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”.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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!
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).
