Valve's Custom Game Pass Dev Apologizes For Stolen Content

[HardOCP News]

This is why we can't have nice things. Didn't something similar happen when Valve tried this with the paid mods for Skyrim?

Within 48 hours of the system being announced and going live Roshpit Champions, one of the most popular modes added to the Custom Game Pass system, was found to be using assets without permission from other users and—in one case—from Blizzard Entertainment.

 

[Koolthulu]

Hopefully Blizzard sues and Valve gets this paid mod BS idea out of their head. First game companies make us pay for the "privilege" of being their game testers. Now they want us to make the paid content for them too. If I think a mod is worth something, I'll pay the author directly. No need to give Valve 90%.

 

[azuza001]

I agree 1000%. Paid mods is just silly, if its good enough people will donate. This system is just another way for a company to get more money without actually doing any work.

 

[Inacurate]

Hopefully Blizzard sues and Valve gets this paid mod BS idea out of their head. First game companies make us pay for the "privilege" of being their game testers. Now they want us to make the paid content for them too. If I think a mod is worth something, I'll pay the author directly. No need to give Valve 90%.

I understand where you're coming from, but I believe a lawsuit from Blizzard would be frivolous if Valve covered themselves with the legalese, which I'm sure they have. The typical 'we're not liable for user created content' clause.

So even though this is not Valve's fault, it certainly looks bad to a majority of people who don't know any better. Or don't like the idea of paying for content they either feel entitled to or should have been in the game from the beginning. I wrestle with what side of that I'm on, but usually I don't feel the extra content is worth it, so I don't wrestle for long because I don't care enough for it. In all my years of gaming, the only time extra content has drawn me in enough to think about purchasing it has been recently with the Just Cause 3 Air expansion. That looks awesome! ...but I'm not going to buy it. So I miss out and I just deal with it. Life goes on!

In this case it's the creator's decision to make the extra content available via Steam Workshop, so you can't be upset with Valve here. Valve is not forcing creators to make this stuff and offer it to consumers. They're giving creators an additional delivery path and revenue stream, which of course they'll take their cut. The numbers aren't important to me specifically, but Valve deserves a % for designing and hosting the service, which should allow the creator to put more effort into making a better game and not having to worry about delivery mechanisms and DRM. I'm no expert, but I imagine for a small time developer, not having to worry about how you're going to deliver your product or protect it is a huge draw.

But yes, they are enabling the 'extra content' mentality where creators see dollar signs. Unfortunately, that ship sailed a long time ago and not enough consumers stood up and said NO with their wallets, so here we are where it's all but guaranteed to have 'extra content' available after release day for a premium.

But it's the creator we should be upset with, as they're the one who are ultimately making the decision to put a price tag on their extra content. Valve is just the messenger who charges for use of the horse drawn cart and protection detail!

 

[Quix]

I don't think this paid mods idea is really going to work.

 

[DPI]

I agree 1000%. Paid mods is just silly, if its good enough people will donate.

And you know that how? Are you a mod author?

Because the reality is people *don't* donate for them - ask any actual mod author. I've seen endless complaints from them on places like Reddit and Nexus forums that the donate button doesn't get any use.

 

[kbrickley]

Hopefully Blizzard sues and Valve gets this paid mod BS idea out of their head. First game companies make us pay for the "privilege" of being their game testers. Now they want us to make the paid content for them too. If I think a mod is worth something, I'll pay the author directly. No need to give Valve 90%.

The Valve split is certainly controversial but no one forces mod makers to participate either. I agree that mods should remain free but for other reasons. Ultimately most mods are only legal if the developer allows them to be. Keeping the mods free is less likely to incur the legal wrath of developers opposed to undesirable modding and encourage more developers to allow or support modding.

As to the paid game testing (Early Access and Kickstarter), this is something I actually like as an option. Previously most betas were closed affairs and we rarely got to see developing titles until they launched or only through preview footage. I don't preorder much anymore and my desire for early access and kickstarter varies a little, depending on my budget, but I like to have the option. I enjoyed playing Grim Dawn during its Beta/Early Access stages and will enjoy playing the final product also. Personally I like having choices like DLC and Early Access since they allow developers to try things they might not have done otherwise. When I see examples of either I consider detrimental I abstain from supporting them, but I see nothing wrong with supporting a developer who uses those elements appropriately, and in ways that benefit the game consumer.