thing that I see as problematic is charging for mods like DSFix in Dark Souls and SkyUI in Skyrim. Dark Souls is basically unplayable on PC without the DSFix mod and I think it would be horrible if someone charged for this mod. SkyUI I feel the same about.

 

That's just how I feel, I guess. It will be interesting to see how this changes things in the future.

[Teruke]

will you make the nexus like that too is what i'm more interested in knowing?

[ToxicBrown1]

Inb4 Nexus is banned from making the Fallout 4 Nexus in favor of paid mods