Idk if this helps, but here’s my general ethical approach:
If it’s a small indie developer/studio. I always pay for the game, or at least, if I pirate the game, I buy the rough equivalent of their merchant or make a donation if that’s an option.
If it’s a large studio/corpo game, I pirate it and don’t shed a single tear. Same is true for all my music and visual media.
I support people and small groups that need the help and are creating great products and art. I think it is actually unethical to support giant corporations monetarily, so I do my best to minimize the amount of money they get from me, which for many years now has been pretty close to zero.
Idk if this helps, but here’s my general ethical approach:
If it’s a small indie developer/studio. I always pay for the game, or at least, if I pirate the game, I buy the rough equivalent of their merchant or make a donation if that’s an option.
If it’s a large studio/corpo game, I pirate it and don’t shed a single tear. Same is true for all my music and visual media.
I support people and small groups that need the help and are creating great products and art. I think it is actually unethical to support giant corporations monetarily, so I do my best to minimize the amount of money they get from me, which for many years now has been pretty close to zero.