Starfield Fans Denounce 'Excessive' Pricing of Paid Mods - Bethesda's third attempt to monetise fan made mods, review bombing on Steam has commenced

[John Elden Ring]

• Starfield's Creation Kit update introduces paid mods, sparking controversy over expensive prices and required real-money purchases for content.
• Fans are upset by the creation credits system, expressing dissatisfaction with the cost of mods and calling for lower pricing.
• The negative reviews on Steam about Starfield's paid mods reflect disappointment in having to pay for content that feels like it should have been included in the original game.

A vocal segment of the Starfield fandom is unhappy with the game's Creation Club, having said as much following the platform's debut. The ongoing criticism is largely centered on the pricing of the newly introduced Starfield mods, though some players have also shared other grievances.

Now called Creations, the latest version of the Creation Club launched as part of a surprise Starfield update on June 9. Its release marks Bethesda's third attempt to systemically monetize community-made mods. The developer previously implemented the Creation Club into The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and Fallout 4, both of which received it in 2017.

And while the Starfield version of the storefront is not even 24 hours old yet, the platform is already receiving some pushback from the player base. E.g., there is currently no shortage of social media reactions denouncing the storefront's prices, which a number of fans have labeled as "excessive." The newly introduced Tracker's Alliance quest called "The Vulture" attracted a lot of that ongoing barrage of criticism; "$7 is too much for a quest," says one widely shared Reddit post, concluding that even half that price would be a tough ask given how short the mission is.

The fundamental concept of the mod storefront has also incurred some criticism, largely due to the platform's use of virtual currency. E.g., even those willing to pay $7 for The Vulture first need to purchase $10 worth of in-game currency. Some Starfield players have labeled this "Bethesda bucks" system as predatory. The good news for those who share this sentiment is that the June 9 update was accompanied by the first public release of Creation Kit 2. With Starfield's official modding tools finally being out, it shouldn't be long before players have a wealth of free mods to download.

MSN

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

please understand, they have to run a bussiness

 

[2spooky5me]

All in "God" Howard's plan.
Rake your fanbase over the coal.. and more!

 

[Nhomnhom]

Suckers keep coming back and working for them for free, I dont blame them.

 

[xollowsob]

even those willing to pay $7 for The Vulture first need to purchase $10 worth of in-game currency

It's MSFT points all over again.

Imagine paying for mods.

 

[saltyashell]

Couldn't have happened to a better fanbase

 

[Darth Vader]

Imagine clapping for Gamepass and then being upset about this.

It's only going to get worse, and their tears are delicious.

 

[TubzGaming]

 

[anonpuffs]

 

[Sircaw]

Their greed has no bounds.

 

[laynelane]

I've always assumed Creation Club is paid mods. Like, the store on the title page of my copy of Fallout 4 is that and, in Skyrim, it's been changed to "Creations". It's still the same thing - user-created content that you pay for, ie. paid mods. Do the PC versions of these games not have these on their title screens of those games?

As for the 'Bethesda Bucks', I've never purchased any type of in-game currency and never will. I wish people would stop doing so because this is a monetization practice that should not exist. It's not surprising that Bethesda went there, though. They aren't exactly bastions of integrity in the first place, but I wouldn't be surprised if they have financial goals set by MS that they must meet. I mean, somebody has to pay for 'the best deal in gaming' now that the actual higher-ups at MS are involved with Xbox.

 

[reziel]

I've always assumed Creation Club is paid mods. Like, the store on the title page of my copy of Fallout 4 is that and, in Skyrim, it's been changed to "Creations". It's still the same thing - user-created content that you pay for, ie. paid mods. Do the PC versions of these games not have these on their title screens of those games?

As for the 'Bethesda Bucks', I've never purchased any type of in-game currency and never will. I wish people would stop doing so because this is a monetization practice that should not exist. It's not surprising that Bethesda went there, though. They aren't exactly bastions of integrity in the first place, but I wouldn't be surprised if they have financial goals set by MS that they must meet. I mean, somebody has to pay for 'the best deal in gaming' now that the actual higher-ups at MS are involved with Xbox.

This is like asking people to stop paying for Call of Duty microtransactions in their games it'll unfortunately never happen. This like other stated is only of the beginning thanks to the poverty pass subscription they have to recoup costs somehow. It's only a matter of time before mods for Bethesda games have to be approved by the developer themselves in order for it to be released to the public with a price.

 

[ToTTenTranz]

Why would review bombing on Steam accomplish anything if no one is playing the game on Steam regardless?

 

[Hezekiah]

"Greed is good".

 

[Yobo]

I just bought it review bombed and refunded

 

[reziel]

Why would review bombing on Steam accomplish anything if no one is playing the game on Steam regardless?


View attachment 5249

Simple the influences see the review score drastically drop then they run to youtube to create "breaking news" to spread the word to help appease the developer overlords by spreading fud or trying to bring it to their attention. Nowadays sending a complaint via email doesn't get you far as opposed to potentially thousands seeing a couple minutes of it in seconds.