Stardew Valley Creator Donates $125,000 to MonoGame Software Framework

Stardew Valley, created by Eric Barone, also known as ConcernedApe, is known as a very popular indie game among gamers. Despite its long history, the game continues to receive updates with new content. Eric is currently busy working on the latest update, SV version 1.7.

Recently, news surfaced of the game's creator donating to MonoGame Software Framework. Seriously?!?!

Through its official Twitter account, MonoGame Software Framework announced that it had just received an extraordinary donation from Eric Barone, also known as ConcernedApe, the creator of Stardew Valley, totaling $125,000, or approximately IDR 2.09 billion.

The creator has also committed to making regular monthly donations to the software framework. In addition to Eric Barone's donation, many other donors have also contributed to support MonoGame.

In case you didn't know, MonoGame is a framework used in the development of open-source, code-based video games for various platforms. It's the spiritual successor to Microsoft XNA, and the developer community developed MonoGame to ensure XNA-based code continues to run on modern devices.

With donations from Eric Barone and other donors, the MonoGame development team can continue this framework as an open-source C# program that video game developers of all stripes can rely on.

According to information gathered, this software framework is widely used by indie developers today. One example is Eric Barone's games, including Haunted Chocolatier. Other popular indie games that use MonoGame include Celeste, Streets of Rage 4, and Terraria (for console and mobile platforms).

This substantial financial contribution is seen as a crucial step for the sustainability of the indie game development ecosystem. Many small developers rely on MonoGame for its flexibility, lightweight nature, and platform-independent nature. Direct support from a major game creator like ConcernedApe demonstrates that he not only uses the framework but also appreciates the role of the developer community behind it.

For Eric Barone, MonoGame Zootopia 2 has been a crucial foundation that has enabled Stardew Valley's continued growth over the years. He built most of the game's features independently, and the decision to contribute to the framework's development is seen as a way of "giving back" to the open-source technology that has supported his career as a solo developer. Many fans praised this move as a clear example of how commercial success can go hand-in-hand with community support.

The MonoGame developers themselves stated that this donation will be used to strengthen project management, expedite platform compatibility updates, and improve documentation and support for new developers. This is crucial as more and more small and modern indie studios are turning to open-source frameworks to avoid the licensing costs of commercial engines.

On the other hand, Eric Barone's decision is also seen as aligning with the increasingly collaborative trend in the indie game industry. With many successful games born from community frameworks, the existence of projects like MonoGame is considered a crucial pillar in maintaining developers' creative freedom. Without financial support and community participation, open-source projects like these often face long-term development challenges.

The Stardew Valley player community welcomed this news, especially considering that Eric is currently actively working on updates and new projects like Haunted Chocolatier. His support for MonoGame signals that he is not only focused on his own game, but also wants to ensure the next generation of developers have stable and sustainable development tools.

With this substantial donation and commitment to regular contributions, MonoGame's sustainability is expected to be further assured, not only for Stardew Valley and other ConcernedApe projects, but also for the hundreds of indie games built on this framework—proving that supporting the open-source technology ecosystem still has a real impact on the modern games industry.