Unless I’m not seeing something, game production is expensive. Most studios are 1-2 bad games away from closing their doors. Games are expensive as hell to produce and as much as it sucks the “going public” option is sometimes the only way to go.
It’s easy to forget but most small (1-3 people) team indie devs probably aren’t even working a salary. They split the earnings from the game and either live off of that or reinvest it into their company but the moment salaries need to get paid, or office space needs to be used (not really necessary for small teams) that’s when expenses get insanely high. I’m not a business person but I can understand why you’d want to “trim the fat” (I don’t support it at all but to play devil’s advocate, I can see the logic despite the flaws). Growth means structure, and structure means expense.
Taking chances is my guess. Each weapon is a “life experience”
The basic pistol is your normal day to day. The shotgun is your night out.
But that gauss cannon, or rocket launcher are those big risk moments like asking that person out, or going to that once in a lifetime concert.
“I can’t go to that concert I have work tomorrow” “But it’s literally their retirement tour and you love them!” “I know but…I really need this job”
Yeah it’s the responsible decision to go into work, but you’re going to regret missing a day of work way less compared to missing that once in a lifetime event.
If you’re saving money it’s fiscally responsible not to spend it, but your peak years of health are going to be wasted “saving for your future” when you’re 60 and your body isn’t as capable as it used to be. So you’re ruining the overall “game”(life) by trying to conserve and inducing more struggle onto yourself just to save an extra buck here and there.