In the modding community, where passion typically fuels countless hours of work, the sudden charge for a mod’s use hasn’t come without criticism.
Enter PureDark, a modder celebrated for his DLSS modding proficiency, whose creations come behind a paywall. With a fee attached to his creations, the gaming community is buzzing – both in criticism and in defense.
The crux of the issue started when a Redditor shared their experience about the DLSS mod for Star Wars: Jedi Survivor. On the surface, it’s supposed to be a straightforward transaction – you pay for the mod, you reap its benefits. Yet, the devil is in the details. The game underwent multiple updates to address performance issues, and with each update, the mod inevitably broke. Subscribers found themselves paying multiple times for a mod supposed to fix an existing problem, a scenario that may happen once Starfield comes out.
For anyone considering buying PureDark’s DLSS mod at release, this is pretty important information.
byu/GruvisMalt inStarfield
Given the company’s history of launching games with bugs, the gaming community anticipates a repeated cycle with a presumed DLSS mod by PureDark at launch on or before September 6.
The fear is evident: Will a pay-to-play mod culture redefine the modding community?
Less than a day after the post went viral, PureDark defended himself. Basically, the gist is that he’s simply seeking fair compensation for his efforts. You can’t knock a person for wanting to get paid for his work, after all. Without him, the mod wouldn’t exist. PureDark adds that he’ll “implement something like the address library or use memory signatures” to make sure that his DLSS mod for Starfield “will not break upon game updates.” Furthermore, he promises that the same update will apply to other mods in the future.
PureDark ends his statement by saying that he’s always strived to make his service “XGP-like” and that “$5 for a service isn’t too much to ask.”
It remains to be seen if PureDark will remain true to his promise or not, but we don’t think the discourse surrounding paid mods will die down anytime soon.
According to multiple sources, PureDark earns approximately $20,000 monthly from the mod – a fact both impressive and a little startling. The payment structure of the mod has also been a source of confusion. While some understood it as a $5 charge per update, in reality, it’s a Patreon subscription model. As long as one is subscribed, they have access to all updates. However, once a subscription ends, if a game update breaks the mod, they’d have to resubscribe. A notable flaw is the lack of an online repository allowing users to access versions they previously paid for.
This is what PureDark swears that he’ll introduce as soon as Starfield is out.
With discussions surrounding PureDark, the future of the modding community comes into question. The traditionalists argue mods should be free. It’s ironic people are now pirating mods while paying for games. There’s a counterargument too. As the work and effort behind modding grow, shouldn’t modders be allowed to set a price for their labor?
The platform choice is partly at fault as well. Patreon, in this context, has turned a premium title into a live-service title. If the modder had a system that better addressed updates or provided past rewards, perhaps the outcry wouldn’t be so loud. As it stands, however, Patreon’s model seems ill-fitted to this community’s needs.
As the lines blur between hobbyists and professionals in the modding world, the debate around monetization becomes more pertinent. PureDark, once a revered figure, finds himself at the eye of the storm, with a modding community divided in opinion.
While modders deserve compensation for their hard work, a balance must be struck to preserve the spirit of modding. The industry needs to establish standards for monetization, ensuring that neither creators nor gamers feel exploited. As the world of mods grows, the hope remains that community passion and creativity will continue to be at its heart.
Of course, Bethesda can render all of this moot by introducing Nvidia DLSS to Starfield. Unfortunately, we know this will never happen because of its partnership with AMD – it’s what gamers were up in arms about last month, in the first place.
