100s of games on here, huh,
I cant never play u if u cost money, no, no
Wait till we are all big, then well see whose the money tree
While the jokes on here are pretty funny, I think a serious answer is overdue.
The answer, as many have jokingly alluded to, is the idea of “getting paid to do work.” Would you be willing to work at McDonalds for free, especially if you have expenses to pay every month? Probably not.
Of course, there’s a crucial aspect that hasn’t been talked about yet: charging for games means locking out people who are unwilling or unable to pay for them. It is kind of sad, especially in the latter case, but that’s how society works.
And, uh… I honestly don’t know what the money tree part means? I feel like there’s a bit of a communication issue here.
With all my respect.
If you see storm clouds, you take an umbrella because you know it's going to rain, sometimes you can be wrong, yes. But most of the time you can't go wrong.
If someone is not clear why a game is charged, or even if they want to enter into a mature discussion about it is better or worse to charge on a platform like Itch.
You are not going to place the second or the third sentence that this person wrote.
If I have to guess (and I don't think I'm wrong), the first post is written with the intention of to criticize something that seems wrong to him.
His second sentence, he's not asking, he's stating that charging for games is wrong. In my years of experience, when a person starts a post like that, he has no intention of debating or having a mature conversation, he intends to vent his frustration or seek to create an unproductive discussion.
I can be wrong?. Yes, I don't own the truth, but I've seen this post pattern so many times in so many places that I'm more than 90% sure of what I'm telling you.
For this reason, I did not take his pseudo question seriously and I preferred to take it on the side of humor, that way you do not give him the opportunity to transform the post into a fight that would possibly be blocked at this time.
Some games really can be paid. Some games can be with no pay. So it is decision of creators. In theory developers choose it on their own.
But, in a real way, some people just has lots of greed!! So casual answer - GREED! They set a price, cause of GREED! And nothing else. Maybe they can think they are so cool to have a game with a price. Maybe.
But, you know, any dev, one day, will try this point. To set a price for a game. And try to earn something. So you are try to get some result. You invest into dev lots of time. And you want something back.Some positive. For example try to do a game, you can do. Make it better. And set a price. This is also a way of self progress.
As for me, i am thinking about to set a small price for one game, i am doing right now. Because of i invest into it lots of time.
So i can do just a game, i can do. And say, ok, i invest X time, and this is enough. I have trained in programming, i have trained in doing art, i make idea i wanted. And i dont care about anything else. It is my way, i see it this way. And thats enough.
And there is situation - you invest more time, that to just do a thing you wanna. You try to plish game. To add more pixel art, to do more code. To add more features. That are far beyoud, just do the game you wanna. You try make it better. You invest lots of resources into this idea - make it better, than just a game you want to do, than a game for training. And at this point you can try set a price.
I also have ideas about to do a release a pack of games. And set again possible price. So pack of games. And you can transfer some money, or download for free. There is such an option too. But this is about a pack of my basic pascal videogames. You can dowload pack for free. Youc an download every game one by one from websiute fo free. Or you can set some trasfer on money for a pack, if you wish. This is idea also.
So, i am thinking about such things, somethimes.
Freebies have their function, i release free music all the time, but you won't see my masterpieces in there, they're usually going to the devs that pay me on commission. I'd argue it's the same with games, you can enjoy lots of free games but if you want BIGGER and more COMPLEX game experiences such as in the AAA industry (Elden Ring just to say a big title) and are still not willing to pay for it, then you're just plain dumb. Now, even in the indie industry there are people making HIGHLY impressive games that doesn't bow down to AAA titles at all, those devs are investing in all sorts of stuff such as graphic designers, 2D, 3D artists, marketers, etc, and if even so you still think that it all should be for free just because, that's just sad and disappointing IMO. But that's how society works, frustrated whiners will keep whining without ever growing in anything and those who are sacrificing and giving value will just keep progressing.