I wholeheartedly disagree ambershee. Asset flippers and such are people, who are actually very inventive. They will find a way around this barrier, if you like it or not. The only ones being punished for it are people, who actually can’t afford the fee. No human is born equal and have the same financial background like you. It is always easy to say that you just get to work, save your earnings and release the game. But real game development takes TIME and quite a lot of it, if you are not an asset flipper. If you don’t have a team, it is even worse. And to acquire a team, you mostly have to pay them aswell. It is a circle of investment. Get a loan? As if banks are giving a small indie developer just a loan… you are just delusional. Come on, I tried it. They want security, not promises.
And the greatest BS I’ve ever heard is tieing the financial situation to talent or even being a good developer is just stupid.
I agree to disagree. I honestly don’t think a higher entry fee would change anything. A **** valve steam employee could spot one of these asset flips pretty fast. Come on, Valve has enough money. Valve is just not interested in hiring people, because they have their lovely automated solutions, which are no solutions, but rather faux mechanics.
EDIT: Btw, I meant the way OP came across was “pretentious”.