Valve is preparing to monetize modding the same way it has for DoTA 2, CS: GO and Team Fortress 2 starting with Bethesda Softworks "Elder Scrolls: Skyrim", which already has a massive modding community.

Mods can now be priced by mod makers and Valve takes a 75/25 cut from every sale, assuming a 75 percent is split in some way between Valve and the developer -- in this case Bethesda.

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The current system allows mod makers to upload the mods onto Steam Workshop but only if the developer allows for mods to be posted. Once the mod is posted, people can download, review and now pay for the mod.

Valve still needs to do some tweaking to the price ranges since some mods are priced way too high and were actually stolen from other mods sites like ModNexus. We assume in time Valve will look towards filtering these ludicrous prices and stolen mods out of the system, but for now it's a bit clustered.

This will only work for approved games where Valve and the publisher have entered into an agreement. For now, the number of games with paid mod support is limited.

Several critics of the new paid mod scheme claim mod makers shouldn't be paid for their work and instead focus on it as a hobby and some way to get into the gaming industry.

Others claim mods are a perfectly fine way to make money. We even see game developers inside the gaming industry create mods on the side and make a lot of extra revenue.

There's also the cut between Valve and the mod maker even though we still don't know how much Bethesda is taking from the 75 percent cut. Considering Bethesda created and distributed Skyrim, we expect they'll take the lion's share of the profits.

It's a smart way to allow mod makers to make money without having the developer get cranky over loss-of-revenue. It also allows mod making to actually become a profession instead of a hobby, although the community seems to be very negative towards the idea mod makers can earn an income.

It's a similar argument to the one thrown at YouTubers and other content creators that use pre-existing games or videos and add their own unique flavor to it. Let's Players have fought for years to have their craft noticed and respected as a way to make money, and we now see both developers and viewers actively supporting this profession.

TagsValve, steam, modding, Skyrim, Steam Workshop, Bethesda