Not only does Steam handle transactions for buying and downloading games from both big publishers and independent developers, but it also allows gamers to easily ‘mod’ their games to add functionality or change the game in weird and wonderful ways.
Revenue generated from the mod will be split between involved parties.
Until now, mods in the ‘Steam Workshop’ have had to be free. In fact, the modding culture even away from Steam tends to lean towards free distribution even though some mods are huge collaborative efforts which are time-consuming and well-deserve at least a few bucks for the trouble and experience they provide.
Some mod developers are even the life of certain games, taking Minecraft as one huge and obvious example here. Without mods, Minecraft gets repetitive quite fast. Add mods, and Minecraft suddenly becomes the world of opportunity it sets out to be.
The first game which will allow paid-for mods is fantasy role-playing game Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, which has a huge and dedicated modding community behind it. Valve has announced that modders for other games will be allowed to sell their creations soon.
In terms of payment, revenue generated from the mod will be split between involved parties. 25% will go to the creator, with the rest being split with Valve and the studio or developer who originally made the game. Understandably, not all mod creators are happy with Valve taking a 75% cut to do with as they please.
For some perspective on the current state of the modding scene, Skyrim has 24,000 free mods available in the Steam Workshop store which range from a few pence to a few pounds each. With the new rules, 19 different paid mods have now taken their place in the store.
Some gamers are concerned with paid mods ruining the community spirit to the scene and that some of the mods they are used to enjoying will be put behind a paywall. Before the latest change, the only time modders were able to receive cash for their creations was when something was made for a Valve game that was later added officially.
Update 28/04/15: Paid mod functionality has been removed for the time being. In a post, Valve explains: “We’ve been shipping many features over the years aimed at allowing community creators to receive a share of the rewards, and in the past, they’ve been received well. It’s obvious now that this case is different.”
What do you think about Valve’s decision to allow paid mods on Steam? Let us know in the comments.
