[pedrosorio]

> The issue is that back in the late 80s/early 90s the cost of a new game was $60, and the cost of a new game today is... $60

You also mention in your comment that this is not an issue because sales volume has more than made up for it.

If the industry is just now becoming more mature and saturated, "inflation over decades" is not relevant.

Companies are moving to micro-transactions simply because it is now very easy to setup and a guaranteed way to increase revenue. And that's what companies do (optimize for revenue/profit), regardless of inflation.