Something else to consider, stolen from reddit: there are only so many genre's in gaming and so many people in the world. Once a genre, or a gaming niche is filled by a competent product, everything else becomes a carbon copy or clone to your average consumer. It's been nearly 30 years and any new ARPG is still called a Diablo clone, for example. Any new FPS that looks sufficiently weird or has quirky weapons and shooting mechanics is a half-life clone or was inspired by it. When Concord was announced, it was immediately called an Overwatch clone. In addition, a large number of the people who are already playing those well made, well supported original genre fillers aren't likely to jump ship for a worse clone. Having to start all over at rank one, re-learn brand new characters and mechanics, and this one isn't even FTP, its $40 for a worse version of a game that already exists that you can play for free. You make some good points here, but the fact of the matter is devs need to stop making worse versions of things that already exist and start taking more risks with original IPs instead of playing it safe to count the easy money. Sure, they're charging for the game instead if going FTP and loading it with a battle pass and egregious micro transactions, FOR NOW. But it doesn't take telepathy to see from way around the corner what the intent is here and plus, recent gaming trends all but demand that they do the thing we all know they're gonna do. Yea this is a cynical take, I'm being pessimistic and making accusations without any actual proof and maybe everybody else is, but we dont that to the person who brings an umbrella with them to work everyday just in case. We say they're ahead of the game.
First guy really coped by saying other gamers spent "thousands" on certain games that have no microtransaction/Gacha/cosmetics.... "investment", what a choice of words...
