One prominent designer (who asked to remain anonymous) told me in 2020: "I launched a Kickstarter for a 40-page zine. We raised $4,000. Two days after backers got their PDFs, it was on The Trove. My post-campaign sales were $200. That book took me a year to write. The Trove stole my rent money."
Many users treated the site as a digital bookstore shelf, previewing PDFs before committing $50+ to a physical hardcover. The Shadow of Piracy
Is gaming becoming too expensive for the average player?