Paid Mods Come to the Steam Workshop, Starting with Skyrim

[bp9801]

Valve is adding a new feature to the Steam Workshop today, one that is a little different than past rollouts. Mods are now available to purchase and sell, so whether you're looking to make a little cash from your creation or support a favorite modder, now you're able to. The paid mods are debuting with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim's Workshop, which Valve says has some 24,000 free mods already available. A total of nineteen paid mods are arriving today, with prices ranging from $0.25 to $5.99 (so far) for things like weapons, armor, followers, and even new towns. A bundle for $28.68 can be bought to grab the mods in one fell swoop, or you can pick and choose. Prices can be set by the creator or you can pick what price to pay, if the mod allows. All the mods can be returned within 24 hours after purchase if it doesn't work right or is broken/buggy/conflicts with other mods.

More games will be supporting paid mods down the road, although which ones from the Workshop weren't yet mentioned. Neither was the exact split of profits, although it stands to reason mod creators will get about 25-30%, as with items for Dota 2 and the like. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has a free weekend on now for anyone who hasn't played it yet, with the game 75% off if you decide to buy. You can grab plenty of free mods through the Workshop or at places like the Skyrim Nexus, so you don't have to pay for any mods if you don't want to, like always. While places like the Nexus probably would have liked to know in advance that paid mods were coming to the Workshop, those sites will still do what they can to support the many thousands of mods on them.

So, how does Valve's decision to launch paid mods sit with you? Good idea, bad idea, or something in between? With the abundance of free mods already available, some quite extensive, it is curious to see why there needs to be a paywall.

Source: Valve and Nexus Mods

[ir_cow]

if im paying for a mod it better auto install and 100% work. most mods take forever to even install.