Correction: It is to make money, but the goal is to get people to subscribe now then jack up the prices once people start relying on it.

They've already plateaued and basically admitted to it. It's a large revenue stream that's not as large as they thought it would be, so now they're going to coast with it and rely on just being a massive publisher instead.

It's happening across the board at every industry.

Rather than try to appeal to a larger audience, they've found it's more profitable to take greater advantage of an ever-shrinking pool of saps.

Mark my words, they legitimately don't want the business of people with standards or self-respect. They want to cultivate communities where the only participants are Stockholm Syndrome victims and their abusers.

if your running windows you'll still have to put up with Microsoft

Luckily, there is another choice. Linux runs pretty smooth and has gotten much simpler to use over the years.

Plus steam deck is pretty solid.

Valve hasn’t gotten the memo yet. Someone email them again?

I think it was actually publishers like EA, Ubisoft, Blizzard, and Activision that started the price increase. For big titles they started raising them to $70 a year or two ago, then to 80. I think I remember Diablo 4 launching for $80, or so.

I only know this because I refuse to buy from these publishers.

Yeah, buy most games at half price or less, fully patched up and with all the DLCs. Such a joy!

$80 on release day. $60 a month later. $40 a year later. $20 a year after that.

What you're paying for isn't the game, its the hype. An enormous component of a modern AAA game's budget is just advertising. That's what your $80 is going towards. You're paying to have people tell you to buy it.

Even assuming you don't feel like pirating... Just be patient, play something that came out a few years ago, wait for the next Steam Sale, and own the game for pennies on the dollar.

The difference is: Microsoft and Sony 1st party titles go on sale and eventually come down in price over time.

Nintendo first party titles are always full price, even for 5 year old games.

I didnt know Linux manufactured solid controllers. Can you link me one? /s

Like for real: Xbox Controllers are actually good.

We all? I mean, I have, but we represent single digit percentages of the market, which is why they keep shoving more bullshit into Windows that no one wants, because hardly anyone leaves Windows. The most that this affects Linux gamers is if you like their controllers or individual games that they publish, but that would be the same as on Windows as well.

Thousands of them already exist. They're called PCs.