always has been

No. There are releases to download on github aswell.

See here: https://gamevau.lt/docs/client-docs/setup#alternative-installation-options

polluting the FOSS-environment
pretending to be a part of the open source world
normally open source software doesn’t have a commercial business plan from the get go

Seriously? GameVault was never Open Source, and it’s clear you didn’t bother to check. Two developers are simply asking for support to keep their project going, and you’re throwing around terms like “capitalists” and “moneymoneymoney mindset”? Do we look like fucking EA, asking you for 100$ every year for the same game and their shitty lootboxes? Get real. Its only a way to support us a bit and get something in return. Why is Patreon okay for Youtubers and Artists, but as soon as a developer starts a model like that it is considered GREEDY?!

For fucks sake, we even offer options to bypass the paywall if you can’t afford it, but apparently, that’s not enough for you. Pull your head out of the fucking clouds and actually read before you start raging. It’s because of people like you with your free-rider mindset that open source devs often struggle. You would not work for free either and then have to explain to your wife and family why you waste so much time into a project you could earn something with while you’re struggling to pay for groceries.

you do you, its just a warning because of potential malware, i’d personally rather self-compile than pirate something when i have the damn source-code.

I understand your perspective, but that’s just how the world is today as you can see.

Our terms are flexible, allowing you to pause or cancel your subscription whenever necessary. It’s not like some shady lock-in gym contract that has to run for x months before you can cancel and auto-renews without your consent.

While I acknowledge that recurring costs can add up, this model is essential for sustainable business operations today. Predictable monthly revenue is crucial for planning and growth. Just subscribe to things you need, like or want to support and unsubscribe from things you dont need. For most of our users and compared to other services, our pricing is affordable, with 5€ being easily manageable on a monthly basis, or 50€ annually if you want to save 10€.

Oh and again… noone forces you to buy this. And you can bypass it if you want to. They’re just goodies. The core features of GameVault and everything you’ve used up until today will always remain free.

Could you clarify your specific issue then?

We dedicate our free time to improving and maintaining this software. While yes, we encourage monthly donations, to have some MRR to calculate with and run a business, it’s still optional.

As you say, if you can’t donate, you can still self-compile.

Is your issue with us seeking financial support of 5€ a month to maintain servers and justify our time investment towards our families?

We’re a small indie team of two balancing multiple jobs, and a small monthly contribution helps sustain our efforts in delivering quality features for our free software.

Honestly, go bash some triple a enterprise studios for running loot boxes and shit even though you pay 70€ for their games instead.

It is the old crack pipe but it already features way more than just visualizing your game collection and there are a bunch more features in the oven.

The 49€ a year have been selected very carefully and when comparing it to other subscriptions today, are actually pretty reasonably priced.

You don’t need the subscription or it’s features to use GameVault. It’s designed to be totally optional and bypassable. If you enjoyed using it until now, nothing will change for you. See plus more like a “thank you” for a 5€ donation monthly instead of a real subscription service. You can compare it to stuff like patreon.

First of all GameVault was never Open Source. Secondly this is not anything like that and I’m sad you didn’t even read the full blog post. It even says it’s not a shitty enterprise move.

It is just a way to give something back to people who would donate anyway. The plus features are designed to be bypassable with minimal effort if you don’t want to pay for it. The extra features are not important to use the app as usual. Please read before you judge.

For inatallers

You either know the exact use case and need somehting like this or you don’t.

A lot of people just want to share their accumulated videogame libraries with their families and friends in some kind of platform.

due to popularity, but you can contact us via Email, Reddit, Lemmy or Github Issues / Discussions aswell

Last time I checked renaming an empty text file to “Assassin’s Creed 2.zip” was legal in my jurisdiction but I now must fear a C&D Letter from Ubisoft it seems lmao.

RomM is just a viewer.

Users must also be aware of and comply with copyright laws in their respective jurisdictions. We encourage responsible and legal use of GameVault. Unlawful use is strictly improper and unauthorized.

No of course not 😂

I needed some games to show the UI properly so I created some empty zip-file mocks of popular games like “Assassin’s Creed 2.zip”.

GameVault doesn’t care what’s inside.

There probably will some themes for supporters in the future.

Not natively but there’s this

“gimp” is a slur for disabled people. Thats what i am talking about.

just join our discord (linked in the post) and ask for a helping hand, there are plenty of users already running it. Maybe you can improve the docs there aswell, as they are a community effort.

Okay let’s be clear here: NO open source license disallows commercial use by a third party. It’s literally against the definition of open-source-software. It’s even green on the very site you linked.