Gaming
Paid Mods Creators Faced Abuse And Death Threats
Valve’s attempt to introduce paid mods to the Steam workshop came to a close yesterday when the company announced it was cancelling the program. The move to allow modders to charge for their work on the Steam Workshop incurred the internet’s wrath in a big way not least due to its atrociously mishandled roll-out. The community seemed to feel almost betrayed that Valve and Bethesda would simply go ahead and introduce this scheme without first discussing it with the public. Even worse, the two companies remained largely silent on the matter for several days before Gabe Newell, Valve CEO, finally took to Reddit to defend the move. That didn’t go so well, with most of his comments downvoted to obscurity. Valve and Bethesda both took a hit to their popularity, Valve in particular. But when you’re a company, hate is easy to deal with. For individuals, it’s much harder.
Two days ago, a Skyrim modder called James Ive told Polygon he’d faced abuse and death threats from the gaming community. Ive, who creates mods under the name Jimo, was one of the modders charging for his work on the Steam Workshop. There was also an artist named Thiago Vidotto, who created weapons for Skyrim based on DOTA, who received messages saying that he was “destroying the gaming world.” Meanwhile Ives was faced with “countless death threats, attacks and hateful comments… Just about everything you can think of.”
Valve’s actions may have brought the paid mod debate to a head last week, but it has actually been going on for some time. There are modders that work exceptionally hard to create superb and original content for games. For Skyrim, a great example is the Falskaar mod. Created by Alexander Velicky, it adds an entirely new land to the game as well as 20-30 hours of extra gameplay. Since creating the mod Velicky has been given a job at Bungie, but until then he was receiving nothing but donations for his work. For most, it would be hard to imagine putting so much time and energy into a project for so little financial return, but this is how the modding community has been going for years. There have always been arguments on both sides. It’s hard to argue that modders like Velicky would have been unjustified should they have chosen to charge for their work, but the community wants mods to remain free and available to everyone.
Valve’s ill-fated plan to enable modders to make money off their work should have worked. It should have benefited the community and helped modders, but instead it was so mishandled, it had to be shut down less than a week after it began. The absence of a pay-what-you-choose slider and the fact that Valve implemented the plan without warning riled up the community to the point of no return. Two days ago, I wrote about the risks of giving 75% of the revenue from mods to the developers and Valve. Gabe Newell said on Reddit, “Our goal is to make modding better for the authors and gamers.” I hope it’s become clear to Gabe by now that giving just 25% of the revenue to modders was never going to make them any better off than they are relying on donations. In fact, the decision to give them only 25% makes it look suspiciously like Valve didn’t care at all about the interests of the modders.
Now, not only have modders missed out on an opportunity to monetize their work, but any future attempts to monetize mods will also have to deal with the fallout from this attempt. And we can only hope this whole fiasco won’t discourage modders from continuing to create awesome content for the games they love.
Gaming
Gran Turismo 7 Update 1.46 introduces an exciting addition to the roster of exclusive cars available in the PS5 and PS4 racing game
Gran Turismo 7 has just received an exciting update to version 1.46 on both PS5 and PS4. This latest update introduces a unique addition to the game: the Škoda Vision Gran Turismo, a car that you won’t come across in any other game. Škoda makes its debut in the franchise with a visionary study of a single-seater, all-electric racing concept car, designed exclusively for the Polyphony Digital racer.
Once you’ve downloaded update 1.46, you’ll have the opportunity to test drive not one but two additional cars: the AFEELA Prototype 2024 and the iconic Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 Sport Coupe ’70. Get ready for an exhilarating ride! Watch as they take to the track in the video above.
Additionally, the update introduces a new menu for players to tackle in the GT Café. At Collector Level 38, players have the opportunity to delve into the fascinating world of Ferrari 12-cylinder engines, gaining knowledge and expanding their collection. In World Circuits, players can look forward to exciting new events such as the Japanese Clubman Cup 550, the American FR Challenge 550, and the Vision Gran Turismo Trophy. For all the avid fans of Photo Mode, there’s an exciting opportunity to explore the captivating city of San Diego in a brand new Scape.
What are your thoughts on the latest update for Gran Turismo 7? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section.
Gaming
ReFantazio Takes a Different Approach to Romance, Setting Itself Apart from the Persona Games
Atlus’ highly anticipated RPG, Metaphor: ReFantazio, appears to incorporate familiar systems reminiscent of the developer’s acclaimed Persona series. The game features turn-based battles that heavily rely on exploiting enemy weaknesses. Additionally, players have the ability to summon warrior spirits during combat. However, the most significant aspect of this game, which will be discussed in this article, is the bonding system. Through this system, players can spend time with important characters and gain deeper insights into their personalities and stories.
In contrast to the Persona games, the bonding system ends at that point. Unfortunately, players will be unable to pursue romantic relationships with their beloved waifus, which may come as a disappointment to those who have developed strong feelings for Hulkenberg, the party’s charismatic red-haired elven knight.
According to Siliconera, the absence of romance came up during a recent question and answer session. Atlus emphasized the continued opportunity to develop meaningful relationships with your allies while also introducing additional narratives through substories. In addition, familiarizing yourself with the supporting characters will grant you access to new archetypes, which serve as the game’s character classes.
In the Persona games, romance is not obligatory; rather, it serves as a means to customize your playthrough. However, it is quite unexpected that Metaphor has chosen not to pursue such a venture, considering the significant amount of discussion it typically generates!
Were you anticipating any romantic elements in Metaphor? If you’re not satisfied with your pre-order, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Gaming
Shift Up unveils the intriguing details behind the physical packaging of Stellar Blade for the PS5
It appears that many
are eagerly anticipating the launch of the highly anticipated PS5 exclusive, Stellar Blade. Shift Up, the developer, has shared a lengthy video showcasing the “secrets” found in the physical box of the game for PS5. From what we can gather, these secrets include a reversible cover/dust jacket and a download code for cosmetic items.
We must clarify that while we do appreciate the variant cover, it may be more appealing than the game’s standard art. However, it is not something we would typically classify as a “secret.”. However, what’s interesting is that Shift Up has confirmed through the comments section that this will be the case in all regions. Additionally, the visually striking action RPG will remain uncensored worldwide.
「Stellar Blade」 Physical Package Secrets⚠️#StellarBlade #PS5 #Disc pic.twitter.com/WQSzKUSDQ4
— StellarBlade (@StellarBlade) April 22, 2024
It’s refreshing to witness a developer going the extra mile for physical collectors, and it’s evident that the developer is determined to leave a favorable mark in the console realm. Stellar Blade is set to make its highly anticipated debut this Friday, April 26th, exclusively on the PS5.
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