The Nexus strikes back

[FMensch]

I know the title might be a little off as the Empire in Star Wars are the bad guys, but you can tell that I just liked the sound of it.

 

Now, a lot has been said about the whole paid mods disaster on steam and I am not going to reiterate the downsides of it. However, what I offer, is a solution.

Currently modders are in a pinch as on the one hand most do not want to be part of that wicked concept Valve came up with but on the other hand struggle with people copying their mods and selling them on steam with little the modder can do about it. Although, Valve shall have the benefit of doubt that on Monday they declare this project a failure, it is relatively clear that this is not going to happen as there are people buying those mods.

Please, do not shed blood and fling all sorts of excrements towards people who took part in this travesty in the first place. Sure, a lot of them were greedy but then there are people, as can be read in tons of comments, who simply are not capable of grasping what is wrong with that concept. People like that exist.

 

What I propose to you, the modders, is a way of having your work protected from thiefs while at the same time demonstrating your position.

 

If Valve decides to ignore all of the criticism leveled against them, it is up to you, the modders, to exploit the system's weakness. So, the free market decides if selling mods is a success or not? Fine, because YOU are the free market. YOU offer your products, generally speaking, YOU have the power. Why not use that power? Why not put a price on the mod that people are simply not willing to pay? I don't know what you can set as a maximum but it should be iconic and everyone who wants to take part in that protest puts that price on their mod.

We could resurrect the 1337 and make it 133.7$ /€ for every mod for example.

 

Furthermore you add a description that could read as follows:

/mod description

Get it for free on nexusmods.com

If you like it and feel the creator should be compensated for the effort, feel free to use the donation button on nexus.

 

 

 

What -should- be the result of that?

- you protest against the system

- you demonstrate unity

- you demonstrate that a voluntary system and not paywalls are the way to go

- you protect your mod from being stolen and sold on steam without your consent

*- let's be frank, with all the attention atm you are likely to get a donation boost

 

If you cannot fight the system, destroy it by making it unusable.

 

 

I know this is a drastic idea, therefore please feel free to express your disagreement if this suggestion happens to be too insane.

Edited April 25, 2015 by FMensch

[Levantinium]

You want to be careful. Bethesda and Valve knew this was a toxic idea before it was released. They know by now it's one of the most-hated things in recent gaming memory. Honestly, right now it's best to let them decide on a response. You toe over a red line and start pushing Valve and/or Bethesda and it's just going to make a bigger problem. I think the piracy of the paid mods was a horrible idea. It is just going to reinforce both Bethesda and Valve in thinking they need to make it exclusive to Steam. This won't stop piracy, but it will end TES on Nexus.

[Isvenah]

You want to be careful. Bethesda and Valve knew this was a toxic idea before it was released. They know by now it's one of the most-hated things in recent gaming memory. Honestly, right now it's best to let them decide on a response. You toe over a red line and start pushing Valve and/or Bethesda and it's just going to make a bigger problem. I think the piracy of the paid mods was a horrible idea. It is just going to reinforce both Bethesda and Valve in thinking they need to make it exclusive to Steam. This won't stop piracy, but it will end TES on Nexus.

 

While I'm generally inclined to agree with beeing careful, I must add that the way Bethesda and Valve handles this situation gives off two general ideas:

 

1. They want a bigger control over everything mod involved (remember what Valve said, any uploaded mod is their property) and this is something us, gamers and modders alike, can (and probably should) be against.

 

2. Stealing from others (as in selling other people's mods) is fine, as long as you share the income with a corporation. That is something no sane person should agreed with.

 

Therefore I agree some action on our part should be taken, but actions that are equivalent to the problem.

[Lachdonin]

 

2. Stealing from others (as in selling other people's mods) is fine, as long as you share the income with a corporation. That is something no sane person should agreed with.

 

That is patently false. The terms of modding on Steam have ALWAYS been that mods WILL be removed if they are posted without permission of their original maker. They've even removed mods that use limited content from other mods without that modders permission.

[Isvenah]

 

 

2. Stealing from others (as in selling other people's mods) is fine, as long as you share the income with a corporation. That is something no sane person should agreed with.

 

That is patently false. The terms of modding on Steam have ALWAYS been that mods WILL be removed if they are posted without permission of their original maker. They've even removed mods that use limited content from other mods without that modders permission.

 

 

As far as I understood, not really going through all the rules they pose, the mod I know that was pulled was disabled by it's author. And in response to his decision to delete the said mod Valve claimed to be the owner of what the owner uploaded. So unless Valve state otherwise I see this as "we don't give a puck if it's stolen".

 

That said (written actually), I my be wrong in that regard concerning the actual rules posed. But it does stay in conflict with Valve claiming uploaded mods to be their property. I'd rather be understanding the situation wrongly too so if anyone can point me to prove I'm wrong - please do.

[Lachdonin]

The terms for using the Steam Workshop have always been that content uploaded onto their system because their property. Its one thing i've never actually agreed with (though i understand based on IP licencing and distribution issues) but it's always been there. Originally, it was because the Workshop was only for Valve games, and while i haven't seen any changes to their terms, i suspect they have some sort of license from the actual developer covered under the distribution contract.

[Isvenah]

Well, so if anyone post a stolen mod they claim property of stolen data? That doesn't sound exactly legal. And seem only to further my point. Well, in my opinion. But that doesn't matter since I doubt any modder would sue Valve over that. Academic dispute I think.

[Deleted3507349User]

I wonder how fast the mod author would be slapped with a DMCA takedown notice? Seems to me it would be likely sooner or later.

[Rabbit1251]

OP, you are not helping.

 

 

Rabbit

[Lachdonin]

Well, so if anyone post a stolen mod they claim property of stolen data? That doesn't sound exactly legal. And seem only to further my point. Well, in my opinion. But that doesn't matter since I doubt any modder would sue Valve over that. Academic dispute I think.

 

Technically... yes. Operationally, though, they've shown that they only consider something 'submitted' if the original author submitted, or it can be shown it was submitted with their permission. Their past behaviour is enough grounds to set a precedence should they ever change that behaviour.