Opinions on Paid Mods with DRM?

[Couchpotato]

Just a simple question and poll as I noticed with Starfield and Red Dead Redemption 2 there are a few new DLSS graphic mods that requires a subscription.

Your file download also needs a key to function.

PureDark adds a DRM to his Red Dead Redemption 2 DLSS 3 Mod

A few days ago, PureDark issued a new update for his Red Dead Redemption 2 DLSS 3 Mod that added a DRM to it.

www.dsogaming.com

 

[Couchpotato]

On the other side there are also Patreon accounts for other mods as well. I've seen this with fanfiction and webnovels profiting off someone else IP and so on.

The online opinion seems this is a grey area and so long as IP holders don't sue it's fine. I feel it's just a matter of time as I've seen modders go to court before in the past.

 

[Redglyph]

I'd say 'no' in general because I would have a trust issue. How do I know if that will be maintained long enough? It depends on the price, of course. If someone made an awesome mod, the game is stable and not updated anymore, and the price is honest, why not.

A subscription for a mod is a definitive 'no'.

 

[sakichop]

Absolutely not. I think it creates all sorts of problems. As someone who will sometimes use 100's of mods at a time even at $1 each it gets too spendy and then I'm picking and choosing, and many mods wouldn't get used at all.

- If I'm paying, I expect it to work and be supported. Turning it in to a job for modders.
- I'm not going to tryout many mods if I have to pay for them.
- You'll have a flood of crap with people hoping to make a quick buck.
- I think of how easy it can be to mess up your game when having several mods if you're unsure what you're doing. The backlash would be strong if people are paying for it. Hell, I've seen what dicks people can be to modder even when the mods are free.
- I will donate if the mod is really good.

Having said that I wouldn't be opposed to a one time fee. Say $20 more for a mod-able version with that 20 being split between the modders and Bethesda agreeing to help with support. Even then I feel mods are just too unpredictable when you start combine several of them to charge for them. I remember spending a good month choosing and dialing in all my Skyrim mods (100-200) to get it stable enough to play. Maybe they could make mod compilations that are tested and guaranteed to work with each other. I don't know it all seems so messy.

 

[JDR13]

I didn't even know paid mods with DRM was a thing. This is the first time I've ever heard of a mod having DRM.

 

[Couchpotato]

"It's only $5 you cheapskates if you can't afford it quit gaming." - IGN Comment.

Starfield Paid DLSS Mod Creator Hits Back at Pirates, Threatens to Add 'Hidden Mines' in Future Mods - IGN

In an interview with IGN, Starfield DLSS modder PureDark defends the decision to put his advanced DLSS mods on Patreon, and he plants his flag in the debate over paid mods.

www.ign.com

I respect the amount of work that a lot of modders do for free, but goddamn some of them are the most entitled man children on the planet.

 

[Redglyph]

I understand he wants to get something in return, but that's only his point of view. The real problem here is BGS. From a customer point of view, there's no reason to pay more for something that should be by default in any graphics-intensive game.

So I'm never going to pay for a mod like that - I'll just skip the game entirely unless they optimize it correctly for RTX cards. It's not as if there weren't other good games.

 

[Drithius]

I respect the amount of work that a lot of modders do for free, but goddamn some of them are the most entitled man children on the planet.

He's greedy and exploitative, but not self-entitled. That title would be more apt for the people who feel... entitled to others' work for free.

Regardless, there's a second DLSS mod on the nexus, one that doesn't go full Capitalist. I'm honestly surprised Nexus' lawyers or Dark0ne himself haven't flagged/removed the paywall file. They typically err on the side of caution when it comes to BGS litigation.

 

[Couchpotato]

Seriously we need a facepalm emoji.

I'm talking about the whole mod scene I seen plenty of breakdowns from mod creators throwing tantrums. As for Bethesda they haven't sent cease and desist letters just quiet.

As for people who feel entitled to others work for free they have always been free. The problem nowadays is sites like Patreon created a grey market were anyone can profit.

When the creators are targeted with why it might not be legal they get defensive with excuses. Just look at fanfics and fan art of other peoples IPs it's abundant on those sites.

As for me I've tipped modders on the nexus for extraordinary mods.

 

[Zloth]

I'm fine and dandy with paid mods, personally. If a modder has put in a lot of work and wants to get paid for it, that's fine by me. Industry wise, though, I worry a lot. Like @sakichop said, a lot of desperate people are going to switch from making dumb videos to making dumb mods. People will start stealing each other's work and, when money is on the line, that's going to result in lawsuits instead of just temper tantrums. Eventually, we'll get bigger groups of modders with more money and teams of lawyers dominating the scene.

There would be a big plus in that people that are doing modding as a job would make a lot of HIGH quality stuff, but I'm not so sure it's worth it. After all, if they want to go that far, just join/create a gaming company.

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