I'm on Linux, so if I buy from GOG, I don't get cloud saves or automatic updates. If we had Galaxy on Linux, it would be my default store. But it's not on Linux, so I shop on Steam.
That's not unsustainable...that's a healthy, competitive market, and a great deal better for the consumer than the television model it replaced. You also don't need to stay subscribed to a streaming service after you've watched the show you wanted to watch, and even if you stay subscribed to only the ones with shows you like, it's far cheaper than cable.
They've got that this time, and it is modeled, at least a little bit, off of real world things like people deciding to go somewhere based on parking availability and such.
Who determines what's a basic and what's expanded content then? You know what's in it when it comes out, and you can buy it at that price or not. If they do extra work, it makes sense to sell it as an add-on. If you were happy with it before they added night clubs or weather features, were they really that essential to be included in the base package? If you weren't happy with it before they added those things, wait until they add those things. They sell a good product at a fair price, and they're forthcoming about what's in it. They don't try to keep you hooked with weird psychological tricks or gambling mechanics. Nothing about this is fucked.
Sure, but they're approaching a convergence. PCs have gotten easier and consoles have become less streamlined. With something like the Steam Deck, it's even more blurred.
So then what if you waited until it had all of the features that you consider necessary and then buy those on a sale? You're a far cry from $2k spent in either case.
What if you only bought the expansions that speak to you though? I don't need the content creator pack or the K pop radio station, but I did want Green Cities and Mass Transit, for instance.
It's been a long time since that was the case though. Now you have to update the console, update the controller firmware, install the game, and update the game.
Sure, but if you want to see what happens when you have a lot of employee turnover from people not agreeing with the direction of a game, look no further than Redfall. Often times that top talent you're talking about will form their own studios and bring colleagues with them.
Strikes not withstanding, I don't see how that business is unsustainable. Film and television companies integrated and consolidated until there's at least 4 or 5 major players in that space for healthy competition, and the back of the napkin math makes plenty of sense.
If it wasn't on their minds before Diablo IV, I'll bet "defending our patch notes on a live stream" is going to be a difficult position to staff in the future for a company that's already had issues retaining talent.
It hasn't stopped the game from being in the top 25 most played on Steam though. And I'll bet that number is disappointing to Blizzard too, but I'm going to guess a large number of those people leaving negative reviews are still playing the game, which doesn't help.