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by tmountain 823 days ago
Pay because it’s inexpensive and you are supporting the development of a platform that brings joy to a lot of people (including children). It’s hosted (splore for finding games), a community forum is maintained and is a wealth of knowledge. It’s a hub for learning. Paying for pico-8 is like donating to Wikipedia. Basically, you are putting a few dollars towards a “good thing”.
2 comments
kqr 823 days ago
I don't buy that argument – why shouldn't I donate to TIC-80 instead, since it has the potential of reaching also children whose parents don't have $15 burning a hole in their pockets?

I'm not trying to be contrary, I'm really just trying to find what the unique thing about PICO-8 is since nobody has been able to articulate it, yet many people appear to feel it.

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tmountain 823 days ago
TIC-80 is heavily inspired by PICO-8. Supporting PICO-8 enables the creator of the original technology to continue producing creative works that seem to inspire a lot of derivative projects. Whatever the case, if you don’t agree, then don’t buy it. It’s pretty simple in that regard.
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igrekel 823 days ago
I think you missed the point, I perceived the question (which I'm asking myself too) how do these differ? What makes one more fun or better than the other?
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LastTrain 823 days ago
I use both pico-8 and tic-80. I like both of them, but I like pico-8 better. Why? Aesthetics pretty much - and isn’t that enough? These aren’t tools to get things done; they are more like songs you listen to.
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thesnide 822 days ago
It feels a little like iOS vs android at that point.,,
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otachack 823 days ago
Why not both? If you can afford it, of course.
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kqr 822 days ago
That could make sense if both are equally good, or if it's down to personal preference and one has to try both.

But GGP made the argument out to be altruistic, that paying for one over the other is because it's better for the world. If that is the motivation, I would want to donate however much I could afford to the one with highest impact!

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kqr 820 days ago
Not sure if you'll read this but I did end up buying Pico-8 mainly for the reason embedded in the middle of your comment. It really is a hub for learning. That feature seems undersold (or I didn't appreciate its value).
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