If you pay artists, development is expensive. There is pressure to sell and to break even. Is there any game which is developed continuously for years and pays artists?
Certainly there are a number of AAA games that fit that description.
At this point we are conflating too many topics to really talk clearly. Simplest response would be "you should plan to spend years developing if you want to and if you do you need a budget and a way to fill that budget". See early release games as one example, expansions are an older one.
At this point we are conflating too many topics to really talk clearly. Simplest response would be "you should plan to spend years developing if you want to and if you do you need a budget and a way to fill that budget". See early release games as one example, expansions are an older one.