While I agree with many of your points I just want to point out game packs were never 13.99. They have always been 14.99. Although that has gone up. I bought dine out for my niece for console and noticed it was 15.99 and Cats and dogs was always 34.99 out the gate, like you say an increase.
I absolutely agree notice would have the decent thing to do.
Many people, including me buy expansion packs, stuff packs and game packs even when we think it isn't worth it
In the kindest way possible, why do this? The Sims is the only gaming community I can think of that have this mindset and its common to hear "I hate this theme" followed by "I'm going to buy it anyway"
Again I don't see that in other communities for other games I play. In fact in one of the communities I frequent, fans laid into the developers over the cost of a dlc pack saying it wasn't worth the money, who did they think they were EA? Fans left scathing reviews for this dlc and refused to buy it. Some months later developers acknowledged the fans disappointment with the pack and while they didn't change the price they added more content to the pack free of charge so the pack had a bit more bang for your buck. I felt it was worth it and I bought it then all be it on a sale but it was nice to me that the devs acknowledged the fans uhappiness and made a gesture
to rectify it.
Now of course people are free to spend their money how they like and more power to them but throwing your money at a product you don't think is worthy is not the answer. I have a real life friend who last year bought vampires even though she hates them, bought fitness and bowling stuff even though she didn't care in her words for either activity. When I asked her why she was buying it then she shrugged and said "It's the Sims, its what I do"
My Husband is a game developer for a major game publisher and he was amazed to hear my friend say that. It is a pretty weird mindset and I've told her that. I mean don't get me wrong, I've played this game for almost eighteen years (well the series) its my favourite series of any game I play. During the sims 1-3 era I was guilty of pre ordering the second I got an expansion and I got the little leaflet inside the box telling you what the next expansion was. (Granted that was before 3) Heck I bought into the future and island paradise without seeing a single live stream or know anything about it and my pc at that time couldn't even run them but I was awaiting a new one and they were on sale. But the difference being if I wasn't enjoying what I was buying I wouldn't have continued.
There's many a simmer now who will buy anything that comes out like my friend and I can't understand the mentality of "I don't like it but I'm going to buy it anyway" It's sending the wrong message to the powers that be and it makes things like price increases so much easier to sneak in because those in charge know fine well the same people who say "I don't like this pack" will still buy it and the additional in price.
I'm not denying loyalty plays a part. My Husband has been working on a sequel to a game that was very received and there will be some who will buy it for that alone but the audience is different and dare I say more harder to please. If for example the game was due to release with half of the game hidden in loot boxes and other forms of pay it would go down like a lead balloon. I know as well that dlc is becoming more "normal" in games but some definitely more than others and funnily enough of all the games I can think of that are fond of bite size dlc are all EA games funnily enough.
