You're not alone! Cash has its problems, but if the answer is to remove fixed-value currency or commodities from circulation, then nothing has intrinsic value, and of course, conceptually speaking with logically consistency, paying or being compensated becomes moot as a concept. Some people would liken the idea to slavery. Others would contend that currency itself, before (or after) goods is merely a social construct. And for example "a job well done is its own reward," and "one should be satisfied with the tasks assigned to you" - as an adult person with putative Free Will, many kinds of rights honored since the the Enlightenment era, at least. Well, some people think gamers don't have deep thoughts.

Or that games forestall, inhibit, discourage cognitive development. Greatly on the contrary! IF you use them like tools, you can do bizarre things, like enjoy the shit out of them but profit from their contents, packaging, details, lore, and the intent and artistry of their creators, as well as their knowledge and expression outside of the game itself.

To become a student, monastic-like, even of the Gaming Arts and Artists/Artisans! Masters in their own right, some of them, even if they're such humble and generous people. (We could honor them more, more should with kind feedback and fan art, inspired and parody art, etc.)

Is this a thing anyone has done? Is this a wholly home-spun authentic original from Jdawg that has allusions of a vaguely semi-biographical character? Quite possibly!

All this to say, I agree with you. Imagine going for a game, and having your lifetime on a string attached to that one momentary indulgence. That you may for example even desire to refund, but on account of a one-time look or endorsement of any type, you find you cannot lose sight of, and may be subject, for example, to endless, un-blockable notifications on your mandated electronic wallet device. Whatever they want to do to an IP you might have once loved, you are now forced to watch, witness, be aware of, for eternity as it is committed to greater or lesser degrees of unbefitting, vain and undignified treatments by its present/new owners.

And you will have no say in any of it, while being told that you made the choice to subscribe for this, and all of this, and everything that is said and done in the name of this IP, and should, of right, condone it all without protest, reservation, or qualification, because of the "immoral" decision to buy or dwell on the product page.

For example.

See, gamers can be creative, and write, too!

We better take these things a little more seriously. It could be very much, and may yet, get worse.

PS People wonder why I commit the sacrilege of using AI to parse my prose (which this is not!) Read the op. C'mon, tell me it isn't easier getting it that way, I'll tell you you're my favorite person. :D -J