Steam Introduces Paid Mods on Skyrim's Workshop

It seems that modders have been given the green light to sell their works on Steam. A bit surprising, to say the least, but now modders can make a little extra Steam Credit on the side with their hobby.

Starting with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Valve has introduced Paid Mods in order to put "mod authors in business via a new streamlined process for listing, selling and managing their creations." You can find the mods on Steam's Workshop for the game.

Quoting Valve's programmer Tom Bui:

"We think this is a great opportunity to help support the incredible creative work being done by mod makers in the Steam Workshop. 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."

Valve suggests that the initial pricing of the mods should range between $0.25 to $5.99, as the market will be unregulated and completely open. So far, the prices have ranged between $0.49 to $5.99. Some of the prices are listed, but some go by the model of "pay what you want," similar to Humble Bundle's payment model. Right now, there is a sale going on, called the "debut pack," which contains 17 paid Skyrim mods for $28.68.

Those that have paid for the mods through the Workshop are able to receive refunds within 24 hours if they are not satisfied with their purchase.

This news can be a downer for many players who download mods, but it's hard to deny that it's a positive point for modders.