Paid mods are now available on the workshop

[EssArrBee]

Apparently there is a pay what you want option in the Steam Workshop that author's can set. That might be cool if you have a zero dollar option.

[Neovalen]

DarkOne has already hinted that they are considering implementing an ad-based payment system for mod authors and making changes to the page layouts to make the donation button a bit more prominent. I suspect this will push those sort of plans forward.

 

Okay. That makes sense :) And I agree with you, though as much from a purely practical standpoint as anything. Since I doubt that I'll be buying any mods, if there isn't a version available for free, then there's really no way for me to support it.

This I can support as it costs nothing to the user's except donations ofc but those are voluntary.

[Marthenil]

Two things I'm curious about. 

This was known from the beginning, it's apparent, as some authors launched with it. The question is how were those people "chosen" and on what basis.

 

Secondly, I wonder how customer protection EU laws apply to this. There are many problems with modding, and it's inherent to it. The issue only arises when we're talking monetization.

 

 

On a sidenote, it's already happening, I see a couple mods already pulled from the Nexus and posted on the Workshop. Many will follow suit, I suppose.

[Spiffyman]

I didn't see the news about this, so this thread confused me for some time as I thought mods couldn't be sold. But I guess this is a real thing. I'm not pleased to hear this either. The contract with mods was that you CANNOT sell them. This was clearly understood when modders started making the mods. Putting them behind a paywall now that they see a chance to sell them is very unethical as they already accepted the unsellable clause (I can't blame authors too much here though, as I want a chance for some money too...).

 

My problem is that mods have all sorts of issue- save game bloating, script errors, the need for cleaning with TES5Edit, etc. I can accept this as the modder made it in his free time and is providing it for free. I can take some time to fix things in CS or other tools if the need be (I've even gone and made personal versions of a mod to make it compatible with other mods I use.  Were I expected to pay for the mod, I refuse to have to any of that. If the mod has issues with it, I won't buy it. It's a very different equation when you expect me to pay for it and fix it myself. I'll go without that mod. 

 

I'll watch this unfold, but I will likely not be pleased with the outcome...

 

EDIT: I am not inherently against modders getting paid for their efforts, buts its that flood of cash-ins that will cause chaos in modding for a while. Once the dust settles, I'm sure an agreeable arrangement will be settled upon.

Edited April 25, 2015 by Spiffyman

[Harpalus]

Even Arthmoor has a mod exclusively behind the Workshop paywall (Castle Volkihar Rebuilt). I'm surprised.

Edited April 23, 2015 by Harpalus

[Omolong]

Apparently there is a pay what you want option in the Steam Workshop that author's can set. That might be cool if you have a zero dollar option.

From what I've heard, apparently the minimum you can set is 30 cents.

[TechAngel85]

Let's make a few things clear. STEP will never have "paid-only" versions of mods in the Guide. Nor will STEP provide support for paid-only versions of mods.

 

I knew this was coming from a sort of inside source. So I've been expecting it for close to a month. If authors decide to switch to Nexus that is unfortunate but it will not affect STEP besides having to drop a few mods here and there and refusing support for any mods that switched. We can't support something we don't have access to.

[afonik]

And what about putting advertizings in mods?

Maybe exchanging mead for coca-cola?

hhuhgr??

 

Unfortunately i've nothing more to give to modders but love

[Neovalen]

I'm just going to leave this link here:

https://www.change.org/p/valve-remove-the-paid-content-of-the-steam-workshop

[EssArrBee]

I think they missed an opportunity to do something really nice. They could have made it a pay what you want model, kinda like Humble Bundle with a free option. That would have really made it a nice way to support modders, but not cut some people off who can't pay for content. 

[Marthenil]

I think they missed an opportunity to do something really nice. They could have made it a pay what you want model, kinda like Humble Bundle with a free option. That would have really made it a nice way to support modders, but not cut some people off who can't pay for content. 

Are you out of your mind? :P There's profit to be had. 

 

I think the last year or so major companies are testing the waters for even more aggressive monetization.

[Neovalen]

Looks like Chesko may have to pull his fishing mod, unless Fore gave him permissions. Just saw this on the FNIS page:

The FNIS Behavior can only be downloaded and used in the described way. Without my express permission you are NOT ALLOWED

to upload FNIS Behavior TO ANY OTHER SITE

to distribute FNIS Behavior as part of another mod

to distribute modified versions of FNIS Behavior

to make money with files which are part of FNIS Behavior, or which are created with the help of FNIS Behavior

 

[GrantSP]

Well I wake up and find the internet has exploded.

 

Just spent an hour or so on Nexus, wading through the quagmire of posts from irate users and modders that are justifying their position and came across a salient point that needs re-iterating here.

 

EDIT: as I'm typing I see @Neovalen has beaten me to it.

 

This is going to send ructions through the modding community as we all have to figure out which mods are now tainted by this blight and expunge them from support and patronage.

[Neovalen]

I plan to write sticky notes and modify permissions on all of my mods this evening once I get home from work.

[keithinhanoi]

In a very un-Keith-like post, some disorganized thoughts:

 

• Some of the things people are saying about modders, both behind a shield of anonymity and without, is absolutely unacceptable abusive harassment. It's both embarrassing and completely disheartening. Personally, I'm more inclined to serious consider no longer contributing to the modding community due to the reaction I'm seeing than I am due to the new paid mods Steam model. Way more inclined.
   
• Since I didn't decide to yank Steam off my machine (and this is no commentary on those who did - power to you as it's your prerogative to do so) I'm poking around the initial offering of "paid" Skyrim mods, and see that:
  
  • Wet & Cold's price is Pay what you want with a default of $4.99 US, and the lowest price at $0.99, and Isoku says "Pay what you can afford. I understand that not everyone can simply drop money on a mod but every little bit is appreciated and by supporting this mod, you are ensuring its further development. " I don't know if that was the pricing set and his note was there from the very start, but the comments on the (paid) Wet & Cold on Steam Workshop are absolutely abhorrent.
     
  • Arthmoor's Castle Volkihar Rebuilt is also Pay what you want, default and minimum price is $3.49. The comments are not nearly as bad as the one's on Wet & Cold. There is no commentary regarding the mod changing to paid mode or being exclusive on Steam Workshop, etc., at all. Just the description.
     
  • Arissa by Chesko is also Pay what you want, default $4.99 and minimum of $2.99. Chesko is very clear that the mod will always continue to be available for free, as previously mentioned.

I'm running out of time before darting off to work. Will post more, but a couple more observations.

 

Wet & Cold makes use of a lot of other people assets and work. I can't find anything that confirms that any of them would receive any of the 25% that isoku would receive. 

 

I totally and utterly agree that there was a chance to do something good and offer paid mods through Humble Bundle with their version of the "pay what you like" pricing model. But I suppose that would take away from the 75% cut shared between Valve and Bethesda.

 

Last thought - Why Skyrim mods? It doesn't make sense to me unless they decided it would be their "lab rat". Although the modding community is still going very strong 4 years later, it's well past its peak in terms of the number of mod users and general interest. So, it is a terrible choice if they are actually expecting to make real money from it. I suspect that a choice was made as to the potential effect of bad press on the TES series leveled against the chance to rake it just a little more cash.....

 

(More thoughts to come, obviously!)