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A [Mod]est Proposal to "improve" the modding community

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Level 18
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For years, Steam has distributed game mods to users on it's service via a feature known as "Steam Workshop." Allowing users to mod their games in a way that cooperates well with the Steam client. The only problem? It wasn't making enough money. So Steam had a f̶u̶c̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶h̶o̶r̶r̶i̶b̶l̶e̶ brilliant idea: Paid mods! Allowing users to profit the modifications they worked hard to create! It was a genius idea, really. And what I wonder is, why doesn't HiveWorkshop try it?

I propose that the HiveWorkshop introduces "paid mods" similar to what Steam is doing. If users so choose, they may put their creations behind a paywall - to download the mod, consumers would have to pay a modest fee. With Hive pocketing a modest 75% of the money a mod is sold for. It's a great deal all around! The consumer gets to benefit from the privilege of paying for something they could get for free, the modder could benefit from making a comically small amount of money for their creation, and HiveWorkshop could profit by taking the profit. It only makes sense the site would see the majority of the money off a mod you created, finished and uploaded to the site. I mean, this is our hometown! Right? We make the rules! Right?

I'm thinking we could sell models, skins and icons for about a dollar a pop, and maps for five. But as an asset gets more popular and gets more downloads, the price would increase, ensuring users get the best gaming experience they can afford.

And of course, as the person who came up with the idea, I modestly ask for a mere 80% of all the profits off this from the first month and 20% of all future profits for the rest of my miserable life! It's only fair. I put about as much work into this idea as Valve did.

With all the potential for profit, quality and profit from this idea, I think it should be perfectly clear that this post is a joke please god don't ever do this this entire post is a joke this is a horrible idea don't ever do this.
 
Level 21
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So this is just a prank post? Oh dear, I was just preparing my views while reading but you just killed me with that last sentence X_X
Anyway, this site should remain a free website. It's all about a game we adore, Warcraft. Why should we pay for downloading resources? It's really a big waste of money (like those online games where the best stuff costs real money) It would become more like a business. Imagine people that need thousands of models/skins/icons but they don't have the money to pay them? He'll lose the opportunity to create a map. If I'm not wrong, the best and most-polished maps are usually the ones with tons of custom resources. If they had to pay to create such maps, they might've never created them so it would just be a huge loss for the hive in the end.
 
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If the whole Jokes part is taken aside.

Talking about free resources, custom maps has always been around during Reign of Chaos and the coming Frozen Throne during those years, did you know Monolith or AzerothGrandPrix were made by just normal people? Blizzy only added them on the coming expansion during a map making contest back around circa 2003, you might see the surviving files at Battle net classic if I can recall my map brain. So why all of sudden, make a cheap brand out of this? Well, there was this time when a small group of Indie game developers proposed a contest that users here will be paid if the model they make got approved by their attention and with the help of a contest mechanism during 2013, but such move rarely happens.

Also this game is so old, old enough for people to tweak it, make something good to better or just have fun, hence, the modding community came into place. If we start branching out for a marketing route for sales and inventory, then this community will turn out into a carnivore fest.

The only "Proposal" is what we or I after is the continuity of this forum, bring the live communications through the means of tools, maps, art, additional multimedia, and of course it should be game-related and the people behind all of it enjoy the palette to the fullest. The money part is not the best idea.
 
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it is against the terms and conditions of using World editor to sell your creations used with it(e.g. models that are made with external tools and are deliberately targeted at wc3) or created with it(maps, campaigns) and you could very well get sued for it
 
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it is against the terms and conditions of using World editor to sell your creations used with it(e.g. models that are made with external tools and are deliberately targeted at wc3) or created with it(maps, campaigns) and you could very well get sued for it

LoolZ
Right hiveworkshop could get in trouble if they earnt money with it.
But if a mapmaker does it by himself, he won't have any problem. Only the pimp would be in trouble.
 

Dr Super Good

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I do not think it is a good idea because it would open Ralle (who is legally the site owner) to a lot of possible personal legal issues in the case someone uses the site to commit fraud, theft or even violate EU law...
On second thought the idea sounds great! (just kidding)

Some ability to support donations towards specific content developers on the other hand might get somewhere (with some percentage going to help Ralle maintain the servers). Although content authors will probably not get too much, the odd beer here and there could motivate them to develop maps further than they normally would.

I know some rather poor RPG maps (defiance?) managed to collet several hundred dollars in donations from players through their official site. Many better quality RPGs might had also been able to see similar figures from some fans if there were easy to setup channels for donations.
 
Level 22
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^ Agree. The option to donate to the modder sounds a good idea with some percentage to Ralle. It can motivate the modder and at the same time help the site. However suppose that a person makes an awesome map, model, skin or icon,, how will he/she suppose to receive the donation? I don't have a bloody idea how online donation works. If it involves something like a Mastercard, how about to those people who don't have one?
 
^ Agree. The option to donate to the modder sounds a good idea with some percentage to Ralle. It can motivate the modder and at the same time help the site. However suppose that a person makes an awesome map, model, skin or icon,, how will he/she suppose to receive the donation? I don't have a bloody idea how online donation works. If it involves something like a Mastercard, how about to those people who don't have one?

Ralle can create the system creation for such donations, like the donate to keep Hive alive button.
Well, Online Donation usually involves Cards, though some who has Paypal (and some other online money keeping) account without the cards can donate as well, if memory preserves. That is, if those online accounts has money in them (from PTC or something)
 
Level 28
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Not sure if joking or serious...

I actually just added them. It's just a donation button at the very bottom of the description. You don't need to pay anything, so you can still get all maps and the latest updated for free.

But in case you think it's a good idea to support my work on future maps or updates, or simply as a thank you, the button is there.

I wrote a bit about my thoughts on paying for mods on my blog: http://outsiderxe.blogspot.de/2015/04/paying-for-mods.html
 
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