Anyone knows one that we should use / advertize or we should build one?
Ye... Shame though, it would have been great if Itch would have stood and decided for another solution instead of caving in to their demands. It's not like there is no alternative... I think we would have understood that even if another solution for processing payment isn't ideal, it's surely way better than simply censoring content.
People in countries that have widespread local payment methods (like Pix down here in Brazil) have a enterprising opportunity right now. Though unfortunately it's not a global one, yet. Similar to how DLSite said no to the American companies and just stuck with the Japanese payment methods.
I wish some of those payment methods would go international quicker. This cartel of Visa and MasterCard needs competition.
But yeah, crypto is an option too. I never thought I'd say that in my life, but I think I see the appeal of crypto better nowadays after the recent few years.
"I never thought I'd say that in my life," I understand your feeling, crypto has been tarnished a lot, from meme coins and scams to poor usability and rug pulls. However, the underlying technology is truly revolutionary. It offers the opportunity to process international services and goods without relying on a central authority. This capability is fundamental to our future. It provides us with the tools to challenge these cartels :)
This is a just a dream, but it would be fantastic to create a platform with the community at its heart. This would involve a Discord server for community management and a standalone, open-source platform/website dedicated to serving games. The community should play a central role in screening and curating the games available on the platform. To ensure transparency and trust, the platform should only retain a minimal fee to cover development and operational costs, with monthly profit and expense reports made publicly available. Decision-making for the platform should be democratic, involving valuable members of the community, including game developers, through a voting system.
Must have features for the platform:
I'm sure theres more, but this is what came on top of my head.
To bring this to life, we have to gather close to all affected game developers on a Discord server and start planning collaboratively. With everyones input, Im sure we can create a plaform and environment for developers and gamers a-like in a short amount of time.
This is a long shot! For it to work, we basically need a significant number of interested developers to join and collaborate.
I've created a Discord server: https://discord.gg/ukqJzxkVK9
There is a welcome message that explains everything. I've also set attainable goals to work towards. Sharing the link and spreading the word through simple word-of-mouth is how we can make this initiative a reality.
This is a project for both developers and consumers.
Yes, let’s use a technology that is well known for all kinds of activities that most people would frown upon. Most notably stealing people’s money through various forms of fraud.
The payment processing technology is not the issue here. To quote the YouTuber Dan Olsen of Folding Ideas and his video “Line Goes Up” here:
“Those problems are patterns of human behaviour.
They’re incentives, they’re social structures, they’re modalities.
The problem is what people are doing to others, not that the building they’re doing it in has the word ‘bank’ on the outside.”
Just stop with the cryptocurrency stuff already.
You miss my point.
Cryptocurrency does nothing to address the root problem here. That root problem being people and the downright cruel things they are doing to each other. In fact, cryptocurrency only makes that problem worse by removing 90% of the safeguards put in place by existing systems.
Hence; stop suggesting it.
what fucking safeguards, lmao, are you aware how common it is for people to lose money on their credit or debit cards? the banks will not protect you, and if this situation has not taught you that i do not know what will.
crypto is already used to support organisations in opposition to governments where it is unsafe to do otherwise. if you are too privileged to be aware of that fact, maybe you shouldn't be engaged in such discussions.
we do not live in the world where these systems are properly regulated. it is time to find alternatives that work better than what exists.
'
Those problems are patterns of human behaviour.
They’re incentives, they’re social structures, they’re modalities.
' <- So, we get rid of humanity, noted. (just kidding)
'The payment processing technology is not the issue here.' <- In fact it is. Visa/Mastercard, paypal, American Express, even FIAT (central bank money (Dollar, Yen, Huang, Peruvian Peso and so on)) are centralized payment methods, (only one entity processing payments) And they have the way to decide which transaction process and which not.
'Those problems are patterns of human behaviour.' <- I'm agree with you with this point. You can't trust people who only want money and power at all cost and don't align their ways to get it with the interests/comfort of their users in mind. And because that, a possible 'fix' to the problem is not use a method that dumb and greedy people control. A system that can guarantee it's impartiality. You can't come up with a new payment method that can compete with Visa/Mastercard in less than a year and if you can. How do you guarantee that in the long run it won't be used to extort/censor like Visa/Mastercard is doing?
'Yes, let’s use a technology that is well known for all kinds of activities that most people would frown upon. Most notably stealing people’s money through various forms of fraud.' <- In those cases is like you said after. The problem is not the payment processor but the way it was used.
itch.io, Steam, and other stores have capitulated to fascists, and everyone around the world should be outraged!
Free speech, sexual freedom, and justice for sexual minorities have been under attack by Christo-fascists and other hate groups. If you think their hatred will end there, you don't understand fascism or evil. Fascists will never stop shrinking the in-group until they're defeated, and if that means another WWII, then we must fight.
But rather than holding the line, defending institutions, and holding strongly onto their moral compass, some groups like itch.io are choosing to bend the knee. It's extremely sad and angering seeing Leaf Corcoran capitulate to this evil rather than telling the payment processors to go F#@! themselves, halting all payments to these brown shirts, and going to alternative processors and forms of payment until the processors stop their fascist boot licking.
Everyone needs to call and email VISA and other processors to tell them how outraged you are!
It's time we close our itch.io accounts unless itch.io reverses direction very soon! :(
I'm not a game developer myself, so I don't know the exact details, but as far as I understand, Itch takes 10% annually if creators leave their revenue in their Itch account without requesting a payout.
In other words, creators are made to earn money for Itch, and Itch refuses to pay out the funds based on "payment processor policies," taking 10% of the frozen funds each year. After 10 years, 100% of the funds end up belonging to Itch.
Itch needs to find alternative payment processing methods so that creators can receive their earnings.
Otherwise, it’s no different from exploiting creators to generate penalty money for Itch.
in another threats are already asking for alternatives to itch. and i found this. https://isotopic.io/game-store/
I think it also use some kind of crypto payment.
We're building https://altgames.io/, an alternative game marketplace for people who have been affected by the recent censorship. Feel free to send me a DM if you're interested, I'd love to chat.