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If you play video games, chances are you've dabbled in Skyrim, Bethesda's benchmark-setting open world RPG that's now over a decade old. It's been released and re-released ad infinitum, so much so that it has become an established meme. Now, the company wants to have another crack at hawking paid, player-created mods, apparently not getting the message from players the last time around.
In 2015, Bethesda trialled selling mods for Skyrim on Steam, generously offering the modder a 25% cut of the proceeds for doing the actual work. Steam would take its standard 30% platform fee, and the remaining 45% would go to Bethesda, which it claimed was the "current industry standard". Bethesda would ultimately remove paid mods following fan backlash, and Steam refunded all purchases.
In the intervening years, Bethesda would release its Creation Club, adding user-created content to first Fallout 4 and later Skyrim Special Edition, stipulating that these creations wouldn't mess with established lore. Bethesda would also release official Creation Club content occasionally and be permitted to bring the project to PlayStation.
Fast forward to today, and the developer has unveiled Bethesda Game Studios Creations alongside a significant update for the ageing RPG. Creations still allow players to upload free mods like before, but creators can now apply to become a part of the Verified Creator Program. These certified modders will then have the ability to charge for their creations. Expect things to get crazy quickly, as paid mods will no longer need to abide by lore-friendly limitations.
This is already causing consternation amongst the community, and the line between official Creation Club content and mods is beginning to blur. Further frustration comes from these paid mods disabling Trophies on PlayStation, while free Creation content doesn't; it's a disaster.
What do you think of the sorry state of Skyrim affairs? Are you still playing, and what has your experience been with Creation Club content on PlayStation? Let us know in the comments section below.
[source eurogamer.net]
Comments 11
I didn't even know you could get mods on PS for Bethesda games. Shows how far behind I am. Played Bethesda games to death on PS3 and dabbled with Skyrim VR
@Stragen8 Yes but mods on PS are heavily restricted because of copyright issues iirc
Love skyrim. Bought it on the ps3 at launch and what a joke that was once it started moving. Then I bought it for the PC when I built my gaming rig way back in the mists of time when a gtx970 was the gpu to have and it was an awesome experience that I played for years. I purchased the ps5 edition in a sale really cheap only for it to be included in my ps extra sub but never mind. It's not aged particularly well but it's still a great game. Not quite sure why Bethesda think people will pay for extra things for skyrim as I expect most gamers have moved on and there are much better rpg's out there. Good luck with the pan handling.
Since Bethesda games are riddled with bugs and are only fixed by mods, so they could manage to sell bug fixes. I'd love to see that.
Bethesda is so out of touch it's kind of funny
@Northern_munkey I'd say the reason they are doing this is simply because they know people have moved on from Skyrim, so the backlash will be relatively minor excepted in the hardcore modding community (and even there, some modders like the idea to earn some money from them mods).
Then, one year later, they can pretend this is the "industry standard" and do the same with Starfield or Fallout 76...
Good to see that Microsoft purchasing them hasn't done anything to lessen the scum tactics they try to implement. For the gamers!
@Nepp67 it's not copyright, Sony is scared they'll get hacked again if they allow outside assets, only problem is they didn't tell anyone they weren't gonna allow Bethesda to set up the modding platform until after everyone purchased Skyrim on PS4
If Skyrim was a person, it would be an 82 year old rockstar, half-dead but every year rolled out to wheeze through their greatest hits, before they’re hooked back up to a ventilator for the following 364 days.
They already have a paid Skyrim Mod. Its called Starfield.
surely, just let the players decide. if people want to pay for stuff, let them, if not, no worries. mountains out of mole hills.
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