Okay so the modding community is great, but everyone who has used mods knows that you have to deal sometimes with losing save games, game breaking glitches etc. plus sometimes mods that claim to be lore friendly may not be as lore friendly. Also there is the issue of the game aging and core mechanics not really feeling immersive anymore like they did in the first couple of months you played the game. And then you get this feeling where you know that certain mods were not really developed with other ones in mind so things don't really fit that well together. It becomes a chore to keep your game clean and "healthy" if you want to use mods. You WANT your elder scrolls experience to continue improving in some ways over time so that it doesn't stagnate but it's hard to do with player made mods.

Now every time Bethesda is about to release a new ES game they seem to do this thing (at least with Oblivion and Skyrim IDK about previous ones) where they let the developers go crazy for a day or a week whatever then come together and make a little video compilation of all the rough mods they came up with.

I mean, who better to release mods... than Bethesda themselves right?

What I'm talking about is essentially revolutionizing the concept of DLC, and it's something that would only really make sense in an Elder Scrolls game, you're basically enhancing the lifespan of the game to diablo 2 levels without necessarily even requiring that there be online multiplayer (since I doubt if they would even add multiplayer in the next ES game with ESO already being out there). I'm talking about Bethesda deciding to make mods the way the player community would and then selling them for anywhere from $1-$10 (average) as small DLCs, and then they could continue to release their shivering isles / dawnguard / dragonborn traditional style DLCs for $25 or whatever. I mean, this is a much better way to spend my disposable income than on damn league of legends skins that's for sure.

Maybe release a cool set of armor for a dollar, a horse mod for a few bucks, a new questline leading to unlocking a new home for five bucks etc.

They could develop these mods on their own time table but hopefully there would be at least one new mod every month. Now I'm not sure if they should ONLY do lore friendly mods and leave the rest to the modding community or if they should also have players kind of "vote" on a mod occasionally and also release some crazy thomas the train esque mods as well. Although if they decided to make both immersive and non immersive mods then they would just need to put a clear "lore friendly" stamp of approval or "lore breaking" stamp on the mod thumbnails from the DLC store.

And while they are trying to give the game a longer lifespan by keeping things fresh (I mean WoW still has 7 million kids playing it after like 9 years). They might as well devote a team to the "upkeep" of the game. What I mean is just going around fixing bugs, both with the vanilla game and it's relationship with all of the optional mods that have been developed so far, as well as taking a look at community concerns about balance issues etc. I mean there are still a lot of things in the vanilla skyrim that I'm pretty sure Bethesda did not really intend, there are still glitches and bugs, since they don't probably devote many resources to the continual patching of a game that was released over 2 years ago. Part of my inspiration for this is the fact that the combat in Skyrim does feel quite stale after some time and the only one who can really make good additions or changes to things like combat mechanics and animation improvements would be Bethesda.

I'm not saying Bethesda should try to ostracize the player modding community, I'm just saying I know they can do it better, and keep things profitable while doing so. This might sound like a pretty large undertaking, but with the footprint left by Skyrim? The next one has to be that much better.

That is an amazinh idea. The developers making their own modifications on the game. You're a visionary. Modders fix the game after launch all the time, why not let the developers who are still working on the game do that instead? Perhaps releasing several mods at once and making sure these mods function together would be interesting too. Some mods made by modders, who meet Bethesda's level could be featured and downloadable, maybe even pay the modders to use this mod in one of their modpacks if it's good enogh and make it not clash with other mods. Something like Wyrmstooth or Sea of Ghosts, Moonpath to Elsweyr. Bethesda's seal of apporval could be something they strive for. Plus, mods made by the developer would be purely optional. It could be one of the things to market in VI. Larger province, new and different culture, new mechanics, for profit mods every month, wat.. WAIT! WHAT? For profit mods made by the developers?! Well, that's new!

Regular updates to the game, new smaller DLC coming out every month or so for a manegable price. Sound like a good and perfectly resonable idea to me! But I agree it would be a large undertaking.

One thing I have been thinking over is possible player voice acting, since that's what it looks like they are doing in Fallout, giving it some sort of Mass Effect-like voice acting. Good voice actors could work well in this, getting them to voice the player and downloading such things in DLC. But I think that is a little far fetched.

Sorry but I do not want to be charged $1 dollar (USD) or $10 dollars (USD) for DLC's. Lets go back to the good old days when DLC's were ADDED FOR FREE in PATCHES and expansion packs got sold. Expansion packs are bigger than the main video game itself or about the same size as the main video game itself.

Like how The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind got Bloodmoon and Tribunal, like how The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion got Shivering Isles and like how The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim got Dawnguard and Dragonborn. Hearthfire should of been FREE. Stop trying to get as much money as you can for your customers.

I do not want to be paying $2 dollars (USD) for armor for my horse when it can be included when the video game is released for sale. I also do not want to pay $1 dollar (USD) for armor or clothes that can be added when the video game is released for sale or in a PATCH for FREE.

Lol no, I get what your saying and in theory it sounds great, but gaming comps in the end try to make money and will end up screwing over the player. Granted sure bethesda did learn their lesson last time around with dlcs I think the approach of releasing meatier dlcs as they have done with skyrim is best. Though allowing pc mods for consoles is another thing.

Selling expansion packs is the best way for customers to spend their money and have video game companies earn money. DLC's I want to see them disappear. On PC before 2009 (Well except for 2006 when Bethesda Game Studios started selling the horse armor DLC and those other 8 0r 9 small DLC's) we got DLC's for FREE in PATCHES and were only able to purchase expansion packs which are bigger than the main video game itself, the same size as the main video game itself or about the same size as the main video game itself.

Yes! This is what Bethesda needs to do. Add microtransactions in the form of untested, broken content for the PC community to fix! And console owners, well [censored] them. They pay more for their version of the games and with this idea they can pay for mods that cannot be fixed too. While on PC, free mods for everyone! Yay!

They tried this with Oblivion, with horse armours, the Razor, and a house or two. It flopped. Probably because Bethesda didn't release a single half-naked asian school girl.

Seriously though... the reason the mod community thrives so much is because they AREN't bound by Bethesda. Everything Beth would add would be lore friendly and themed around the game, which is not where the overwhelming majority of mods fall. I mean, have you SEEN 'Lovely Shout'? Its a thematic and lore abomination, and yet its still being downloaded up the wazzu.

This type of micro-transaction model doesn't work. EA has killed franchises with it, Activision has had to throw it out the window, and Blizzard had to abandon the Auction House because, frankly, this stuff ruins games and communities.

Are you a socialist or something lol? I'm sorry but if you want improved ongoing content you are not going to get HIGH QUALITY work for free, in ANY game. Besides, it would be optional. You have to realize that IF you are the kind of person that REALLY enjoys Elder Scrolls that it would be much better to pay a few dollars a month on DLCs that YOU WANT TO PLAY, rather than go out and spend $60 on a new title or bust your balls trying to make a bunch of free mods work together without crashing your game.

I mean that makes sense to you right?

Tell that to league of legends... the most played game in the world right now. It just has to be done WELL, that's all.

Well... Lets face it, idiots love dropping coin on competitive games, otherwise the Superbowl wouldn't be a multi-billion dollar event. The only reason micro-purchase systems work for games like LoL is because people can A; Pay to get an advantage over others or B; Show off to others.

Unless TES becomes a competitive multi-player game, the same system simply won't work.

Dude I said small DLC's for free and pay for expansion packs. Do you know what a expansion pack is? Have you been playing video games back in the 1990's and early 2000's like I did? A expansion pack is not a brand new video game. A expansion pack is not a sequel or a prequel to that video game. A expansion pack is content added to that video game the expansion pack is bigger than the main video game itself, about the same size as the main video game itself or the same size as the main video game itself. Like Bloodmoon and Tribunal for The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Shivering Isles for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and Drawnguard and Dragonborn for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

There is also this video game development company named CD Projekt RED and they say that charging for DLC's to their customers is unacceptable and should be given in patches for free and only should be selling expansion packs. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be released sometime this year and is 20% bigger than The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and has way better graphics than The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and CD Projekt RED will be giving out DLC's for free in patches like candy. Well at least on PC they will. Because they will charge people for DLC's on the consoles if CD Projekt RED has to pay for certifications or whatever just to get The Witcehr 3: Wild Hunt to sell on Microsoft's Xbox One and SONY's PlayStation 4 (PS4) and will be selling only EXPANSION PACKS.

Makes sense? Does this sound more clearer? Because I have a feeling you got confused with what I said in my other comment.

None of the expansion packs you mention are even close to being "bigger than the main video game itself, about the same size as the main video game itself or the same size as the main video game itself." All of them are smaller, by every measure.

And I think it could be argued that Tribunal is a sequel. It continues the storyline begun in Morrowind.

I said about the same size as the main video game itself I didn't say close to the same size as the main video game itself. There's a difference to about the same size, almost the same size or close to the same size.

I have no other way of describing Bloodmoon, Tribunal, Shivering Isles, Dawnguard or Dragonbord other than saying about the same size as the main video game itself. Unless you have a word for it? All I can say is that those 5 are certainly not DLC's like the horse armor for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion or Hearthfire for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim they are expansion packs.

For the record, i AM a socialist

You have my deepest condolences.

Yeah, i'll remember that next time you capitalists bankrupt yourselves and demand more handouts from the 'socialist government'.

Seriously though. Mirco-transaction models typically only work in one of two ways. Vanity items (WoW) or competitive games (LoL, Smite, DOTA etc.). TES games are not prone to either, particularly considering the CK. If they were to even try to implement such a thing, they'd need to take away the Creation Kit, and that would possibly be the stupidest thing Bethesda could do. Aside from signing on with EA, of course.

Now, let's see... How did you say the socialist Soviet Union ended up again?

If you think China, the Soviet Union, or North Korea are socialist, you need to go back to Political Science class. Just because someone CLAIMS to be something, doesn't mean they are.

Uh, yeah, whatever.

Just too bad that that just killed your previous argument about the 'Capitalist' western powers stone dead, as no western country har been capitalist since the mid-19th century. The only country on this planet that comes close to being capitalist is Singapore...

Oh god I started a gang war (left/right). I'm a voluntaryist (fancy word for anarchism) for the record and anarchy allows you both to have your little societies existing in the same world lol, you can go off and try your little anarcho-socialist commune deal ( even though I seriously doubt it will pan out the way you probably think it will ) and people who want to open businesses can do so at the mercy of the marketplace. Get rid of government, problem solved.

I'm not an idiot I understood what you wanted before stop pissing yourself. All I'm saying is that what you CALL it is of little import and irrelevant to this conversation (dlc / expansion etc.). It requires work to be done and therefore if the developer so chooses, they can choose to not give it away for free. BECAUSE THEY WORKED FOR IT. Something you've probably never done in your life. I mean, if you want free crap from a developer who is willing to work for free, great. But have you ever heard the phrase "you get what you pay for"? Now I understand there are exceptions, people make [censored] sometimes and try to sell it for more than it's really worth... but if you have such little faith in Bethesda then why are you even playing Skyrim? When have you known them to develop garbage?

Skyrim's initial cost was $60 right? Now sure they do the normal patches and updates for free, and I would expect that to continue, because that is them saying "look, the core game didn't turn out quite as we intended it here are a few fixes or amendments to things that we wish we had done a little better", although I DO think that if you implement a DLC model like the one I'm proposing that they would be MORE prone to continue the free patching cycle on a deeper level since they would be more INVESTED in the longevity of the game at that point. So what do you have against them charging $60 for the next ES game and then making optional expansions OR mods for a fee? If the mod svcks? People won't buy it, I mean you realize how big weekly Skyrim mod shows are on YouTube / Gamespot / Nexus etc. right? Those shows have a huge impact on the success and advertisemant of mods. So if Beth does a [censored] job? Then do YOUR job as a customer and don't give them money, speak with your wallet (that is apparently non-existent) give them feedback, next time they will be forced to do better if they want their monetary incentives. If Bethesda can take a page from their player modding community, they can make a masterpiece next time around. Skyrim was a canvas, the next ES game could become a full fledged mona lisa... with a nvde mod (jk players will still probably have to make the porm mods themselves and drop em off on the nexus).

We'll see how the next witcher turns out, and CD red's opinion is their own. If they want to run their business in a less profitable way that is completely fine and it is up to them (although I doubt that you will get very many QUALITY DLCs for free from them). But for a company that does NOT already follow that mindset, if you want better results? You're going to have to give them an incentive, rather than try to point a gun at them and say "start thinking my way or else".

^to imply that if we did point a gun at the company they wouldn't just laugh in our faces and call us peasants. Point is that microtransactions are sorta where the gaming community was heading a year or so ago, but now I think they are understandable being pushed to the back burner due to customer response. The glorious days of actual expansion packs will make a return and I for one am fine with this.

I work 9 hours a day for 5 days a week.

Also I have been a student at college learning computer science stuff like C, C++, Visual Basics, and Java Script for 3 years. I work at home on my spare free time with CryEngine 2, CryEngine 3, CryEngine, and Unreal Engine 3 I use all 4 of those video game engines every week as well as DirectX 9, DirectX 10, and DirectX 11 (Hopefully DirectX 11.1 and DirectX 11.2 since I have not used those yet.) I work on developing my own video games and video game engines as well.

If I were ever to release those video games for sale I would release the DLC's for FREE in PATCHES as RESPECT to my customers who purchase my video games. But the way the video game industry is right now I don't even want to sell anything I am just gonna keep it for my self and mess around some more with the stuff I developed. I am willing to develop small DLC's and give those small DLC's away FOR FREE LIKE CANDY.

Bethesda Game Studios is not allowed to sell mods it is illegal Bethesda Game Studios needs to get the modders permission to sell that mod. PC gamers generally don't want their mods to be sold they like having them out to the public so any PC gamers can download them for free.

Official content is what you want to say that Bethesda Game Studios should sell like the expansion packs and DLC's that they are currently selling right now for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Fallout 3, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Just to let you know CD Projekt RED is being more profitable now than they have been in 2007 when The Witcher released for sale. Marcin Iwinski the founder of CD Projekt RED and gog.com says that selling video games with the DLC's included for FREE will make you a more profitable video game company and he also says gog.com is so successful in earning a profit because of this right now gog.com has 24 million PC gamers purchasing video games from gog.com a year. 2 million PC gamers purchasing video games from gog.com a month.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings got so much QUALITY CONTENT added for FREE in PATCHES which CD Projekt RED ended up selling The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition with all of the PATCHES and DLC's those PATCHES HAVE for $20 dollars (USD) now.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be released for sale for $50 dollars (USD) and get all of the DLC's in PATCHES for FREE and CD Projekt RED will only be selling Expansion Packs for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

@Ballowers 100 why do you use the whole name for games and studios? It's much easier to just say Skyrim or Witcher, your posts are too long and cluttered by the same long company names repeated so many times, it's annoying to the eye and makes your posts difficult to read.

Sorry it's the way I speak. Even in real life I speak like this. My boss actually likes the way I speak LOL.

Apart from the issues mentioned before, the OP does not consider the simple fact that the developers working on expansions are not working on the next game, and this (all other things being the same) delays the release of next game and therefore decreases the profits per year obtained from main sales. Once you make educated guess as for how many bucks people would on average spend on "better horses", it may even turn out less profitable in the long term.