Nexus Mods to make it easier and more intuitive to pay modders

[Nowak]

Sauce: http://www.pcgamer.com/nexus-mods-to-launch-a-mod-author-donation-system-early-next-year/

 

First of all, I know what you're all thinking, and before you get out the pitchforks and declare that Bethesda (who has nothing to do with Nexus Mods) is bringing back paid mods again or that Nexus Mods is now dead, let me get this clear: THIS IS NOT PAID MODS! Mods are still free! But they're making it more intuitive to pay your favorite modders for their work.

 

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The 2015 attempt to bring paid mods to Steam was an unmitigated disaster, but that's not going to stop Nexus Mods from taking a different shot at a paid-mods system of its own. The site recently announced plans for a new "mod author donation system" that will enable mod makers who opt in to earn a few bucks, or other rewards if they prefer, from their work.

Again, mods will still be free.

 

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That doesn't mean that users will have to start paying for mods, however: Nexus Mods founder Robin "DarkOne" Scott made it clear that the mods will remain free.  

Instead, Nexus is planning on paying its creators like this:

 

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Instead, Nexus Mods itself will inject a variable amount of money, expected to be in the neighborhood of $5000-10,000, into a donation pool each month, which users will also be able to donate to if they wish. At the end of the month, the total pool will be divided among mod makers based on a system of "donation points" earned through unique downloads from each mod maker's page.

Basically, this is how I think this will work:

 

- Nexus will set up a donation pool between $5000 and $10000 each month, and users will be able to donate to this pool

- At the end of the month, this money will be divided and distributed to mod developers, with ones with more unique downloads getting a larger cut

 

This metric was chosen because the unique downloads figure is difficult to game.

 

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"Unique download counters are so hard to game in the grand scheme of things that they are the safest bet when it comes to preventing fraud. You'd need to make about 20,000 new accounts, and download the same file using each of them, to make any sort of noticeable dent in the unique download counters across the site. I think that's unlikely. In contrast, if we were to use something like the endorsement system, or the file of the month system, you'd still need to make a lot of new accounts but it would be considerably less difficult to game." 

Effectively, you are paying modders by downloading their mods. As for these "donation points", they can be accumulated over time and shared between mod team members, meaning that everyone in a mod's development team will get a share of the money. However, there are some rules and regulations surrounding the process of sharing donation points with team members.

 

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Donation points can be accumulated, shared between mod team members, or transferred to someone else entirely, and mod creators will have to opt in if they want to take part. To ensure adequate time to resolve any issues that may come up, there will be a 90-day delay before points are actually distributed, and there will be "strict rules" and moderation to ensure that everyone plays fair.

These points in turn can be cashed in for PayPal donations and Amazon gift vouchers, and in the future Nexus aims to offer games, software licenses and PC hardware. They will be able to be donated to charities as well.

 

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Collected points will be redeemable for PayPal donations and Amazon gift vouchers, but Nexus Mods also aims to offer games, software licenses, and PC hardware, which may be of more value to mod makers struggling with creaky hardware. Modders who don't need any of the above will also have the option to donate their points to "a few hand-selected charities" instead. 

Now, this sounds great and all, but let's not lie to ourselves, this will not let modders quit their day job. It will address one thing modders wanted, though: being compensated for their work.

 

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"Let me cut to the chase and clarify right now that this system  definitely isn't going to let any mod author quit their day job.  However, it should fulfill that original wish many mod authors have  expressed for years now of wanting at least a little something tangible back from their modding hobby, even if it's just some recognition and a  couple of free coffees/beers each month to keep them topped up while  they're working on their mods."

 

Robin "DarkOne" Scott is aware that paying for mods is contentious for some users, especially in the wake of Bethesda's pitiful attempts at profiting off mods (Steam workshop paid mods, now Creation Club), but he's clearly avoiding making the same mistakes and is laying out exactly how the system will work ahead of time so people will know what to expect. Barring any troubles setting it up, the system will likely launch either next month, or perhaps late February at the latest.

 

I think I can get behind a system like this much easier than I can Bethesda's systems, as this can actually benefit modders who wish to be compensated for their work. I can see big modders, with large teams working on a large-scale mod with its own assets, storyline and voice acting, benefitting the most from this. And, by the way, you can forget about Creation Club now, Bethesda 

[2FA]

Other than The Vampire Dante being a prick, Nexus is awesome.

[ARikozuM]

I'm glad they're implementing something like this so that some developers can be donated to (which I have a few times). 

[Memories4K]

14 minutes ago, DeadEyePsycho said:

Other than The Vampire Dante being a prick, Nexus is awesome.

Redpill me on The Vampire Dante fam, i'm out of the loop


Also, yeah, i think this is the better route. No modder will be able to quit their day job but unless they were bringing out consistent content, beyond mod updates, or big mods that equal an expansion pack, etc then donations are very appreciated for the work that is done.

[2FA]

1 minute ago, Memories4K said:

Redpill me on The Vampire Dante fam, i'm out of the loop


Also, yeah, i think this is the better route. No modder will be able to quit their day job but unless they were bringing out consistent content, beyond mod updates, or big mods that equal an expansion pack, etc then donations are very appreciated for the work that is done.

Dante hit the thermonuclear war button way too frequently (aka permaban hammer) when it came to moderating. He would just permaban without giving a warning in cases where it was definitely most appropriate to warn, not ban.

[Centurius]

This is how you pay modders the right way. Learn a thing or two Bethesda.

[Matu20]

If Nexus Mods themselves don't take a big cut, this is really cool.

[ScratchCat]

8 hours ago, Matu20 said:

If Nexus Mods themselves don't take a big cut, this is really cool.

They themselves are paying in 5000-10000 per month.

This is a brilliant idea, hopefully it doesn't cause click bait (click download?) mods just to get more money.

[Nowak]

1 minute ago, ScratchCat said:

They themselves are paying in 5000-10000 per month.

This is a brilliant idea, hopefully it doesn't cause click bait (click download?) mods just to get more money.

They set up a pool in that range, and users donate to that pool, which then gets divided and distributed to modders at the end of the month.