There are an increasing amount of companies that choose to make their games free so that it can reach a larger audience. Games like Roblox and Fortnite are some of the most popular games (reaching millions of people a day) and they are free. Most games that are free still make a good amount of money from their participants. They sell them cosmetics or things to enhance the gaming experience which is good for those who are willing to make money for those types of things. Personally, I have not spent money to purchase those cosmetics or advancements but my little brother (who is addicted to Roblox) has spent almost $1,000 on the game. I have purchased it for him and my parents have purchased it for him but it brings up a good way that companies can reach a large audience but are still able to make a large profit from the games. These games are mostly given to PC users but some companies have been expanding to XBOX and PS4 users so that they can also purchase the products and the companies can reap the benefits of selling to a greater audience.
If you choose to pay $60 for a newly released game, you can get the whole story line, multiplayer, and whatever else is offered in the base game. While these companies still choose to add things that will enhance the game, the player has the ability to get more benefits from the paid version rather than paying every time for little things. These games also have advanced models so that if you choose to acquire expansion packs and other resources like that you pay around $20 more and you can have it. They also require you to have membership with whatever console platform you choose to use such as XBOX Live or PlayStation Network which are an addition $60 a year. Before buying a game, you must determine how much you are willing to spend. Like if I were to buy a $60 Call of Duty: Black Ops game, I know that it is probably going to be an additional $60 for all the expansion and DLC packs that come with it in the future. While with games like Assassin Creed, I know it is a one and done type of game. That once I finish the main and side quests, there is nothing left to purchase so I must move on to the next game.