It's not much, but if iTunes is any indication, you don't necessarily need to sell expensive goods to make a lot of money. A dollar or two for a single weapon or a bit of armor, and more for a bundled set. Creators can set their own price, and prices seem fairly low so far. Now modders can create content for Skyrim (the only participating game so far) for the intended purpose of selling it, skipping over the free bit. Until the announcement, all content created with the Workshop was free. The Steam Workshop provides a standardized means for modders to create content for their favorite games without having to learn a dozen different toolsets. Furthermore, these hobbies can often raise the gaming industry to new heights, benefiting players everywhere. But the trend with all these cases is that each creator started with a hobby, changing up games that they loved, and later turned it into a paid profession. Similarly, Garry's Mod started as a free mod before Valve gave permission for it to become a premium standalone game.

MOBA games like League of Legends were started by a WarCraft III mod called Defense of the Ancients. Once upon a time, creating an awesome Unreal Tournament mod might earn you a job at Epic Games. There are plenty of cases where that hobby turned into a paying job. Since modders couldn't be paid for their work, creating one was a labor of love. It's sort of like writing fan fiction for your favorite book, except kicked up several notches.

Bad News for Moddersįew activities show dedication and love for a game more than creating content for it. But that quiet understanding may eventually become a thing of the past with Valve's announcement that Steam Workshop creations for participating games may be sold for money. For years, that arrangement has led to incredible works, including a young designer who built an entire continent for Skyrim and subsequently used it to apply for a job at Bethesda Softworks. It's a rule that's typically spelled out in the EULA (End User License Agreement) players must agree to when they install the game. Modders, usually fans, are allowed to use the game's assets, even add to them, so long as they don't make any money. There's a general understanding between video game developers and mod creators.

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