Steam's paid 'Skyrim' mods provoke mixed reaction
PC gaming network Steam and "Skyrim" developer Bethesda Softworks are now allowing unofficial game modifications to be sold for profit after an April 23 update.
Though 2011 role-playing adventure "Skyrim" has become a PC gaming staple, in part due to its vast array of fan modifications (or "mods"), the Steam and Bethsoft partnership could prove unprecedented in scale.
Game mods come in all sorts of shapes and sizes; in the case of expansive adventure "Skyrim," they range from subtle tweaks to extensive overhauls, from alterative cloth textures to advanced weather systems, new quests, even new cities.
Several free repositories had been set up, including longtime "Elder Scrolls" supporter NexusMods, and any revenue came in via donation, but the Bethesda and Steam initiative seeks to make that exchange a lot smoother.
A "Skyrim" section of the Steam Workshop -- an area of the Steam Network for fans to share community creations -- now lets users not only upload and manage their own mods, but also set a price should they so choose.
The move has proved provocative among players, creators and full-time game developers.
Modders now have access to an easily implemented source of revenue, further blurring the line between dedicated fan creative and professional, authorized content creator.
But while a 25% cut of "Skyrim" Workshop sales has the potential to far outstrip any donation-based income, a portion have received it as derisory, given the importance of mods in elevating (or, for others, fixing) the "Skyrim" experience.
With some established mod makers now focused on paid Workshop content as a result, even withdrawing availability elsewhere, there's a concern that the non-Steam modding community will weaken. The prospect of financial compensation could pull in not only ambitious teams but also rascals and jokers.
Though it may seem unusual, the "Skyrim" Steam Workshop concept is not too far removed from other games on the Network.
"Dota 2" has long accepted user-submitted content, creators receiving a cut of sales. "Portal 2" and "Counter-Srike: Global Offensive" came about as Steam operator Valve sought external teams to complete its internal projects. The ever-popular "Team Fortress 2" and "Garry's Mod" have origins in Steam's own "Half-Life" series.
Away from Steam, paid user content has been a growing trend, too. For example, Epic's new "Unreal Tournament" partners with users not just for extras but its entire dev cycle; one industry pro, ex-"Sim City" designer Bryan Shannon, creates "Cities: Skylines" add-ons full time thanks to his Patreon following. That could be replicated across multiple other titles once paid-for Steam Workshop content arrives.
The move comes as June's Electronic Entertainment Expo approaches, at which Bethesda is rumored to announce a new, ambitious title of its own.
