There’s an old adage, “the best things in life aren’t free.” However, in the gaming community, this notion is completely upended. Mods are incredibly prevalent in the gaming world, and usually come at no cost. These normally free downloads change the original and unaltered, or vanilla, game in various capacities. Mods can present minor tweaks, like “Half-Life 2: Update,” or major overhauls such as “Half-Life 2: Cinematic Mod.” Whether a mod manifests as simply improved eye candy, or an entirely different experience, there’s usually one constant: it’s free. Well, aside from the cost of the base game.
However, the modding dynamic was poised for upheaval when the always-innovative Valve added a paid mods feature to its signature Steam Workshop recently. An early paid mod for “Skyrim,” a fishing mod, was removed quickly because it apparently employed assets from another mod. This coupled with an internet outrage prompted Valve to nix the idea entirely.