Will Minecraft learn from Steam’s Skyrim failure with the Minecraft Marketplace?

This week Microsoft announced that they are launching a mod-store called the Minecraft Marketplace (https://minecraft.net/en-us/article/its-time-discover-marketplace). It’s exactly what it sounds like, a re-tread of the failed Skyrim Mod Marketplace that Steam attempted in April of 2015. Mod author upload their file to the storefront where other players pay an amount set by the author. Microsoft takes a cut (30%) and the mod author gets the rest. This is all to be handled by a premium currency system known as Minecraft Coins, purchasable through the in-app storefront.

Do you remember how the Skyrim story ended? (http://www.polygon.com/2015/4/27/8505883/valve-removing-paid-mods-from-steam)

The reasons that Skyrim went so horribly is that it’s proposed value did not out-weigh its corporate greediness. Steam decided that it needs over one-third of the profit cut and Bethesda deserved even more, leaving the Mod author with 25% of the profit. On top of that, the notably insecure Steam marketplace could not protect itself from mod pirates and shoddy content. Admittedly, some of the issues it experienced that weekend were on the part of community protest. The people wanted some sort of beneficial business for mod authors, but Steam’s way did not cut it.

Microsoft assures that mod creators will be getting “most of the payment.” This is a good way to appear innocent of Steam’s central sin, but it doesn’t directly address the premium currency. Because even if 30% seems small next to Steam’s monstrous slicing and dicing, it fails to mention that the money Microsoft is cutting the profit out of is being bought with currency which Microsoft automatically pockets 100%. It’s an ideal world where a mod author could maybe get 100% of the profit on a curated premium-currency storefront, but Microsoft appears to be ravenously keeping its claws in its pockets and reassuring sideways from its gaping maw.

A Reddit AMA is taking place on the 20^th, but I just am not sure that these kinds of marketplaces belong in the gaming spectrum. Some might point out how Counter Strike and DOTA 2 do a good job with their marketplaces, but it’s worth mentioning that those also sell in-game assets not created by modders. And Diablo 3 was a grand example of how that turned out.

We’ve seen these marketplaces attempted before. However, it’s clear that a 3^rd party mod marketplace will never be accepted by big AAA game companies, and clearly it’s going to be difficult for them to respect their authors.

70%, IF it is indeed 70% profit is a step in the right direction, but hiding it behind a premium currency appears to be the gateway of ensuring that the profits are entirely owned by the company and not the community.

Hopefully, the Reddit AMA will address some of these concerns and show that Microsoft is a loving company that can understand how to truly support a community of modders. Until then, I can’t help but feel that they’re just kicking the proverbial line to the left a little and waiting to see how little they can get away with giving to the mod community.

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