Altguard

I feel like one thing that is often missing outside of Japan is the sheer 「Love and Affection」 fans hold for the creators. Buying a genuine copy isn't always just about wanting to consume it, like buying food simply because you're hungry. It's a way to express our sincere gratitude to the creators for bringing this wonderful work into the world. This is especially true when it comes to small indie teams or doujin game circles. Sometimes, playing the game itself is secondary, it’s about adoration and the genuine wish for the creators to be happy, to eat well, and to keep doing what they love, funded by our support. In fact, some dedicated fans even go as far as buying three copies of the exact same game (one to play, one to display, and one to keep as a backup!) just to maximize their contribution. This feeling goes beyond just games and applies to manga, novels, and all forms of art. I completely understand that there are real barriers to supporting officially, financial struggles, lack of local distribution, or items being strictly 「Japan Only」 thanks to convoluted licensing shenanigans. But I've seen that when someone has that deep love and affection, no matter the international shipping costs, having to navigate proxy services to import those items, or the hurdles, they will eventually find a way to hold that physical copy in their hands. I just hope that whenever people finally get the chance or the means to support the official release, they choose to do so. It’s not about the cold, cynical logic of 「buying used or pirating is the same because the dev gets $0 either way」 It's entirely about that love and affection. Though, I have to admit, I think part of the reason this love and affection is fading nowadays, especially towards modern Western game companies is largely due to their own corporate management. It’s hard for players to give affection to recent games when it feels like the games themselves were made without an ounce of passion, acting only as soulless tools to squeeze money out of us. (;´ - `;)