Valve’s paid mods initiative lasted slightly less time than the lifespan of your average mayfly, but even as it removed them from Steam, the company maintained that there was ”a useful idea” in there somewhere. With the news that Fallout 4 mods would be playable on the Xbox One for the first time, some gamers wondered whether Valve would again ask Bethesda to test out the feature.
Judging by an interview with Todd Howard on German games site Spiegel Online, that won’t be happening. Here’s a slightly rough translation of the relevant exchange, courtesy of Kotaku.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: In the Microsoft press conference was announced that created by PC Fan extensions to run on the Xbox One. If you have to pay for some mods? In “Skyrim” Bethesda has experimented with a Mod-payment option , which was withdrawn after fan protests.
Todd Howard: How long was the online payment system? 24 Hours? I can only speak for the present time, but currently there are no plans for a payment system.
Skyrim was the original and only test bunny for Valve’s idea, but given the lukewarm response from the community it’s not surprising to hear Bethesda distance itself from the concept. Given the insane buzz around Fallout 4, which is due out this November 10, I’d bet that the studio will be rolling in so much cash that paid mods no longer seem worth the hassle.
