Should Mod Developers Start Charging Small Fees?

As games become more complex mod development becomes more arduous and time consuming. After the release of Half-Life 2, I was really hoping for some incredible mods. There have been a few good ones here and there, but we obviously haven’t seen anything close to the fanfare that surrounded some of the mods built on the original Half-Life. Another year has slipped by and my hopes are fading. Could it be time for a new development model?

While free games are fantastic, I feel like it might be time for mod developers to start charging small fees. Before you get all riled up, just think about it for a bit. To me, it just makes sense. I think mod developers should start charging less than $5 for version 1 of their mod and take pre-orders for beta access – I know how obsessed people can become with one mod, hoping every day that it will be released. The following are just some of the initial reasons that come to mind:

• Mod developers are dedicated to the communities, even more than some game developers. It seems like most are open to extensive feedback and take suggestions seriously.
• Some mods offer an incredible amount of gameplay hours. Were you one of the obsessive Counter-Strike fans? Day of Defeat? The list goes on.
• Mod developers have little to nothing to work with. The volunteer system that most mod teams follow is something that is really fantastic but I think some basic funding could really go a long ways to pay for simple things such as web hosting.
• Just like regular games, instead of fighting for a beta spot, customers who pre-order a mod could gain early access. Early funds could help glue a team together and make its life more promising; several mod teams just seem to fall apart in development.
• A successful mod could be very profitable. Why not reward the mod developers for creating something amazing? Instead of being swallowed by a large developer, a successful mod team could go on to create a new game studio.
• More quality mods would equal more platform gameplay, which would help to raise PC gaming’s image.

I’m obviously not someone who believes that PC gaming is on a rapid decline. However, it’s easy to see that fewer games with large budgets are being released and some publishers seem to care much less about the PC. Successful and profitable mod teams could give PC gaming an entirely new meaning and could be a huge boost for the platform and its fans.