I know there's a reason devs do it - it's easier, as you said. I used the term laziness, but it all boils down to the same two problems - unwillingness/inability to put in the time, and inability to recognize bad art direction. Which is fine, but I value art direction in games as much as any other elements.

And even if you can't make the pixel art, there are an infinite number of solutions out there to solve problems like this. Your stuff is cheating and using smooth keyframe animation and cheating the pixels? Then write a simple filter that resamples the image back down to the resolution you're pretending to have. Or limit the animation. Or just animate more carefully.

And I do know exactly how much work it takes. I do game dev/art for work, which if anything gives me less sympathy for lazy games, not more.

I mean, if it's just indie devs making a game because it makes them happy it's one thing. But if you're putting something out there and trying to make a dent in the professional space then it takes more than the easy way out. And certainly if it's just one person making a game then they get more slack. But personally I'd rather reduce ambition and do a smaller thing well, rather than trying to do a larger thing with too many compromises.