TF2 Community Contributors Get Paid Very Well!

Hectic Glenn

Hectic Glenn

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Since the update of September 30th, known as the "Mann-Conomy" update, the Team Fortress 2 peer-to-peer marketplace has done exceedingly well. Valve promised contributors a generous percentage cut of royalties made from their items, so how well have they done?
Five Steam community members participated in the initial round of content creation. Rob Laro, Shawn Spetch, Steven Skidmore, Spencer Kern, and Shaylyn Hamm created items for Team Fortress 2 which were then made available to other community members for purchase from the in-game Mann Co. Store. Today they received checks for the first two weeks of sales, with royalties ranging from $39,000 to $47,000 per person.
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Funds from sales of community members' items were to be deposited directly into their PayPal accounts. However, within days, the revenue that their items generated exceeded PayPal's cap on the maximum deposit size. While Valve made alternate payment arrangements for the others, two of the community members flew to Seattle to receive their first checks directly.
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Team Fortress 2 will provide regular updates to community-created content on the Mann Co. Store. Those interested in contributing to future updates should go here. On a final business note from Gabe:
"At a time when content creators are struggling with changing markets and evolving technologies, the Steam community is sending a clear message with these checks." "Platforms that enable this kind of peer-to-peer exchange of virtual goods and services are going to be enthusiastically received. They create an inherently greater efficiency in connecting creators and consumers."
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Time to make my Scouts' Mask of the Bambino, effectively making him look like a scout from the other team. Probably go very well with the A year to remember achievement.
 
with royalties ranging from $39,000 to $47,000 per person.
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That is a lot of hats. Wow.

EDIT Pfew, I broke the site for a minute, but I seem to have fixed it.
 
Wow, so how much money have Valve been making from these microtransactions in total?
 
Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.... Hey didn't Kaptain H say she made something in there? Is she one of those people? That's an assload of money for the few weeks it's been out. I'd love to have that kind of money right now. Someday I'll find a way to make a small fortune doing things I enjoy....
 
that's insane....I guess I underestimated how many people were willing to pay for this stuff.
 
I may not be an artist but I can write... I am so submitting next round.
 
That's a crazy amount of money. Never expected them to make that much.

Very nice of Valve for giving them such a generous cut too!
 
Good for them. Interesting to hear there will be plenty more (as expected!)
 
That is an insane amount of people buying the gear. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are being spent on virtual hats. That's just... insane, there are no better words to describe it.
 
Avoidist said:
That is an insane amount of people buying the gear. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are being spent on virtual hats. That's just... insane, there are no better words to describe it.
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Well remember when WoW sold that limite offer mount? It was like $20 each and they sold out of them in hours. It was just like someone decided "you think we can make a million bucks in an hour?" and some modeler was like "sure give me a few minutes to rearrange some textures on a horse" and they succeeded. And that was just one thing that had no bearing on anything in the game at all.
 
It was a unique mount, which also counted towards your mount achievment, plus all characters you make after you buy it get a free mount/flying mount. If people are happy to pay for that why not.
 
DoctorWeeTodd said:
****ing hell, I finally know my career path!
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I don't think this is indicative of the kind of money you would make being a modeler considering the competition in the industry. Don't let me ruin your dreams though
 
StarBob said:
Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.... Hey didn't Kaptain H say she made something in there? Is she one of those people? That's an assload of money for the few weeks it's been out. I'd love to have that kind of money right now. Someday I'll find a way to make a small fortune doing things I enjoy....
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Yeah, I'm that Shaylyn Hamm person.

DoctorWeeTodd said:
****ing hell, I finally know my career path!
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Haha, game development isn't typically a field you go into for the insane salary. I don't even think Valve quite anticipated this.
 
Could I borrow $20,000, Captain Heroine?

This is my estranged way of saying Congratulations.
 
Holy **** time to learn how to model. Where are some tutorials?
 
Kaptain H said:
Yeah, I'm that Shaylyn Hamm person.



Haha, game development isn't typically a field you go into for the insane salary. I don't even think Valve quite anticipated this.
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Well Valve just bought you like 10 stalkers. But I'd say 5 are just after your big bags of money. Regardless - congratulations! Fancy new job and a check from valve... you're just winning all over the place.
 
Lol, thanks guys.

ríomhaire said:
Holy **** time to learn how to model. Where are some tutorials?
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Uh, I think Polycount wiki actually has some really good resources to help people with game modeling/texturing/etc. http://wiki.polycount.com/



Unfocused said:
Envy.

Did your facial muscles get tired from grinning yet? :D
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I've actually been making this face for the past two days.

powdered_toast_man1_thumb_thumb.jpg
 
Holy shizer!! So they got all that wonga for what exactly?! I've not been keeping up with current events. Someone designs a hat? People buy it? How do you buy stuff?
 
Open up TF2, go to the Mann.Co shop - browse the items. Do note all items there (well most) can be obtained via random drops / crafting. You can purchase them if you wish to obtain a specific item you're looking for.
 
Indeed. As with everyone else here, I must agree with that very large quantity of money made in that very short span of time is awesomely ridiculous.




Jealousy insues!
 
StarBob said:
I don't think this is indicative of the kind of money you would make being a modeler considering the competition in the industry. Don't let me ruin your dreams though
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Best to let him have a dream, go to uni, get into debt, graduate and then see that almost the entire industry has fallen over and you have basically no career path unless you are John Carmak level good (or one of the people laid off that have the magical 'experience').

:(
 
DarkDamo said:
Best to let him have a dream, go to uni, get into debt, graduate and then see that almost the entire industry has fallen over and you have basically no career path unless you are John Carmak level good (or one of the people laid off that have the magical 'experience').

:(
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I had a dream. :(
 
I think is point was "but not just anyone has the ability and skill to make good quality content that games companies would want" in order help Ren.
 
I have the skills and such to make stuff, just didn't enter the polycount competition, wish I did now! :D
 
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