First, related to app stores and self-distribution:
Platform owners need not be the gatekeepers of all content and money. A platform can thrive without needing to have their finger in every single pie. This is, in fact, the way it used to be by default in the industry for a very long time and everyone did quite well. Anyone can make a Playdate game and distribute it or sell it however they choose. (Technically, you don’t even need a Playdate to do it — just our free tools.) Self-distribution is not a radical or new idea, but one that has perhaps been forgotten or so consistently derided by major platforms that it’s falsely seen as no longer viable.
Second, on hardware:
When you buy hardware, you own it and have the right to do what you want with it, including developing and installing your own software.
