The modder behind a paywalled Cyberpunk 2077 VR mod has accused CD Projekt RED of following “in Take-Two Interactive Software’s steps,” after its authorized crew issued their mission with a DMCA takedown discover. Clearly undeterred, the identical modder has gone forward and launched a VR mod for Baldur’s Gate 3. It makes use of the identical paywalled technique of distribution that received them into hassle with Cyberpunk 2077.
Luke Ross (not his actual title, in accordance with The Verge) is a considerably notorious determine inside the VR modding neighborhood. His “R.E.A.L. VR” mission is a singular mod that helps dozens of high-profile video video games, together with Elden Ring, Hogwarts Legacy and Marvel’s Spider-Man.
The catch is that the R.E.A.L. VR mod requires a $10 month-to-month subscription to obtain immediately by Luke Ross’ Patreon. Whilst you might simply obtain every little thing you want with a one-off fee, you’d must renew your subscription if one of many video games is up to date. When you’re curious as to how a lot Luke Ross is making off of mentioned subscription, The Verge estimated that he was incomes roughly $20,000 monthly again in 2022.
Requiring fee for a mod is clearly towards most publishers’ phrases of service, which is why Ross’ R.E.A.L. VR mission has beforehand been topic to a DMCA takedown by Take-Two Interactive for its Pink Useless Redemption II and Grand Theft Auto V assist.
Based mostly on a prolonged rant within the “About” part of his Patreon web page through which he admonishes Take-Two for his or her “hostile behavior toward modders and gamers alike,” the VR modder doesn’t make a lot of a distinction between himself and those that launch their mods without cost.
A new post on his Patreon now directs that very same ire at CD Projekt Pink. It blasts the Polish RPG-maker for its “iron-clad corpo logic” over the truth that “every little action that a company takes is in the name of money, but everything that modders do must be absolutely for free.” “As usual they stretch the concept of ‘derivative work’ until it’s paper-thin, as though a system that allows visualizing 40+ games in fully immersive 3D VR was somehow built making use of their intellectual property,” Ross writes.
This submit went up on January 17. Since then, R.E.A.L. VR has been up to date to incorporate assist for Baldur’s Gate 3. Hasbro, Wizards of the Coast’s dad or mum firm, has been fairly liberal with its use of DMCA takedowns prior to now, so I wouldn’t anticipate R.E.A.L. VR’s Baldur’s Gate 3 assist to stay round for lengthy.
Turning Cyberpunk 2077 VR right into a modding reside service
If I had been to play satan’s advocate for a second, I do suppose there’s one thing to Luke Ross’ rants. R.E.A.L. VR is clearly not on the identical degree as your common mod, and certain requires quite a lot of maintenance. It’s onerous to see a method through which he might proceed to assist it with out some kind of financial incentive.
Alternatively, there’s a really easy loophole right here that Ross is doubtlessly conscious of and that a whole bunch of different modders reap the benefits of: donations. As a substitute of charging a one-off fee or a subscription for a mod, others launch all of their mods without cost and permit appreciative customers to donate to them as an alternative. There’s much less hazard with this technique since donating is totally elective.
Loads of mod customers don’t like mod paywalls both. A preferred mod including DLSS upscaling assist to Starfield again at launch sparked its own controversy when it was put behind an identical month-to-month subscription paywall. It appears the neighborhood is sensible to Ross’ technique, nevertheless, with many commenters over on the digital actuality subreddit taking CDPR’s aspect.
“This is not the first mod the Modder had taken down because he tried to make a Live Service out of it,” wrote consumer Frraksurred. “He knew he was outside the ToS and just chose to get away with it as long as he could. Now he’s trying to play the victim.” Others agreed. “Good,” wrote consumer PelluxNetwork. “Paywalled mods are disgusting. Take donations, no worries there, but pay-walling your copyright infringement should be an obvious no.”
