Selling mods for profit? The PC Gaming sky is falling!
In a move that has set the Internet ablaze, Valve recently unveiled the addition of a new section of the Steam Workshop where mod developers can sell their mods for real money for the first time. This feature is currently only available for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Mod developers can upload their creations into the new section and price them as they wish. Prices will vary between mods, and some mods can be set to pay-what-you-want, leaving the cost up to the purchaser.
To alleviate concerns, a new refund policy was put into place, allowing users to receive a refund within the first 24 hours after purchasing a mod.
With the announcement, Valve believes the new section will be a great opportunity for gamers to support modders, stating, “With the launch of paid mods in Skyrim, you can now support mod authors that are creating top quality items and amazing new experiences for your game.”
The news was met with much controversy throughout social media. 4chan and Reddit communities such as r/Gaming and r/PCMasterRace have had dozens of threads with hundreds of comments in each condemning the announcement. A petition to remove paid content from the Steam Workshop has reached over 67,000 signatures.
Many have taken issue with the division of revenue received from selling mods. While future games may have different divisions, Skyrim mod creators will only receive a 25% cut; they will also only be given their cut once it has reached $100 dollars. Others have taken issue with the perceived lack of quality control, as at least one modder uploaded a mod up for sale that included assets from another modder without permission, and a “horse genital mod” was reportedly seen briefly on the Workshop.
Several prominent Skyrim modders have come out in support of the move. The highly popular “Wet and Cold” mod is already up for sale, and the near-universally used “SkyUI” mod has announced plans to create a paid version.
With tempers flaring throughout the gaming world, this is sure to be a hot topic to follow. Check back with PixelatedGeek for the latest on the fate of paid modding.