No. This is not what crowd funding should be used for. I have seen genuinely ambitious projects ask for less. A mod for an existing game, asking for so much money, is insulting.
To everyone "outraged" by $44k...
Would you buy the very same add-on as DLC from Bethesda for $10?
It will only take 4400 people to buy it to make $44k that he needs to make it.
Last edited by Elim Garak; 2012-11-01 at 11:49 PM.
The same DLC? You speak as if you know the quality of the finished product. The only thing we have to go on is his previous mod and I sure wouldn't say it was worth ten dollars (much less the minimum donation of 25).
But, more than that, the precedent this sets offends me. Why bother modding for free when some random schlub can make a year salary for a single mod?
Because it's fun? Most people don't have a body of work that most people would view as being sufficient to be considered an amateur, or even professional mod-builder. If I were to program a Skyrim mod I wouldn't ask any money for donations because I have no experience aside from knowing how to code the systems the mod would use. If I had made a list of mods that many people liked, and decided to invest a whole year into a one, large mod, I would definitely ask for donations. This guy isn't some "random schlub".
Do keep in mind that 44 000 dollars is not that much in some countries. In Norway for example, 44 000 dollars is 250 000 NOK, which is just about 200 000 NOK bellow nation average per year.
No, the same add-on he says he's gonna make. As official DLC.
You speak as if you know the quality of the finished product, too.
Is it sold for $10? Is it the same thing he will present in a year?
What?! How!? How is it even a concern of yours?
1. You jelly?
2. Earning money is BAD?
3. Earning money doing MODs is bad?
4. Who forces you to mod for free?
5. Why do you mod right now? What will change there?
6. Go make the same addon and distribute it for free - show that mofo who's da boss!
7. You must really hate people who donate to mod authors.
And in the end it can cost as much as $1 per user - if there are 44k people wanting to play his mod.
I have to agree with this. What he's doing doesn't appear to be $44,000 worth of effort. Hell, he'll probably be working or something while he's making it. It doesn't strike me as being worth the money or suggested time frame. More likely he could get whatever he's doing done in 3 months then go afk for 9 months on his earnings. I'd not pay to see it ever. Hell, the first mod wasn't good enough or popular enough to warrant this.
He lives in Canada apparently, not sure what 44k does up there. The guy has 2500 hours in the creation kit, that's pretty damn serious. Over a year of full time work already and the kit has only been out for 9 months now.
Still, a kickstarter doesn't feel quite right for a mod, even from someone who really knows what they're doing. I don't really blame him for trying, given the time and work he's invested, but between the legal gray area of it all and the general shadiness of straight up funding a mod it just doesn't quite shit right.
If it is so fun then why does he need to be paid? Why is that a valid excuse at all on the subject of a guy asking for thousands of dollars to do what many others have been doing for free for years?
And an avenue already exists for him to get donations on Nexus. But with Kickstarter he is asking for money up front...
It seems like you're just arguing to argue if you're only going to read literally the first sentence.
I get it, you don't like the idea of using crowdfunding as a way to get compensation for a mod, especially when there are already other ways to do it. Let's just leave it at that, because any other justifications for your argument aren't all that cogent. You just don't like it - nothing wrong with that.
Has experience working on 3 shitty game titles, thinks he is super qualified.
Wants 44k to develop a glorified mod.
GTFO.
I don't even... So if i enjoy my job - I should tell my employer that I will work for free because it's fun?
He needs money, obviously, so he can focus on mod creation, that is for living.
Why is it not a valid excuse? And what others have to do with it?
Can we use the same logic to criticize fast food business? Charities were feeding the people for free all these years...
And what do you suggest he should've done? Take a loan, spend a year, make the add-on and hope people will donate after downloading it for free?
That's exactly what Kickstarter is for. To find people who will donate upfront.
This seems dodgy to say the least. I can't imagine this even being legal is it? I know the tools were released for people to make custom content but to create and sell it so openly? I cant see that being allowed.
Edit; read it again and he's releasing the final product for free, that's good to know.
Last edited by mmoceeceb76e25; 2012-11-02 at 12:22 AM.
I was hoping this was the next content release by Beth. But i was mislead...
So when company A asks company B to create an expansion pack for the Company A's game (that Company B had no hand in creating) using pre-made tools for that specific game - that means that people working on the expansion pack are not working a normal job?
Dare I ask what do you think about people who create games using 3rd party engine and 3rd party tools... it's like almost EVERY GAME. GameDev is not a real job?
Last edited by Elim Garak; 2012-11-02 at 12:29 AM.