Earning money with custom maps in SC2

[TATA_Box]

Cool to see more and more news about tob O. The features look really cool and inovative. Might consider playing a bit again
Don't know if you have already heard the news, but in SC2 you will be able to make money with creating custom maps.

http://www.gameguru.in/pc/2009/22/starc ... maps-mods/

Since the tob team is one of the best developer teams creating a cool new premium SC2 map or even a SC2 tob remake might give you some $$$. (and a cool custom map for us players.)
Ok i am gone again - bye

[I_dohknow]

tata where u been?

[Cassiel]

A lot of people are complaining that the marketplace is a money-grab designed to exploit the modding community, but the real genius of it is all the extra copies of SC2 it will sell. There are already long threads at TheHive and WC3C where people who barely understand vJASS and have no game design or art skills are hyping themselves up for the the thousands of dollars they're going to make modding SC2. It's like a hilarious modding pyramid scheme.

[Viikuna-]

Well, in wc3 those most played maps after dota, dont really have any real art in them anyways, and mostly no vJass either. dota is jassed, but it doesnt really have that much art.

I dont know, maybe it will be different in sc2 because of all this stuff.

[Cassiel]

Those kinds of maps won't be selected for the marketplace. Blizzard has already said that even DotA is too basic to be monetized. They're trying to attract a different caliber of modder than they got with WC3, with the aim of producing something more successful than DotA. You have to realize that DotA's popularity is heavily dependent on its being free. If people had to pay to play it there would be far fewer players.

[Drain_Pipe]

with this in mind, would people outside of this community pay to play TOB either? I'm not saying the map isn't superior, just that people already buy starcraft, and now they have to pay for previously free content? People won't necessarily bite no matter the exceptional quality.

[Cassiel]

Nobody in their right mind would pay to play ToB up to N. We have yet to see how O comes together, but unlike DotA and everything else on B.net it does have serious art and design assets. It could still suck though. All I can say about it so far is that when I go to test something I often end up staying to take down the enemy hall, even though it's just me and the computer, because running around thwomping shit or entangling the whole planet is just fun.

[Drain_Pipe]

I have no doubt that the map has a lot of it's own exceptional art, systems, effects etc etc. And I'm sure it's a top notch play and a lot of fun. I'm just skeptical about anyone actually being willing to pay for any map regardless of quality just based on the fact that it's kind of like a third party add on to star craft and previously everything was free. Part of what makes people stay with wc3 is the available free content and fairly open modding capabilities. Putting a price tag on anything such as specific maps might deter a lot of people is all. Then again I'm not the type to pay for additional content on any game although there are those people who spend real money for virtual gold.....

I dunno, if a map was good enough to warrant me paying for it, I'd rather it be its own game. Unless these things are dirt cheap.

[Kaz]

It's likely going to be in the 5-10 bucks range unless it's something significantly big.

[Viikuna-]

Makes sense.

Those pay to play maps will probably be free for first versions, before they gain some player base. ( I think someone said this already )

I actually used to play WoW as long as that credit card paying bugged and I could play it for free. After they fixxed that shit, I only bought like one or two of those pre pay time cards before leaving that thing.


Anyways, that editor will probably be pretty cool. UI customization and all. You think there will be stuff like dynamic tooltips maybe? If they are going to attract big calliber modders they probably take developing that editor seriously or something.

[Cassiel]

I'm sure it will have all kinds of stuff. The things that seem like such a big deal to achieve in WC3 because of its limitations will be minor accomplishments in SC2. Hopefully the result is that people will have to focus more on interface and game play than nonsensical feature lists.

[Dr.Willy]

They're trying to attract a different caliber of modder than they got with WC3, with the aim of producing something more successful than DotA. You have to realize that DotA's popularity is heavily dependent on its being free. If people had to pay to play it there would be far fewer players.

On the other hand Warcraft is a pretty mediocre RTS game and it's success is heavily dependent on it's free content.

[Kaz]

It's ROLE PLAYING strategy you philistine. You role play by, huh, running around with your hero and his little army killing random monsters to level up and get items.. and town portal back to base when it's under attack.

[Kyxoan]

I would pay to play TOB, but then again I just like spending money because it makes me feel important.