The Non-Payment Pact Thread

[SidewinderX]

If you guys keep up-to-date woth the Valve info thread, you might have noticed that in a recent Q&A session, Gabe revealed that it would be possible for mod developers to release thier mods through Steam, and charge for it. I am asking you all to agree to release your mod for free, regardless of the possibility of profit. Please "sign" your name and the mod you represent.

 

[chapel]

I wont release my mod through steam for money. Its just not my thing, and Id much rather get a deal with a publisher if I wanted money.

So I do agree not to sell it through valve, but If I get a publishing deal ( i probly wont, and it isnt my goal) I will sell it then.

Chapel - Nuclear Dreams

 

[ShinRa]

You will get a publisher if you team up with us

But yes,

/me signs

 

[Argyll]

Where did it say that this is possible?

 

[SidewinderX]

hey ive been thinking will programmers be able to sell their mods over steam and not have them free for download? ,
then they would put more time n money into thier mods and make better quality mods ,
maybe this is part of one of your master plans lol
it would open up for the pros to make mods and not just amatures.

p.s thx alot for answering my last email
-Bo

Yes, MOD makers can use the billing interfaces in Steam to go commercial with their MODs. We're about to turn those on in Steam.

http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1298&perpage=40&pagenumber=4

right where I said it was....

 

[Argyll]

Right where you said it was? I don't see a link in your first post...

 

[SidewinderX]

the Valve info thread

Regardless or you saying you won'y charge?

 

[Majestic XII]

Majestic XII (Eclipse Games) - Malin and Sector7

The only thing i whould like in return is a great fanbase and maybe a postcard or two.

 

[Grey]

I'd like to get paid in 5.56 NATO ammunition :sniper:

 

[WhiteOni]

/me signs for Corporations

If our mods gets love we'd make money with merchandise

 

[ShinRa]

Grey City lunch boxes! Shaped in the form of a dead child who was just shot by a police officer trying to shoot you!:dozey:

 

[green1152]

Steam is the only thing from valve I don't like...

 

[dscowboy]

Originally posted by chapel
Id much rather get a deal with a publisher if I wanted money.

If you sold your mod via Steam, that would make Valve your publisher.

I'm confused about the point of this 'pact' thing. What difference does it make to any of you if another team decides to sell their mod?

People seem to have a hard time understanding Steam. An electronic content delivery network (like Steam) is a _good_ thing, people. Manufacturing physical components and publishing through traditional brick-and-mortar retail channels requires a lot of expensive overhead, which makes the margins for a game development team amazingly small compared to the rest of the software industry. Publishing electronically eliminates nearly all of that, the developers get a very large percentage of the revenue directly, and customers pay less for the product. Everybody (except the third-party vendors that do stuff like CD fabrication) wins.

If this kind of stuff doesn't make sense to you, I strongly suggest consulting with someone who has an MBA or at least an undergraduate business degree before making any major business decisions about the publishing of your mod/game.

 

[SidewinderX]

The reason is this:

One of the greatest thigns about half-life, and half-life 2, is/will be all the mods. The game can live on forever, for free, which is part of the greatness of the community.

If people start selling them, the comunity will start coming apart, there will be less things to play, becuase I know, for one, that I will not pay to play a mod made by non-profrssional game developers.

 

[dscowboy]

Originally posted by SidewinderX143
If people start selling them, the comunity will start coming apart

Where does this 'the mod community will collapse!' paranoia come from? That's like saying the whole game community will collapse if Rockstar decides to retail their next game at $80 instead of $50. Nothing's going to collapse, either people will buy the game or they won't. If we find that nobody will pay money for any HL2 mod over Steam at all, then nobody will sell HL2 mods over Steam, simple as that. If however, we find that people will pay $10 for a mod once it's feature-complete as long as they can play the beta for free, then mods will start charging money to help fund further development. A free market regulates this kind of thing, I don't think a pact is really necessary.

I know, for one, that I will not pay to play a mod made by non-profrssional game developers.

Lol! By definition, selling a mod would _make_ you a professional. No development team is 'professional' until they start getting paid.

DOD and Counterstrike were started by 'non-professional' teams, and a lot of people have bought those mods/games. I don't see why there's resistance to helping pay for development of a mod that you enjoy a lot. If I pay 50 bucks for a game and get 30 hours of fun gameplay from it, I consider that a success. Many of us have gotten literally hundreds of hours of fun gameplay from mods like DOD and CS, why would we demand that they have to be free?

 

[Talbain_Nova]

non payment

*Tal signs and double checks his signature* :cheers:

Dracten will be free but certain characters and story would be copyright - also to those individuals who helped me out will get Credit where Credit is due.

Most mod's i've helped work on - I am usually the last one holding the rope and the mod goes under. So don't expect this mod to die.

Failure is not a option.

right now I am enjoying other forums going ballistic over this idea and want to help out immediatly - this forum seems to be way too quite lately.

http://www.dracten-forum.info.se

 

[peoplesuc]

I will not sign.

Hard work DESERVES to be compensated! No one is forcing anyone to buy these mods. If the mods are good and the pro-am dev team decides that it can make some loot for Valve and itself the more power too them. From what I hear American is still a capitalist country and not some pretentious socialist state.

peoplesuc - WILL NOT SIGN.

 

[crabcakes66]

If "Dark waters" ever becomes popular.

We wouldnt even consider charging for it. Atleast not me.

 

[dawdler]

Originally posted by crabcakes66
If "Dark waters" ever becomes popular.

We wouldnt even consider charging for it. Atleast not me.

Me neither, and that makes 99% of the decision makers
(the rest of the 1% is the Allmighty Computer Goddess Pixel, I pray and ask her for advice)

 

[ComradeBadger]

If by some amazing co-incedence Operation Everlasting Shadow gets offered that chance. I would take it. But, the mod would still be available by download from elsewhere. If you feel the need to thank the team for the fun you have had you can send money via Steam. Thats just my opinion, if you don't WANT to pay, then you don't have too.

 

[SidewinderX]

If you get approached by a publisher, go for it!
What i'm talking about is selling your mod on your own, via Steam.

 

[Argyll]

My mod has already had a publishing offer. What difference does it make if a mod sells retail or via Steam? It would still cost money either way. How can this 'pact' be only about selling through Steam if you can still sell retail.

(BTW, the publishing offer is still being discussed by my team and the publisher, nothing is happening for sure)

 

[dscowboy]

Originally posted by Argyll
What difference does it make if a mod sells retail or via Steam?

No kidding. You have a publisher either way. Either your publisher is Valve, and you're publishing through their Steam network, or your publisher is someone else and you're publishing through retail channels. What's the difference?

 

[Cerberus]

people

people have been talking about how micropayments will be the next big thing. I definetly would pay 5 bucks to download the full version of a mod, and with their distribution system they can afford to sell mods for 5 bucks each. When you buy a 50 dollar game, a TON of that goes to overhead.

 

[Majestic XII]

Originally posted by Argyll
My mod has already had a publishing offer. What difference does it make if a mod sells retail or via Steam? It would still cost money either way. How can this 'pact' be only about selling through Steam if you can still sell retail.

(BTW, the publishing offer is still being discussed by my team and the publisher, nothing is happening for sure)

*negative nancy jumps in*

Watch yourself. "Been there, done that" Alot of people like to trick others. Get a ton of info, call them and all that, the it will show if its a bluff or not. I hope this is serious.

 

[Submerge]

you know how many HL2 mods have been contacted by publishers? it's not too big of a thing from the numbers, they show a couple of renders and a publisher wants them

 

[Argyll]

Thanks for the advice Majestic, but we are already being very cautious.

Submerge: From what the guy who contacted me tells me, his company has already approached 4 mods including mine. Also, it's not being based on just renders that they approach a mod, it's what the concept is. Don't get me wrong though, good renders are nice to have as well, but what the game is about is what will sell the game (in most cases).

 

[Submerge]

true

 

[Majestic XII]

Argyll: dont tell me that his company is named "Midas Interactive"?

If so...***n

 

[SidewinderX]

I've heard a few of these programs. A couple of them aren't realy "publishing" deals, but I haven't heard good things.

A common one is calleed Battle Eagle Entertianment. (www.battleeagle.com) They're program looks good (all the time servers, online sales, etc.) but when a mod signs onto something like that, thier mod is rarley played.

Just a heads up

btw, Majestic: pm.

 

[Submerge]

y rarely played?

 

[SidewinderX]

Because the mods are released immeadtly for pay, never a free full verison released. They are also only released on thier own server system, limiting thier avalaibility. Also, thier "publicity" campaign's are not nearly as extensive as you'd liek to think.

 

[Submerge]

oh, ok

 

[Argyll]

It is in association with Battle Eagle Entertainment. The things you stated may be true for some games/mods, but in the specific terms that the company is offering for my mod, only the final version of the mod will be retail. Any public betas will be fully supported by them for free (apparently). Thank you for your heads up, don't worry, myself and my team are experienced and very aware of the situation along with its advantages and disadvantages.

 

[SidewinderX]

Well, good luck

 

[Jhahn2k4]

It all depends how much they pay! :naughty: Just kiddin'!