It’s no secret the Bethesda community is full of enthusiastic fans who love the games so much, they spend countless hours making mods for them. From tiny things like horse armor to entirely fan-made quests and locations, the variety on offer is staggering.
In the past, modders have always created these mods for free, treating them as passion projects. But with a new program by Bethesda called Creations, there’s a big row about whether modders should be able to charge money for their work.
Some Bethesda Modders Think Paid Mods Can Inhibit Creativity
For many modders who breathe life into Bethesda’s vast worlds, crafting content is a pure act of passion. In an interview with VG247, prominent Skyrim modder Emmi Junkkari explained:
I doubt most people started making content for these games thinking they’ll make mad bucks with Patreon. When Oblivion and Morrowind modding started (and earlier Fallouts), we didn’t have PayPals or Patreons and Ko-Fi wasn’t a thing. I believe people got used to everything being free, and people made content because they wanted to make it, and when new ways for content creators to get compensated for their work have popped up, the Bethesda modding hivemind didn’t quite catch up.
The December 2023 update that brought Creations to Skyrim incited mixed reactions. Some modders, like Shekhinaga, vehemently oppose the concept of paid mods altogether. Their primary concern centers on the potential decline in mod quality, due to the fear of financial incentive overshadowing creativity.
Additionally, they worry that players might start valuing free mods less compared to their paid counterparts. Compatibility issues further fuel anxieties, with concerns surrounding paid mods built upon existing free ones, and the inability for players with complex mod setups to test mods before purchase, potentially causing frustration and technical issues.
Junkkari Believes Creations Can Be A Gateway For Modders To Game Development
However, Junkkari views Creations as a potential turning point, offering a chance for talented modders to turn their passion into profit, and maybe transforming a beloved hobby into a sustainable career path:
With Creation Club originally, and now Creations, I get to continue freelancing, so I have my freedom to work on my own ideas and inspirations – as opposed to ‘working on someone else’s project’ as a regular game dev – and also being able to work at my own pace. If this program is successful, I could quit my mundane every day job and earn a living doing what I love, working on Skyrim, and hopefully Fallout 4 and Starfield in the future.
She also acknowledged Bethesda’s efforts to refine the system, commending the implementation of quality control measures that ensure a baseline standard for paid mods. Furthermore, she highlighted the introduction of new Creation Kit features that empower mod creators to “get their foot through the door towards Bethesda and the game industry.“
Junkkari’s personal journey of creating Shadetree Lodge for Creations exemplified the limitations faced by console modders. Restricted to utilizing existing game assets, she had to employ her creativity to achieve the desired aesthetic for the player home. Creators might face similar ordeals within the new system, requiring them to adapt and innovate within Bethesda’s boundaries.
The future of Creations remains uncertain as of now. While some envision a future brimming with benefits for both creators and players, others remain skeptical about its potential impact on creativity.
Even as game monetization evolves, passionate modders will no doubt keep creating exceptional content that enhances the games we know and love. It’ll be fascinating to see whether Creations will ultimately a thriving force for talented modders, or a stake to the heart of their ingenuity.
