I think they just figured out they can offload the modernization of old games to the community. People will still have to buy the game to get the assets needed to play it legally.
One of my economy professors in university put it as “no one wears a Rolex to have a very accurate wristwatch”.
There are benefits to buying “premium” brands in terms of quality and durability but after you get into the “luxury”/“designer” range it’s all about displaying wealth.