btw the 25% the mod developers get also goes to their steam wallet, meaning that money can only be spent on Steam. So much for the "oh, but this will create a new career/job opportunity/way of making a living" argument... unless Valve suddenly starts selling groceries and paying utility bills

That isn't true, it is paid by wire transfer.

http://steamcommunity.com/workshop/workshoppaymentinfofaq/#Payments

Quote from: Namclone on 25-04-2015, 11:43:41 AM

Quote from: Cirus on 25-04-2015, 10:18:28 AM

Quote from: EJ on 25-04-2015, 09:42:45 AM

who cares about paid mods. mount and blade devs let modders charge for their mods and nobody cared for years

I'm sure the modders kept more than 25% of that money, too.

If the modders kept 50-75% of the money, would the program be ok, then?

No, I don't think so. The fact that this is all tied to the Steam workshop makes it look like an incredibly obvious cash grab by Valve and Bethesda.

If the developer of a mod wants to charge for it, so be it. Some of these mods have massive teams with thousands of hours of work put into them. While I would probably be hesitant to purchase mods, I could understand if the large majority of my money was going to the people who made the mod. Now, the mod developers get a pittance for their work while Valve and Bethesda are taking huge cuts. On the one hand you can say "it's better than nothing" but I feel that it sets a terrible precedent.

On top of all that, the consumer is also getting shafted with this. Refunds go to the Steam wallet, there's no protection or accountability for broken mods.

I don't understand.  On the one hand, you are saying that 50%-75% profits to modders won't be enough to placate your concerns, but on the other hand most of your complaint is about the current profit allocation (25%). 

So, if:

1) Modders receive 50-75% of the profits.  Let's even say 100% of the profits.  (I do think that since Valve serves as a distribution platform, if the paid mod program exists, then at least Valve should get a cut for that service.)

and

2) Modders can choose to still put out their mods for free or, if they sell the mod, can have a "pay what you want"/donate option if the modder chooses it.  (To my knowledge, this is actually the way the current system works.  Yesterday, I saw a paid mod that had a "pay what you want" option). 

and

3)  Refunds in the first 24 hours are in the form of the original payment, and between 24-48 hours as a steam wallet refund.  Extend the time up to a few more days or a week if you wish, though I think at that point for most mods you will have received the benefit of the mod. 

Then will the paid mod program be fine?

That would be much better than what it is now. My main concern is from monetizing mods in the first place.

Forbes, of all places, wrote an article that I think summarizes this pretty well.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2015/04/24/valves-paid-skyrim-mods-are-a-legal-ethical-and-creative-disaster/

Not that it's a bad article, but arguments from authority by themselves are not good.  If we are going the argument from authority route, I think it's a far cry to say that this is Forbes' voice on it.  It's not a staff editorial or in the print edition.  If it's authoritative, then its the lowest form possible.

This is the equivalent of saying that the Washington Post writes about wrestling because a blogger on their website posts something on it (good stuff, too: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2015/03/17/wwe-tells-fans-to-remove-their-vintage-wrestler-costumes-or-forfeit-their-ringside-seats-on-raw/).  While it's accurate that the article is published on the Washington Post website, no one thinks this is the Post's view on things.  (Actually, most people on r/squaredcircle do).

No, I'm just surprised it's on Forbes at all. I'm also surprised that wrestling is on the Washington Post website! The age of guest contributors is fascinating and I know Forbes has really been focusing on it lately.

I'm sure soon enough this will make the front page of the New York Times.

That would be much better than what it is now. My main concern is from monetizing mods in the first place.

That's the other part.  I think people have a philosophical opposition to monetization, even if there was a "perfect" program in which modders receive 100% of the profits.  I think this opposition derives from people who genuinely believe this will negatively impact the modding community, simply abhor the idea of having to pay for something, or a combination of both.  How many form part of each camp?  I don't know.  I do believe that the "profits" argument is used by some as a smokescreen to mask their fundamental concerns, at least until Valve comes out with a better program.

No, I'm just surprised it's on Forbes at all. I'm also surprised that wrestling is on the Washington Post website! The age of guest contributors is fascinating and I know Forbes has really been focusing on it lately.

I'm sure soon enough this will make the front page of the New York Times.

I actually do like what the author on Forbes writes, since he tends to have opinions on the videogame industry that can be followed from Point A to Point Z without many gaps.

WWE2k15 comes out next week, just in time to take "advantage" of paid mods.

It is kind of suck.

 

Quote from: ZIGS_ARE_WINNER on 25-04-2015, 13:26:29 PM

btw the 25% the mod developers get also goes to their steam wallet, meaning that money can only be spent on Steam. So much for the "oh, but this will create a new career/job opportunity/way of making a living" argument... unless Valve suddenly starts selling groceries and paying utility bills

That isn't true, it is paid by wire transfer.

http://steamcommunity.com/workshop/workshoppaymentinfofaq/#Payments

Oh, I was misinformed then

WWE2k15 comes out next week, just in time to take "advantage" of paid mods.

It is kind of suck.

 

Hopefully not the case, because a wrestling game already seems like it has the potential for an absurd amount of DLC.

Gabe answering questions directly

http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/33uplp/mods_and_steam/

it all makes sense, Gaben needs more money to pay for eye surgery

                                

http://steamcommunity.com/games/SteamWorkshop/announcements/detail/208632365253244218

Praise Talos

Mods should be paid (ZIGS, JAVIKS, Skrag, Namclone, etc)