Valve Ends Steam's Controversial Paid Mod Program

[Ishigami]

This is probably for the best... yet the backdoor is so wide open that a super tanker would fit through. There will be a rematch.
I especially like the phrasing of "revenue sharing models", leaves the impression that Valve owns the content and not the author.

 

[Muspelheim]

Ah, jolly good! Seems someone was awake at the helm, at least.

Fingers crossed for a better arrangement in the future. This whole palaver will hopefully force them to think the system through for the next attempt. Hopefully. Maybe.

Gift horse, gift horse...

 

[Ukomba]

That escalated quickly. I was pretty sure they were going to have to end it eventually, but I didn't expect it to take less than a week. O_O

 

[WeepingAngels]

That's the only good thing they could've done. Good to see the shitstorm forced them to retreat on this. Also, I'll actually agree with them here, somewhat: If you introduce a game with a system like that, one that allows for monetized fan-made content, that's a world of difference to taking an old game with a well-established modding scene and suddenly imposing this upon the existing structures. The former is at least open from the start and doesn't feel like a bait-and-switch or intrusion. I wouldn't be happy to see the former become the norm for any and all new titles, certainly, but I could accept that model to a degree, I suppose. Assuming there was some fucking quality control of the content on sale, which Valve isn't particularly good with (think Greenlight, think early access games, think publishers vomiting trash en masse onto the platform). What they tried to do here, though, no, that's not acceptable.

Yes, let's encourage fan made DLC where the big winners are the corporations. Are you so thrilled with current DLC that you want another source of it? Maybe we can begin pre-ordering (season pass) fan made DLC too.

Can't wait to see modders fix the next Bethesda game and Bethesda gets paid for it.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

Steam = social experiment. Steam users = test subjects. Valve = crazy people with too much money fucking with the lesser folks witholding things like tying up loose ends in HalfLife by not releasing pt. 3, insane price drop sales, and the occasional abuse of consumer goodwill here and there because fuck you! We're Valve.

 

[Signa]

Phew, there IS a god!

And his name is Gaben!

They made it clear their still will be paid mods one Steam on day, just not for Skyrim.

Pretty su're their names are Twitter and Social Media.
Besides Gaben has already made it clear there won't be a Second Coming.

Guys, guys, I was joking.

I really do appreciate Gabe's involvement at this point, doing the AMA and then actually listening to his customers, but I know that he, just like any business is in it for the money. I don't think he backed out on this from the goodness of his heart, but the point is that he did back down. That's more than what we get from most CEOs or corporations.

I'm really hoping that this will be a lesson they don't forget soon. Valve has lost a lot of respect from me because of Early Access, but I still understand and sympathize with their limitations. Still, the fact that they aren't acknowledging what those limitations mean before attempting something this stupid is very frustrating.

 

[Signa]

We should have reacted this way when first DLC and microtransactions showed up. This is the evidence that we have the power. We just need the will.

It's too late for that now. Also, we were naive. Hell, when Greenlight came out, I made a thread for people to call out their favorite GL games so we could all upvote them, because why not? Well, now I know why not.

 

[Olas]

Sigh. Oh well, I guess the internet got what it wanted.

Maybe some of you will follow your own advice and donate to the modders you like. I won't hold my breath.

 

[irishda]

I don't know that it was the modders themselves who were upset with the program. While there were certainly weaknesses that needed addressing, I very much doubt modders hated the option to charge a price for their efforts.

This is almost entirely, and I'm going to borrow someone else's comment for my own purposes here, anger from people who didn't want to pay money to give their horses photo-realistic vaginas.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

The one thing I didn't think to ask is if the mod that's showcased in the article's picture is a reference to The Tick's Chairface Chippendale.

Aside from that, I'm good.

I don't know that it was the modders themselves who were upset with the program. While there were certainly weaknesses that needed addressing, I very much doubt modders hated the option to charge a price for their efforts.

I'm guessing you had one or two community juggernauts who refused to stick a price on their work out of some sort of personal principle, but I also have a hard time imagining that anyone would turn money down, even if it's just a measly percentage from the total sales.

As for the vageen mods you mentioned, I doubt that interested players, AKA the types who consider that Skyrim is more of a giant runway or a porn dungeon than a sprawling RPG, would even give the Workshop a glance.

"Damn, man, look at the poly count on those labia! What; five bucks for the shaved version?! HERESY! NONE SHALL IMPEDE THE COURSE OF MY DESIRE FOR FREE THREE-DIMENSIONAL POONTANG!"

 

[Skeleon]

Yes, let's encourage fan made DLC where the big winners are the corporations. Are you so thrilled with current DLC that you want another source of it? Maybe we can begin pre-ordering (season pass) fan made DLC too.

I fail to understand how you could read any of that into my post. I thought I made my distaste pretty clear.

 

[blackrave]

Good.
Let's hope they won't repeat same bullshit again.

 

[MonsterCrit]

Huzzah. The deafining screech of whiners has saved modders from the dreaded scourge of financial compensation for their labours on their own terms! Rejoice! Now Bethesda can enjoy all the benefits brought by modders without feeling obligated to pay anything.

 

[WeepingAngels]

Yes, let's encourage fan made DLC where the big winners are the corporations. Are you so thrilled with current DLC that you want another source of it? Maybe we can begin pre-ordering (season pass) fan made DLC too.

I fail to understand how you could read any of that into my post. I thought I made my distaste pretty clear.

You said:

I wouldn't be happy to see the former become the norm for any and all new titles, certainly, but I could accept that model to a degree, I suppose.

There is no inch, there is only the mile. That model, either you accept it all the way or you don't because you know the game industry will run it into the ground.

 

[Lightknight]

Sigh. Oh well, I guess the internet got what it wanted.

Maybe some of you will follow your own advice and donate to the modders you like. I won't hold my breath.

Exactly. What we had before, and now have again, is a no-profit option. People bitching about them only getting 25% really pales in comparison to the fact they currently get 0%.

 

[Skeleon]

You said:

I wouldn't be happy to see the former become the norm for any and all new titles, certainly, but I could accept that model to a degree, I suppose.

There is no inch, there is only the mile. That model, either you accept it all the way or you don't because you know the game industry will run it into the ground.

So, because you think "to a degree" isn't an actual possibility, you think I'd be "thrilled"? That's quite a leap.
Let me put it this way: I'm almost certain Valve will try something like this again, but with a game that's designed to employ this model from the start. It will happen.
My hope is that it won't spread to all games, because I wouldn't be happy if this model became the norm. I'll accept the inevitability of the model being implemented at all, but I'll be very unhappy if this model actually becomes the new normal for games.
It's not like me not accepting the inevitable will somehow prevent it from happening. Valve is determined to do this and they will. Best case scenario, it'll be limited to select games.
That's what a de-facto monopoly of Valve through Steam got us; but at least we'll have GOG and some others to fall back on.

 

[Olas]

Huzzah. The deafining screech of whiners has saved modders from the dreaded scourge of financial compensation for their labours on their own terms! Rejoice! Now Bethesda can enjoy all the benefits brought by modders without feeling obligated to pay anything.

You don't get it dude, modders didn't WANT the option to be compensated for their work. We as a community all agreed they don't. It was just too much freedom for them. They just want to make us free content and be rewarded with praise and admiration.

 

[IceForce]

People yelling "PRAISE GABEN" like this wasnt his fault to begin with. Dont flock back to being a mindless Valvedrone because they got called out on their bullshit because that is exactly what they expect.

It wouldn't surprise me if that was part of the plan all along.

> Announce (deliberate) idiotic new system
> Wait 4 days
> Renege on the announcement and ride the wave of good PR

 

[renegade7]

Here's my thoughts on the matter:

If you spend weeks, nights, and weekends creating a mod for a game, you have the right to ask for money for it. On the other hand, if you refuse to pay some tiny amount of money for that work, the modder isn't the entitled one. You are.

To me, this is about respect for the content creators. Basically, if you're a modder, regardless of how much you think your work is worth, what's just happened is an angry mob has risen up and shrieked "No screw you, your work and your time are not worth a single penny to us and you don't have the right to say otherwise."