How to live under capitalism, according to Stardew Valley

Posts like this make me scratch my head. He describes his parents as first generation immigrants who moved to the United States and built up enough wealth in one generation to put their kids through college. Then he denigrates capitalism and describes his situation as "privilege." By all appearances, his parents, who started from nothing, seem to be quite well off -- perhaps even better off than him -- despite his "privilege." I fail to see the material impact of what he calls "privilege," and I don't understand why he dislikes the economic system that catapulted his parents into success. His own life story reads like a counter-argument to his own post.

The player's goal in the Stardew Valley universe is to please your dead grandfather. This is not a foreign incentive to players in a capitalist society. As in the game we leverage profit to achieve larger goals. We sometimes sacrifice profit opportunities for the same goals.

The author imagines capitalism as pure profit incentive, and any balancing incentive as anti-capitalist. But profit has always and everywhere been a means, not an end. We participate in the market for a broad spectrum of ends, and earning Grandpa's respect is not an uncommon one.

Here's the subtitle:

> ‘Stardew Valley’ doesn’t challenge capitalism by trying to escape from it, but by teaching a lesson on generosity

Generosity doesn't challenge capitalism. It is frequently enabled by it. And it sure helps capitalism function better. The game simulates that.

Very interesting essay. I didn’t realize the narrative of Stardew Valley was about a struggle against a large corporation.

Sadly, the author faceplants in his opening paragraph:

> The default of many games is capitalist. Money, and the accumulation of it, is often core to a game’s mechanic.

Money is not capital - the explicit goal of PokeMon is to accumulate the monsters that earn you status, money, etc. in furtherance of more accumulation. So I don't disagree with the premise, but money's almost never the ultimate goal in simulators.

Sorry for the stupid question, but what do people mean by capitalism?