Base

the free basename claim doesn't seem to be working? not sure how to get a  free one, it says i meet the criteria but then says not enough ETH because i dont have its current price worth of ETH.

just pay the 60 ETH, stop looking for a handout.

Co-founder, Scout Game. 
https://scoutgame.xyz

but actually also super confused by this and maybe even more generally why I would want my identity to have someone else's company/product name in it.

That's some @randomerror.eth vibe right there!!

Ask what you can do for Base not what Base can do for you

If you don't have $400,000 for a Base name do you even crypto?