What if: Professional Studios Created Content for PA

Edit2: Would you guys like to see this? Please comment below.
Edit4: This thread is not about licensing the engine rather it is about growing a professional modding scene around PA. Uber does not have the resources to do such as stated in a different Post in another thread by dev. I'm very well aware of the problem's with this.

I been meaning to write this for a while. Imagine a Bandai Namco Games made a Gundam Universal Century total conversion (TC) or a The Vision of Escaflowne TC for PA. Also imagine if Blizzard created a WarCraft or EA made Command and Conquer one as well. Better yet Total Annihilation TC made by Wargaming Seattle. Or Macross and the list goes on.

What are the benefits Uber gets a additional revenue stream. We get more content and longer support of PA. Also other studios receive another revenue source and the Board of Directors rejoice. Another benefit would be the legitimization of professional modding. These would be for-sale in the mod marketplace with every other mod. Of course the majority of mods will always be gratis.

The proper infrastructure has to be in place technical and legal is not up to par. Uber is currently working on this is far as I know. Specifically the technical side as seen here. Don't know about the legal side though. The studios should have access and same restrictions that everybody else has regarding APIs. Also they go through the application process that everybody else does.

Application process:

1. The mods quality must be at a professional level.
2. Prior to the application being submitted the mod must be feature complete.
3. If accepted by Uber the mod author would have to sign the mod marketplace agreement.
4. Price is set by Uber and marketplace is curated by them.

Prior thread located here. (Developer comments are not to be considered official Uber policy. Merely thoughts in the prior thread.)

This is a win-win for all and quite frankly would be awesome. Uber sees plenty annihilation as a platform this is a definite push in that direction. Thoughts and opinions below.

Edit: revised it
Edit3: should've added a poll.

What you described is basically the idea of licensing out the engine, which was talked about some time ago but like pretty much everything else Uber hasn't said much on it aside from the initial comments.

Mike

These total conversions would be for sale in the mod marketplace. They would only have access to modding APIs. So not licensing the engine and they would not have access to any source code. Same restrictions as any other modder.

I don't see any reason why any business-oriented Developer/Publisher would do this instead of simply seeking to license the engine.

Mike

If a company is going to invest the kind of resources needed to make a whole new game, they would want to be able to distribute it to a wider audience. This means they need to be able to control distribution and branding in a way that makes it clear that they have made a whole new game and maybe just list the engine as a footnote. It's very common for game studios to make this kind of "mod," and then market and distribute it as a totally new game. After all, this is essentially exactly what Human Resources was supposed to be.

PA is a really nice game engine and would be a good candidate for this if Uber can get the modding api to a point where it supports what would be needed. Currently I don't think it can be differentiated enough from the vanilla game.

Who knows how much Uber would ask for to license the PA engine or do they even want to. No harm with inquiring into it. The only way I could see how to legitimize paid for mods is by professional modding being endorsed by major studios. Smaller studios might work or indie as well. An adventure not undertaken is one that is lost.

there is no market place. trust me many more mods from OUR modders would see the light of day if there were, but there isn't.

And yet we keep being told there is : https://forums.uberent.com/threads/what-are-ubers-general-business-activities.65210/#post-1019681

I understand where you guys are coming from. If Uber wants to make PA into a game as a platform they're going to have to make moves like this. No risk; No rewards.

Yes, mentioned this in the OP. It is a great candidate if they can get it up to where it needs to be.

I know there is no marketplace which is why it's a hypothetical scenario. (What if)

well let's stop dreaming. and start acting.

the mod market is something that the PA community is in dire need of to rekindle the PA flame and put it back onto the rails of a high-rise game.

it's way waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay overdue. We need to remind UBER.

Which is the underlying purpose of this thread. It is to drum up support for this idea (mod marketplace) but first we must deal with peoples perception of pay for mods.

do we now?

what a ridiculous idea.

what a waste of time. if people don't realise this won't make existing free mods go away nor reduce their turnup rate allthewhile creating surplus and higher quality mods then we're faced with something as terrible as the creationists.

Mods are showed by default in server browser so if you host a modded game people can join and play it easily, that makes mods open to everybody. Maybe not as good as the marketplace, but still amazing.

Agreed, paid mods won't get rid of free mods.

But you might wanna refrain from insults- I say this as an atheist.

I'm not sure how to respond to this one. Generally because people bought the game they assume that they are entitled to the mods. Which is up to the mod author to say that the mod is free or not. Yes, the majority of them will still be gratis as in no cost to use.

Yes, he have to refrain from it. Its differently not helping his case. @tatsujb I am with you on this.

at op: depends entirely on what is done with it ... same thing with what if profesional companies would create stuff with unreal engine x, quake x, unity x etc ... the pa engine has potential what would come out of it however ... *shrugs*

the basic idea is who could turn down a mod made using the IP rights that a modder could never pay for in a billion years??

its a win win win win win win situation and those are kinda rare.

(well... bottom line is the companies will not likely think it's worth their while whith as little money to be made (PA players not representing a huge chunk of market), but hey I'm just being factual)

TA or Zero-K would get my attention rapidly.

Of course having TLDR'd all the statements above I would just be concerned about the copyright issues that may occur between uber and this company. If they are producing some 90% of the content and try to prove copyright claims and suddenly there is a giant legal issue it could get a little tense