Lightknight said:
It doesn't mean that financial incentive wouldn't attract new and more talent to the modding community. Think about it, all this was, was just another opportunity that no one even had to take advantage of.
Oh I agree there, but probably not in the way you want.
This was a no-lose situation.
Oh really? From what I saw, over the 4 days paid-mods were up (for ONE GAME) it was a living nightmare.
There was community infighting, copycat-theft, and the very predictable less-for-more bullshit that had some modders splitting their work into bits for higher resale.
Sufficed to say, there was plenty of 'lose' going around.
And who was losing the most? The players, as usual.
We're always the first to lose out on value when some suit decides to commodify us even further, just like it's been for the past decade (oh, but you don't DARE complain about it, or some pretentious asshole will call you "entitled").
Bethesda offered them a chance to profit and a rental space on their storefront which gave them access to a ton of traffic and a trusted purchasing provider. If the rent is too steep then that's up to the modders to decide if it's a deal they find equitable. Not us as raving mobs about the injustice of how they have one more option to use that could actually produce profit rather than the 0% option they've had for two decades.
Let me ask you something: Why do they NEED profit?
You claim money will attract talent, but I question why that is even necessary to begin with?
Fact is, it isn't. Mods are derivative works.
They're derivatives works because, AND PAY CLOSE ATTENTION HERE,
they're based on existing games.
Meaning: Any modder is implicitly a part of that game's active audience already.
Did you catch that?
Talent and interest are drawn organically from the audience themselves.
There's literally no need for a money lure, and there never has been.
Why do you think more money will improve things? Because money motivates?
Fine, but what if that motivation is butting heads with 'something else'?
You know what that 'else' is? What else motivates players/modders to engage in modding? Their dirt-cheap (free) cost.
Modders feel GOOD for making something that's appreciated and interesting to others. That's culture, a dying concept I know, but that's what's butting heads with business angle that's being introduced here.
"But why can't culture and business coexist? There will be free mods and paid mods. Everyone's happy."
No, not really. Here, they're diametrically opposed and it's all due to WHY MODDING WORKS.
In modding, it's the PLAYERS that are trying to create something of worth for themselves rather than relying on regular suppliers (read: BUSINESS) to offer it to them. And this is FINE.
It works, because most developers are shackled to the necessity of business; I know a number of developers that would love to do more, but they need to put their business first. Which is fine because they're professionals, and I expect that from them.
Modders are content creators yes, but they are NOT professionals. DON'T TREAT THEM LIKE PROFESSIONALS JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE CONTENT CREATORS. That's like treating Little League baseball like MLB pros.
(this is the key fact that everyone arguing in favor for this new marketplace seems to be missing)
Consequently, Modders can freely experiment with building upon what developers provided, with both parties benefiting.
The developer gets a free boost to the value of their game (which drives sales, as Bethesda's games have proven) and so does the player. And that's FAIR. It's free because the development was done pro-bono for the developer, and out of pure interest on the part of the player.
Even better, modding is strictly optional so any issues in audience appeal are self-correcting (unlike DLC, patches or other forced "official" content).
But what about those who think their works were worth real money?
The "soft option" is to ask for donations, and it works.
The "hard option" is the modder going into business themselves as a real developer, AND THIS IS THE BEST OUTCOME IMO.
Some of the THE BEST games come from these people because they KNOW what their audiences want, but have the practical knowledge to provide it. There are games ICONIC of their genre that have come from modders and modding communities.
(Counterstrike, DOTA1&2/LOL, Defense Grid, I can keep going.)
That's why that '0%' revenue model worked for modders and why it isn't a real problem.
Because modding ISN'T A BUSINESS; They aren't driven by business oriented goals.
By introducing a hard marketplace for mods, all they're doing is trying to force a square peg into a round hole.
And why? To wring even more profit to their side from the players. That's it.
And it's terrifying because we NEED a hobby-space in gaming untainted by business, and right now that space is modding.
It's where developer and player intersect, and it's one of the last places where the market can self-orient without resorting to the brutality of base economics. (which as we've seen, is far too often a very flawed, long, and painful process for the player)
So many problems in gaming occur primarily because developers/publishers are either out of touch with their audiences, or they're so addicted to cynically exploiting players that they don't pay them any further thought.
Lets not make that situation any worse than it already is, mkay?
I mean, geeze, your statement could just as easily be used to point out how sad it is that modders haven't had any means of compensation for their work for decades. You make it sound like that's a mark of honor but it isn't.
Well, if you omit literally all relevant context and pretend that modders are some oppressed slave workforce, then yes, my statement could easily be used as an indictment of such an artificial plight.
But that would be painfully ignorant at best, and disgustingly dishonest at worst.
People with a passion are too easily taken advantage of and 0% return has got to be the worst.
And who was taking advantage of them before?
The other players? The other MODDERS?
You mean the people that freely exchanged information and just sat down to improve games they loved?
Oh yeah, those fucking MONSTERS. Those horrible self entitled little PRICKS.
How dare they peacefully enjoy their hobby without the cynical taint of business punching them right in the asshole.
Gosh, I guess Gaben was right, since everyone is only motivated by money we'd better get to work forcing a new middleman to take advantage of them right away!
....OH WAIT.
