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But public version control is a solved problem. If Blizzard didn't demand perpetual control of user-generated content distribution, the community would ultimately build a better and more open distribution model with off-the-shelf tools.

Blizzard's intention isn't really to make things easier for the users; it's to create a walled-garden ecosystem for user-generated content, so they can monetize modders' work for themselves, which is pretty sleazy.

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How is Blizzard monetizing on a modder's work? I can't find information on cost for the service.

Blizzard has announced that they are going to have a system where map creators can charge for particular maps, and Blizzard will take a big cut.

In other words, they are going to make it so map creators can make a profit somewhere they never could before. God damn you, Blizzard.

I'm not saying it's a terrible idea, only that it's probably a big portion of their motivation to centralize and control map distribution.

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