Some would argue this is the player’s fault, that our demands and expectations are forcing publishers to spend so much. Quite frankly, this is bullshit.
The publishers created this market. Players demand realistic graphics and the biggest worlds because the publishers told us that’s what matters. Because it’s the one piece of quality, they told us to demand. It’s basic marketing. For better or worse, we’ve come to expect this from the AAAs, and anything less is seen as yet another insult to the consumer. At the same time, we’ve seen that games don’t need photorealistic graphics or superior technology to be successful. So even if they couldn’t make games without nickel-and-diming us (they can), it’s on them and their shoddy business practices.
If these companies were honest, they’d just come out and say what they really think, “We want more of your money.” It’s a less defensible position, but I could respect it more.