Steam has now opened up its workshop to more capitalism, enabling mod makers to make money off of their game modifications.
Since Steam Workshop launched in 2011, community creators have been paid more than $57 million for items they have created with the platform, according to Valve. The digital storefront's Steam Workshop is already home to more than 24,000 mods, but Valve says it wants to put its "mod authors in business."
"Mods on the Skryim Workshop have received more than 170 million downloads to date," Valve stated. "The thousands of free mods, items, weapons and quests will continue to be available at the discretion of the players who made them."
The company thinks allowing the sale of mods is a good opportunity to support the creative work of the creators, stated Valve's Tom Bui.
"User generated content is an increasingly significant component of many games, and opening new avenues to help financially support those contributors via Steam Workshop will help drive the level of UGC to new heights," said Bui.
Creators can now list their mods as free, paid or pay what you want. Though Valve hasn't given any hard numbers, the company said there will be limits to how frequently creators can change the prices they have set for their Workshop content.
Elements creators should consider when setting a price for a mod should include the number of similar items available, the amount of unique content the individual has created, the degree of difficulty and the amount of play time the mod will bring.
The Steam Workshop allows for the collaboration between creators, allowing them to iterate on each other's work. However, if permission isn't given by a creator to use his or her mod, the individual should file a DMCA Takedown Notice, according to Valve.
To protect players from cash grabs, buyers have up to 24 hours to return a mod if they find it to be different from advertised or filled with bugs.
Valve is starting off its support for paid mods with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and will expand the initiative to other games "in the coming weeks."
"By paying for mods and supporting the people that made them, you enable those artists and creators to continue working on their mods and inspire new modders to try their hand in creating new, higher quality items and experiences," Valve stated.
