"Today, Valve said that community content creators Rob Laro, Shawn Spetch, Steven Skidmore, Spencer Kern and Shaylyn Hamm took home initial royalty payments ranging from $39,000 to $47,000 each from the first round of Team Fortress 2 content creation. And these are just the checks from the first few weeks of operation."
The first 2 weeks averaged a pay out of $45,000 to each of the 5 Polycount Pack winners. They'll continue to make money with these items for a while yet.
amazing. Truly outstanding. Congrats, and make sure to figure in your taxes, and or have an accountant do it for you, otherwise april 15th isn't gonna be pretty.
this just makes all the people who didn't win the polypack contest a tad more bitter. Hopefully they'll be putting more stuff in soon to ride the awesome cash train of awesomeness.
Sorta wish they wouldn't have listed the amounts that the guys have made. Now everyone knows they've got beer money.
not a huge expert on making shit ton amounts of cash, but stuff like this could really push you up the tax bracket some and make paying taxes a bitch??
This is sick news. If valve wants to break open the industry so every creative, talented artist can make crazy money as long as there's demand they really are pc gaming's messiahs.
@oobersli: Yeah it can, and its also not standard employee type income, but I'm pretty sure falls under, so you at a minimum (for us residents anyway) have to pay in 12.5% or so to cover social security, medicade, and medicare, with some kinda limit after a certain dollar amount. I don't know the actual tax bracket bit for federal income tax at that point, but yeah. Keep on top of Uncle Sam's Protection Money.
Awesome! Nice little earner that. If ever theres another PC content competition. Odds are the world best will be flocking and polycounts members list will thripe.
*Kicks self around room, then stomps on own throat for not completing the polypack (not that it would have won...but still!)*
This is sick news. If valve wants to break open the industry so every creative, talented artist can make crazy money as long as there's demand they really are pc gaming's messiahs.
Congrats to the people making bank, no doubt.
I sincerely hope the Valve employees who have made hundreds of objects over the years get nice phat bonuses each year, if this is how much 3-4 items gets you paid.
I have to disagree with oobersli. I'm not bitter about not winning because I know that it's my own fault I didn't win. I know that my own entries weren't up to snuff and weren't what Valve was looking for, so it's only fair that I didn't win.
Personally, I think it's just awesome to know that people out there are making some cash for doing something fun that they love doing.
I have to disagree with oobersli. I'm not bitter about not winning because I know that it's my own fault I didn't win. I know that my own entries weren't up to snuff and weren't what Valve was looking for, so it's only fair that I didn't win.
Personally, I think it's just awesome to know that people out there are making some cash for doing something fun that they love doing.
Swizzle your entries were definitely up to snuff. They just weren't what Valve was looking for as you said. They wanted something fresh and new theme wise and yours were very close to the stock weapons. There's no way you could have known to avoid that before the competition.
First: The more I think about this, the more awesome it is. Congrats again to everybody.
Second: Having done lots of work on item sales in games, I can't see this continuing the way it is right now. Look at the community map makers, for example. A full custom map is way more work than a hat, but people will pay more money for a hat because it makes them look special online. That's the most valuable thing. If Valve wants to incentivize community content that players actually need to have fun (as opposed to what they will pay the most money for), they will have to find another way of sharing revenue.
Still, this is a great experiment and I look forward to seeing where it goes.
I can now tell strangers at the bar..."You know that winner Rob? He ripped to shreds critiqueing one of my illo pieces in the old eatpoo forums.....that Lucky Bastard! "
Second: Having done lots of work on item sales in games, I can't see this continuing the way it is right now. Look at the community map makers, for example.
fuck. grats. guess who's bashing his head against a wall for not finishing
Wondering why the regrets. This is an on-going Valve thing. Finish what you didn't finish and submit. Royalties are determined by player purchase. If Valve approves your stuff, it gets added to their store.
Replies
awesome
Let the gold rush begin
Also, I am kicking myself for foregoing the polycount pack contest to work on portfolio stuff.
The first 2 weeks averaged a pay out of $45,000 to each of the 5 Polycount Pack winners. They'll continue to make money with these items for a while yet.
Let the gold rush begin... here come the crazies...
A years salary? They'll have several times that in 6 months I'd imagine.
Yeah, you're right ... I should have said 5 years salary for 3-4 models = INCREDIBLE.
These items will sell for quite some time.
Sorta wish they wouldn't have listed the amounts that the guys have made. Now everyone knows they've got beer money.
not a huge expert on making shit ton amounts of cash, but stuff like this could really push you up the tax bracket some and make paying taxes a bitch??
*Kicks self around room, then stomps on own throat for not completing the polypack (not that it would have won...but still!)*
oh the jealousy... :poly127:
Obama and the DemRepub-T-partians should just quit and let Valve run the USA.
kudos to you, guys! well deserved
Gonna have to to agree on that, dude. =]
This is great news.
I sincerely hope the Valve employees who have made hundreds of objects over the years get nice phat bonuses each year, if this is how much 3-4 items gets you paid.
Personally, I think it's just awesome to know that people out there are making some cash for doing something fun that they love doing.
HATE. HAAAAATE.
Swizzle your entries were definitely up to snuff. They just weren't what Valve was looking for as you said. They wanted something fresh and new theme wise and yours were very close to the stock weapons. There's no way you could have known to avoid that before the competition.
congratulations to you people btw, you're becoming the artist worlds version of notch!
(ps, use the cash to fund new indie games!)
wow. Thats an insane amount of cash. Do valve employes make that much in a few weeks?
or new bentleys
Second: Having done lots of work on item sales in games, I can't see this continuing the way it is right now. Look at the community map makers, for example. A full custom map is way more work than a hat, but people will pay more money for a hat because it makes them look special online. That's the most valuable thing. If Valve wants to incentivize community content that players actually need to have fun (as opposed to what they will pay the most money for), they will have to find another way of sharing revenue.
Still, this is a great experiment and I look forward to seeing where it goes.
Awesome, guys!
If my items go up for sale I'll be able to pay off my student loans. haha
What are you ballers doing with all of the profits?:)
EPIC
they be gettin' hookers tonight!!
haha all kidding aside, congrats, that is awesome! Great job to polycount and valve for organizing an amazing comp!
Congrats Rob! Congrats to the other artists!
I smell Minecraft money! ;P
Me too... Still you should submit what you did finish if you're happy with it. Still will have a chance of being accepted and put into the store.
Wondering why the regrets. This is an on-going Valve thing. Finish what you didn't finish and submit. Royalties are determined by player purchase. If Valve approves your stuff, it gets added to their store.