It sounds like they’ll be having a go at some point, though. The comparison was made to a hot stove, which they’re not keen to burn their hands on again just yet. Newell admits that the Skyrim situation was a “mess”, so they need to think of a way to do it properly, without alienating players who have been accustomed to free mods since forever. That doesn’t mean Valve will be jumping back in any time soon, though. More success stories leads to more modders, which leads to more mods. If people think something might make them rich, or not be a complete waste of time, they are more likely to be inspired to create something. Look at how Call of Duty’s success kicked off a wave of modern military shooters, or how GTA made everyone want an open-world sandbox game. What Newell means by this is how value creates more content. “They’re creating value, and the degree to which they are not being accurately compensated is a bug in the system.”

“Mod people create a lot of value, and we think that absolutely they need to be compensated,” Newell explained to GamesBeat during a media roundtable.

Skyrim special edition paid mods