If you can afford to spend $48,000 on a video game, how is that getting fleeced?
Like, OK, maybe some idiot mortgages their house for this. Bad spending decision. More likely, anyone who looks at that ticket price and thinks "fair deal" is already a millionaire, and quite welcome to do whatever the fuck they want with their money.
Virtual ships certainly cost a lot less to operate than a Lambo or a boat.